From Secretariat a Central Office ~

club might listen to a discussion, pro
and..con, on the proposed legislation,
and then the president might say to his
members: ._ "Your Rotary club is not tak-
ing a position on this matter, but it
is appealing to you, as a citizen, to
take a position and not fail to do so,
Now, please go back to your places of
business or your residences and as in-
dividual citizens of your state, write
your representative in the legislature
and tell him where you stand. on this
matter -- those of you who are in favor,
say so; and those of you who may be op-
posed, say so. Use your business or

_ personal letterhead, If convenient,

go and call on your representative in
the legislature and tell him across his
desk how you think he ought to vote.
The club, as an organization, doesn't
care what your position is; that is
your own matter of judgment. The inm-
portant thing is that, as a Rotarian,
you will not be satisfied with yourself
until you have indicated to your rep-
resentative in the legislature your
position as a.citizen." _

Such a .procedure would be entirely in
harmony. with the policy of Rotary. Ro-
tary..is a unique organization in many
Ways. Rotary hasn't followed along
the established path of other organiza-
tions, and there are a. great many who
believe that the very fact that Rotary
has been unique in several ways has
contributed to the success. and spread
of the Rotary movement. If a Rotary
club were to follow the procedure out-
lined above, it would be unique com-
tered to various. other organizations
that adopt resolutions and send them
forward.

On the other hand, when a Rotary club
undertakes to express itself as an or-
ganization on a controversial matter,
there are at least two things . to be
considered.

First, there may be some difference of
opinion among the club members, and if
a resolution is adopted as expressing
the. opinion of the club, it will ac-
tually express only the opinion of the

60.5-Oct. '4k-Y-400

Rotary International -

- do something for somebody else.

- by ‘the’club is desirable.

(File 602B) - Page 1

majority of the members and there may
be.a dissatisfied minority.

Second, even though the matter is not
a controversial one there is a danger
that. when a Rotary. club, as an organ-
ization, appeals. to the members of a
legislature, and the legislators re-
spond to the appeal, those legislators,
being practical politicians, are liable
to come back a little later and say,
"We did what your Rotary organization
wanted us to do and now that we are
candidates for re-election we think it
would be only fair for your Rotary or-
ganization to support us." Then, if
the club refuses to‘support the legis-
lators, it appears in the position of
being ungrateful, of wanting something
done for it while it is not willing to
If the
club does respond to that appeal and
supports the legislators for re-elec-
tion, then the Rotary club has gotten
into politics.

And so, in all cases where a club de-
cides on a particular project, several
things should be taken into considera-
tion. In some cases, corporate action
In others,
individual action will be more effect-
ive. Possibly the club can be of more
service by combining the two.

And we see also that. a club. may assume
one or all five roles, As "investiga-
tor," the club: will discover the. needs
of the community. As "educator" it
will inform its. members. and.perhaps

the community in general, or those who
can take action. In the role of "stim-
ulator" the club will arouse the inter-
est of each member and perhaps the com-
munity in general, or those who can
take action. And as "promoter" and .
"performer" the club will initiate or
carry on a project where it is necessary
that the club do so. In each of these
cases, the individual member will also
play his part... And with each part
played well by every member, there will
be little doubt about the success of a
Bro giee