24 Mar. 1944 To Club Presidents and Secretaries The News L aS oP) etter From the R. |. Secretariat (Central Office) 35 E. Wacker Dr., Chicago |, Ill., U. S.A. No. 17—1943-44 Fish for Charity Rotarian J. K. Biswas recently suggested a unique method of aug- menting the food supply for the re- lief kitchen operated by the Rotary Club of Calcutta when he invited anglers to take their rods and tackle to the Dhakuri Lakes, an angler’s paradise, and “fish for charity.” Many anglers are following his sug- gestion and the relief kitchen is profiting thereby. The Rotary Club of Calcutta has appealed to all Rotarians in India to send clothing of all descriptions, old and new, to help clothe the destitute. Shirts, shorts and frocks have been distributed to more than 1,200 children and the club is look- ing forward to continued useful service in helping to clothe as well as feed those in need. The Proper Attitude Recent newspaper articles have told of cases where mothers, wives and others have done irreparable harm to returned wounded or maimed soldiers by the unfortunate way in which they have reacted to the sight of an empty sleeve, a miss- ing leg or other disfigurement. When a hospitalized soldier re- turns home, the exercise of tact and self-control is called for on the part of his friends and loved ones. To this end, the aims and objects committee of R.I. requests the president of each ‘Rotary club to point out to the members of his club that it is im- portant to the mental and physical well-being of returning maimed and wounded soldiers that they be treated in a natural manner with- out a display of curiosity or un- wonted sympathy over their disa- bilities. | Now 5,145 Rotary Clubs 219,850 Rotarians (Of these 53 clubs with 1,600 members in war-affected countries are inactive) 93 New Clubs in 21 Countries Since July 1, 1943 Rotary’s Postwar Function Past Director of R.I. Angus Mit- chell of Australia makes a thought- provoking suggestion in regard to Rotary’s function in connection with postwar problems. He recog- nizes that it is difficult for Rotary to put forward something practical for all clubs around the world to tackle. “In fact,” he says, “it is well nigh impossible.” What is possible for Rotary, how- ever, according to Angus, is ex- pressed in the following words: The encouragement of study, the crea- | tion of an international mind, the elimina- tion of selfishness, the establishment of tolerance, kindliness, “give” spirit rather than “take” are things that Rotarians can support, regardless of differences, na- tional or otherwise. If these matters can govern action in the postwar world all will be well. It is not hard to see how differ- ences of opinion in regard to trade practices, migration of peoples, ac- cess to raw material, and other issues on which people differ, some- times violently, would be much more easily settled if Rotary and other organizations performed the function suggested by Angus. A Vital Force Favorable publicity has been a vital force in the growth of Rotary world-wide. It can also be an effec- tive factor in the success of every Rotary club. The clubs which are most success- ful in publicizing Rotary in their local newspapers and over their local radio stations are the clubs which have an active publicity committee functioning before and after every meeting. These clubs also take full advan- tage of the fact that the individual member, because of his many per- sonal contacts, is the best Rotary publicity medium provided that he thoroughly understands the objec- tives of Rotary and has a general knowledge of Rotary activities, lo- cally and internationally. No matter how complicated it may seem, good public relations for Ro- tary is nothing more nor less than the development of good will and understanding on the part of the general public toward the local © Rotary club. Paul Harris Honored On the 39th anniversary of the founding of Rotary, H.E., Dr. Rafael L. Trujillo, President of the Domini- can Republic, conferred upon Presi- dent Emeritus of R.I. Paul P. Harris the decoration of the Heraldic Or- der of Cristobal Colon, for his bril- liant work of rapprochement and service, based on the highest hu- man ideals. ( Appreciation from Chungking In acknowledging the $1,500 Christmas gift of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia, Penna., U.S.A., the Rotary Club of Chungking, China, wrote that it was able to give $500 in local currency ($17.00 in U.S. cur- rency) to each of 88 families that were in need as a result of war disasters. Each family was required to sign a receipt which stated that the gift was from the Rotary Club of Philadelphia in the U.S.A. Many not only brought back the receipts ‘but also letters of gratitude. Meeting of R.I. Board The board of directors of R.I. will hold its third meeting in the Rotary year 1943-44 at the central office of the secretariat in Chicago, Illi- nois, U.S.A., beginning on Friday, 12 May, 1944.