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Rotary in China |
| from 1919 - see below for 2006 - |
| In 1919, the past
president of the Rotary Club of Seattle, Roger D. Pinneo was traveling
through the Far East on business. It turned out to be a historic trip,
especially for Rotarians in China. Pinneo established the first Rotary
club in Shanghai on 17 July 1919 with 35 charter members. Rotary
admitted the club on 1 October 1919. From the beginning, the Shanghai club was international in its membership and objectives. Records from 1924 show that the club's membership was 80 percent American, 10 percent British, and 10 percent Chinese. The club's first officers and directors, elected 24 July 1919, were as follows: president Julian Petit, vice president A.B. Rosenfeld, secretary E.O. Baker, treasurer R. Buchan, and directors Thomas Sammons, F.J. Raven, and W.L. Johnstone. The Rotary Club of Shanghai was especially active in community work. It supported schools for Russian immigrant boys and physically challenged children. By the end of the 1937-38 Rotary year, the Rotary Mobile Clinic and Dispensary had completed eight months of charitable medical work among refugees in Shanghai. By mid-1945, RI chartered 29 clubs in China. The clubs produced three RI directors: Fong F. Sec, Shanghai, 1933-34; Yen Te-Ching, Nanking, 1941-42; and Chengting T. Wang, Chungking, 1944-45 and 1945-46. By mid-1946, due to World War II, Rotary International had terminated 20 of the original clubs. Rotary experienced a resurgence in China after the war, with the admission or readmission of 19 clubs between 1946 and 1948, including Shanghai on 27 March 1946. The club, however, was terminated five years later. The Shanghai club voted to suspend its activities in May 1951 citing the following reasons: members found it difficult to attend meetings regularly because of other duties, meeting facilities would no longer be available, and it was increasingly difficult to arrange suitable programs. The RI Board terminated the club in October 1951. By January 1952, all clubs in mainland China had come to an end, although the number of clubs in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan continued to grow. More than half a century later, the Rotary Club of Shanghai returned. In 2006, Rotary welcomed the Shanghai club, along with the Rotary Club of Beijing, into membership. Only foreign passport holders may join these clubs until the government approves regulations governing international nongovernmental organizations. Acknowledgements to Rotary International archives. Submitted by Rotarian Rajiv Sharma. Posted by RGHF Webmaster, Greg Barlow. April 2010. |
| ROTARY IN CHINA - from 2006 |
| Effective Feb. 8,
2006, the official club charters were signed for both the Beijing and
Shanghai clubs. The actual charter events will be May 21 for Beijing and
May 22 for Shanghai. These chartering events are scheduled to align with
RIP Carl-Wilhem’s travel agenda, as the President will attend in May. A district “type” leadership team called the RI Special Representative Committee has been formed, reporting to RI Special Representative Christopher Bo Bramsen. The team is made up of Rotarians from RI, District 3450, Beijing and Shanghai clubs. I am a member of the new Rotary China Team and will serve as the Rotary Foundation Chair, representing both clubs. Dr. Lee Wah Hin from the Shanghai club will serve as vice-chair. The individual clubs will have their own foundation representatives as well. This will be true of all support areas, similar to that of a district. The membership of both clubs must be made up of non-PRC citizens. However, Beijing has two Chinese citizens as honorary members (we informed the government before doing so) as well as a Chinese citizen that works for the Beijing club and the new Rotary China Team. Members of the two clubs are primarily businessmen/women, diplomats and professionals. There are members from countries all over the world representing many different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Both clubs have a high percentage of ethnic Chinese members. They may hold passports from any country and region in the world, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and be official members. PP Russ M. Miller, PHF Rotary China Team Foundation Chair Rotary Club of Beijing Rotary Club of Shanghai |
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