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There are several places in our pages
where the growth of the IARC and its British equivalent the BARC
are recorded.
Recently the original minutes
and notes of the joint associations’ meeting have come to
light.
On June 18th 1921, an informal meeting
was held in Edinburgh at which Crawford McCullough the IARC
President was in the Chair.
The IARC was represented by Estes Snedecor PP and Chesley
Perry Secretary. The BARC representatives were William
McConnell, BARC President,
G.J.P. Arnold VP, and Vivian Carter, Secretary, Alex
Wilkie and Andrew Morton.
McCullough started by suggesting that
there should be only
one association representing Rotary world wide but with
autonomy for national districts.
Morton believed that these national districts should have
names reflecting their national characteristics. McConnell
supported by Wilkie proposed that these ‘districts’ should be
called ‘divisions’ and McCullough suggested that each division
should have its own President and officers. he also mentioned
that the Canadians wanted to be linked with the USA, and
Snedecor then proposed a North American Division.
The International body would remain but mainly to be free
to act as a clearing house.
The discussion then turned to common
attitudes, for example, towards Rotary Masonic Lodges, and
avoiding giving offence to religious sentiment by the use of
Rotary symbols.
Three days later, a second meeting was
held to discuss constitutional
issues. This
time the IARC team included Vice Presidents, William Coppock and
Lutcher Stark; the BARC team was unchanged.
There was agreement that there was little practical
difference between the two constitutions.
It was agreed that all clubs should be members of the
International Association, and should not be able to change
‘divisions’.
A Constitution meeting would be held in Chicago in November and
the BARC was asked to send a team with full power to speak on
behalf of all British clubs.
These preliminary discussions took place
in Edinburgh at the time of the International Convention.
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