Kendrick Guernsey,

Jacksonville, Florida

The First convention held in the Southern Hemisphere

— Address to 1948 Rotary Convention, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1948-49 Angus S. Mitchell (manufacturing), Rotary Club of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Rotary vision: To work with the youth of today to build a strong and peaceful world of tomorrow. “Our boys and girls have greater freedom, exercise greater power, and have more opportunities for both good and evil, than ever before. Even if we fail them, youth will not be neglected, for they are the object of universal attention from all the conflicting ideologies and opinions in the world….How important it is, therefore, that youth’s great possibilities for good be realized and developed!”
(Source Rotary International)

May 31, 1948

 

As 1,300 U.S. Rotarians and their families descended on Rio de Janeiro last week for the 39th International Convention, Rio's cariocas braced themselves for the worst. They had seen U.S. conventioneers in the movies—Shriners in outlandish costumes and rowdy, boisterous Legionnaires. Shopkeepers hopefully put "Welcome, Rotary" signs in their windows, fearfully wondered if they should board them up. But the Rotarians let them down. Staid, stout and respectable, they ignored the hotspots, loosed not a wolf whistle. Festooned with cameras and shopping bags, they took the funicular... (source, Time Magazine)