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SELECTED HISTORIES OF BRAZILIAN ROTARY CLUBS
27). ROTARY CLUB OF BEBEDOURO
Bebedouro, decade of the thirties. The city was still surrounded
by coffee plantations, the great wealth for its founding and
growth.
Large waves of immigrants, mostly Italians, but also Arabs,
Japanese, Portuguese and others, arrived at the turn of the
nineteenth century to the twentieth, and originally intended for
agriculture, now returned to the trade, services, industry and
other economic activities.
The world-wide financial crisis of 1929/30, coupled with the
overproduction of coffee, was scaring the socio-economic life of
the city. The green gold, then the dominant wealth, entered now
in the process of decay.
In addition, the city had become a rail center, with the arrival
of large gauge, covering the right bank of the river Mogi Guassú
across it in Pitangueiras and Guatapará, making the former
secondary trunk in narrow gauge''( 1.00 m), which came in
Jaboticabal. Here, too, was the "KM ZERO" of the the railway at
São Paulo, Goias, which reached Olympia and New Granada.
Parts of the city, therefore, four trunk railways, one for
Barretos, another for Pitangueiras / Guatapará, another for
Jaboticabal/Rincão and finally, those intended to Olympia, the
majority of travelers have already been catered for.
We make these comments because a search on the birth of the
Rotary Club of the city revealed that birth would have been
greatly influenced by the performance of railway engineers and
administrators. The train of iron, practically the only means of
transport at the time, was represented here by the Paulista
Company of railroads and would be monitoring their paths that
Rotary had jumped from Araraquara to Jaboticabal and Bebedouro.
At least four founding members were linked to work on railroads.
According to medical records Florido Raul Ribeiro, one of the
founding members of the thirty-seventh Rotary Brazilian unit
''the real founder of the Rotary Club of Bebedouro Francisco
Oliva was the engineer, then head of the 3rd. Division's Cia
Paulista de Estradas de Ferro. Emboldened by the knowledge of
the activities of Rotary Clubs and the Ideal of Beauty in which
its members gave allegiance, started to gather in their home,
friends and people in society to discuss issues and proposals
for the establishment of a Rotary club in Bebedouro''.
The Rotarian Dr. Waldemar Luz from the RC Araraquara, and Dr.
Pedro Doria from the RC Jaboticabal, brought to the city of
Bebedouro, the American JAMES H ROTH, representative of
Rotary International to South America, at the beginning of 1935,
which, together with the engineer Francisco Oliva, who then
visited the doctor Raul Ribeiro Florido and invited him to join
the new club. The foundation of the club occurred on December
16, 1935, with 21 members. A festive meeting of the
officialising of the Rotary Club of Bebedouro was held on
December 22, 1935 and met a large number of Rotarians from
Jaboticabal, Araraquara, Franca, Rio Preto, municipal
authorities and people in local society. James H Roth,
also present, represented the District Governor, Dr. Armando de
Arruda Pereira.
Armando
Jordão (Forestry -
Director), Caetano Miglino (Inversion of Capital), Emilio
Heyland (Light and Power - Manager), Francisco Borges da Cunha
(Cereal - Cultivation), Francisco Oliva (the Railroad -
Conservation), JA Nixon (Secondary Education - Professor), José
Malhado Quinrino (the Railroad - Conservation - Additional),
José Romeu Ferraz (Café - Exports), Jose Veríssimo Filho (Advocacia
- Crime), Levy Castex (Rail - Superintendent), Octavio Marques
de Almeida (General Registry of Mortgages - Notary), Orlando
Franca de Carvalho (Secondary Education - Director),
Oscar Furquim
Werneck de Almeida (Civil Engineering), Pliny
Brito (Medicine - General Practice), Raul de Paiva Castro
(Primary - Professor ), Raul Ribeiro Florido (Medicine -
Pediatrics), Renato Nogueira de Azevedo (Coffee - Buy), Rubens
Furquim (Medicine - Ophthalmology), Santos Xandó Araújo
(Commercial Bank - Manager),
Sebastião de Góes
Conrado (Home Health Sanatório - Director), Cesar Vicente
(grocery - Retail) were the founding members of the Rotary Club
of Bebedouro.
The Rotary Club of Bebedouro was admitted to
Rotary International on January 11, 1936.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF JAMES H ROTH TO
RESPECT THE FOUNDATION OF THE CLUB
Report''on the extent of activity in Bebedouro, São Paulo,
Brazil, organizing the club there, of 14 December 1935 to 22
December 1935''.
The city of Bebedouro, São Paulo, Brazil, according to the
latest census, which was done in 1934, had a population of
11,200 inhabitants, and there was very little change, if it were
some since then .
Around twenty percent of the current population is foreign, with
a good number of Italian and Portuguese immigrants living there.
Bebedouro is the commercial and business center of approximately
30,000 inhabitants.
The region surrounding the city is mainly devoted to the
cultivation of coffee, but a good area of land is planted with
cotton, as in many places in Brazil. There are some farms of
livestock breeding, but they are closer to Barretos. There are
very few industries operating in the city except for drinks,
sweets, biscuits, pasta, furniture and some small factories.
It is a great point of convergence of the railway.
The approximate number of retail traders is 250; 12 doctors,
lawyers 8; dentists 14; churches 4; hotels 4; primary and junior
schools 12; 12 major educational groups; 2 weekly newspapers, 2
colleges, factories manufactured products 38; wholesale 1; banks
3; Insurance Agency 1; associations of public services 5.
There is a trade association in the city which is very active.
The closest cities to have Rotary Club are Jaboticabal and Rio
Preto and hope to have another, closer, in Barretos.
The clubs are godparents of Araraquara and Jaboticabal, and I
believe that these club's godparents will help this new club and
that there will be greater opportunities for inter-club
meetings. There are no ex-Rotarian in the list of founding
members.
The club holds its meetings on Saturdays at 19.30
hours in the hotel Amadeu.
The President of the club, Dr. Armando Jordan, is a native of
São Paulo state and has 45 years of age. He is trained by the
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of Piracicaba, São Paulo. He
has traveled abroad, considerably, in charge of missions of the
government. Since 1930 he is the director of the Forest Garden.
He is very friendly, active and enthusiastic, and is highly
regarded by all who had the opportunity to meet you. I believe
he will make a good administration.
The Vice-President, Dr. Furquim Rubens, is a native of Bebedouro,
having been born in 1911. Having finished his education in
private schools in his hometown and Jaboticabal, he entered the
Faculty in Rio de Janeiro to study medicine. He specialized in
ophthalmology, which he practiced in Bebedouro. He is the
brother of Vice-President of the club from Rio Preto. He is
young, active and enthusiastic takes active part in all
movements of the community, which is very popular.
Dr. Francisco, the Secretary, is also a native of Sao Paulo. He
has 38 years and is formed by the Faculty of the Polytechnic
Paulo, where he graduated as an engineer. He began working in
the Company Paulista de Estrada de Ferro, which is the largest
and best railroad in Brazil and currently has a position of
great responsibility in the company. He is very excited about
the Rotary and was one of the first to want the club organized.
The club was very happy to have you as a secretary. He is
favorably known in Bebedouro, where he lives since 1930.
The Treasurer, Mr. Miglino Caetano is the province of Salermo,
Italy, but is living in Brazil since August 1887. He accumulated
good fortune. He lives in Bebedouro since 1916 and looks after
their interests. He will be active, consistent worker and be a
good member of the club, since it shows interest in all matters
of the community.
The Director of Protocol is Dr. Raul Ribeiro Florido, a young
doctor. He is the youngest member of the club with only 24 years
old. He is a native of Rio de Janeiro and lies in water since
February this year. It is formed by the University of Rio de
Janeiro. While living in Bebedouro less than a year ago, is well
known and is therefore high on social and professional life of
the community. He shows great interest in the Rotary and work
hard for the progress of the club.
The two members of the Board of Directors are Messrs Emilia
Heyland Nogueira and Renato de Azevedo. The first was born in
Rio Claro, Brazil, in 1887, of German descent. After finishing
their studies, immediately went into a public company for the
supply of light and energy, and this branch in Jaboticabal, and
Bebedouro Barretos. He is the manager of the company in
Bebedouro since 1931. He also has interests in Barretos. Mr.
Heyland was interested in one of the first movement of the
Rotary, with Mr Francis Oliva and these two were of great
assistance to me in organizing the club. He is active in all the
work of the community and well known. Mr Renato Nogueira de
Azevedo is also a native of Sao Paulo. After finishing his
studies, immediately, went into business with coffee in Santos,
where he lived for more than thirty years. He lives in Bebedouro
since 1930 where he is working as a buyer of coffee. He is
lively, enthusiastic and takes active part in the commercial
life of the community.
Footer in the date of the making of the report:
Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 24, 1935.
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