"As part of an R.I. project to incorporate into a new headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, pieces of stone from every country with a Rotary Club, Port Louis RC , Mauritius, had a block of blue basalt prepared, which was shipped in August 1966. These stones were native stones from the country of origin and were to have the name of the first Rotary Club from that country and the year of its founding. The country stones apparently did exist in the Ridge Avenue building and were incorporated into a wall. They were not incorporated into the current Headquarters building when R.I. moved in the 1980s. There are two stones in the archives as examples - they are 12" x 12" square - and one metal square that says: 'Each of these native stones was contributed by the first Rotary Club in the country the stone represents. The plaque identifies the country, the first Rotary Club there and the year in which it was formed.'

Thanks to R.I .Archivist, Stephanie Giordano for the above. Basil Lewis *Cal Thomson Photos