3 Sept. 1943 To Club Presidents and Secretaries 5,190 Rotary Clubs » 210,000 Rotarians The News Letter From the R. 1. Secretariat (Central Office) 35 E.;Wacker Dr., Chicago 1, Ill., U.S.A. No. 4—1943-44 Toowoomba’s Work Pile The Rotary Club of Toowoomba, Australia, cooperated with military authorities in running two athletic meets and a boxing carnival, which resulted in approximately £900 being given to the Rotary club for the pur- chase of equipment to set up a gym- nasium for service men: When the army relinquishes use of the equip- ment it is to be utilized by the Ro- tary club for a youth welfare center which the club, in cooperation with local authorities, is planning to es- tablish when labor and materials become available. The building which will house the youth welfare center will cost ap- proximately £10,000 and will be lo- cated on park land amidst the local swimming pools and athletic fields. It will have gymnasium facilities, dressing rooms, kindergarten facili- ties, reading rooms, hobby clubs, etc., and there will be a special advisory committee to assist boys and girls in obtaining jobs suitable to their par- ticular qualifications. This project of the Rotary Club of Toowoomba provides an excellent example of the “Work Pile” plan. It is a definite scheme, worked out by the Rotary club in cooperation with other agencies, for a worth-while project to be completed when labor and materials become available. It will help to cushion the shock of the inevitable change-over from a war- time to a peacetime economy. Australian Rotarians Establish Youth Camp A youth welfare and fitness camp has been inaugurated by the Rotary Club of Lismore, Australia, and the Government of New South Wales has made 400 acres of suitable land available for the camp. A public meeting, instigated by the Rotary club and sponsored by the Mayor of Lismore, was held and a public com- mittee formed. Tents and other camp equipment were gathered and £250 was donated by the Rotary club.: This sum was supplemented by the Government on a pound for pound basis, and an additional grant of £500 was arranged. Four boys have been sent to Sydney for train- ing as camp leaders. An executive committee, composed almost entire- ly of Rotarians and fully represen- tative of the community, has been formed to carry on this work. President Wheeler Says.. Our whole planet today is a crucible. In it we are running a test—whether freedom shall be taken from mankind. Many of our sons and daughters are on the front lines where blood is flowing. We, too, are called for service—all-out service at home. And who can better hold the front line of the home front than Rotarians? It almost seems to me- as. if some act of God created the Ro- tary organization in 1905 to per- mit us to be tried and tested ‘so that now with this great reservoir of service, we are ready for the task which lies before us. We know that Rotary is sound. We have proof of what Rotary can accomplish. It is our job as direc- tors and governors, club presi- dents and secretaries not only to provide the inspiration, but to guide our strength along the lines that will get results. Our job now is to get the war home work done. Later, when this first battle is won, we may cry for de-regimen- tation, decentralization, and the return to an accelerated program of free private enterprise—per- haps even for cuffs on our trous- ers. But now we must quit our grumbling and enlist all-out in a service more worthy than any- thing heretofore attempted. Free- dom must be preserved. Correspondence by Phonograph The international service com- mittee of the Rotary Club of Lon- don, England, recently reported that it had received 28 interesting and instructive letters from Rotary clubs in the U.S.A. in reply to let- ters addressed to the clubs by var- ious committee members. One very original method of replying was hit upon by the Rotary Club of Okla- homa City, Okla., which sent a phonograph recording of messages from some of its members. The re- corded speeches were received with acclaim by all the members of the London club when the record was played before them. Why the Governor's Official Visit? Now that the governors are mak- ing their official club visits, it may be well to review the purpose of these visits. Some clubs have felt that they were called upon to “dress windows” for the occasion. Some have ar- ranged a program of special enter- tainment which left no time to-do the things the governor wanted to do. : The governor’s visit is.a business affair. It is an occasion for discuss- ing with an officer of R.I. all prob- lems of club administration and activity, whether large or small, which perplex the officers of the club. The governor’s visit offers the opportunity for seeking a solution to various types of problems that may arise within the club. And to the governor, the most .valuable feature of his visit is an unhurried session with the club assembly where he discusses the accomplish- ments, plans, and problems of the club and the activities of the com- mittees, and really gets acquainted with the club and what it is doing. Lucknow Sponsors Essay Contest With a view to interesting young boys and girls in national and in- ternational problems, the Rotary Club of Lucknow, India, recently » held an essay contest for boys and girls of the local degree and inter- mediate colleges, and awarded two prizes of Rs. 30 and Rs. 20 each in the shape of books. The two success- ful candidates were the guests of the club at a dinner meeting. The sub- jects selected for the contest were: 1. A solution for the communal problem in India. 2. Nationalism and internationalism. 3. How to make Lucknow healthy and beautiful. 4, Civil defense and A.R.P. Are They in Good Condition? Many a tourist, Rotarian or non- Rotarian, may judge the local Ro- tary club and the community itself by the condition of road signs which the Rotary club has placed at the entrances to its community. Road signs should be kept in good condi- tion to make the best impression.