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FellowshipThe Fellowship of the SaloonThis Rotarian Age, Paul Harris’s second book, was written about the time that prohibition was being repealed. The following paragraph illustrates how Harris understood that alcohol was not the only lure of the saloon. People need fellowship, and they will go to where it is available. If not a service club like Rotary, it might well be a bar. Without the warmth of fellowship, no Rotary Club would last long enough to make a difference in the community, much less the world. “It has been contended that the saloon was the poor man’s
club; quite right, but it was his hearthside as well, in many cases.
Saloon attendance was the great indoor sport of many, and the regular
business of others. The lure of the saloon was in man’s insatiable
desire for fellowship. There kindred spirits were to be found, and the
stimulating influence of alcohol served as quick and certain means of
breaking down the barriers between men. The pity was that it broke down
more than barriers; it broke down self-respect. A strong man might
withstand its demoralizing influences for a time—a long time perhaps,
but it usually got him sooner or later.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Small Town ConnectionsPaul Harris was well aware that the men (remember, women were only recently admitted to membership) who were most drawn to Rotary were often from the same kind of small town or rural setting that he himself experienced. They were ambitious people, who came to bigger cities because that is where the opportunities were. However, many found the large cities cold. Their ambition had taken them away from their boyhood friends, and they longed to recreate meaningful relationships with people who shared their values. “Several of the members had been raised on farms, and the
majority were of the class of country and small town boy who in search
of fortune had gravitated to the city. While not self-made men, they
were in the process of making, and most of them had made sufficient
progress to justify the assumption that success in considerable degree
was to be realized in the future. Some had received the benefits of
college education; more had not.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). An Oasis in the DesertFellowship is the glue that holds Rotary Clubs together. Paul Harris knew this from Day 1. Some might consider it a selfish reason to join for the friendships, but having friends is as important to one’s health as breathing. Harris rejoiced in the fellowship of Rotary, and he wanted every Rotarian to rejoice with him. “In the social desert of a city, they possessed an oasis all
their own. To it the chosen few came to revel in the delights of
friendly communion. No longer would any of them have occasion to dream
in city parks and public places of happy days gone by; the ‘Happy days
had come again.’” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org). Members as FriendsOne of the more interesting traditions of Rotary is to address members by their first names and to avoid using titles. This was not an accident. Titles are earned, and they set people off for their accomplishments. They have their role. However, friendships are earned through an entirely different mechanism, and titles inhibit friendships by separating people into various distinctions. Paul Harris explained this concept beautifully in just three sentences. Moreover, he made it clear that the playful nature of most Rotary meetings was not at all accidental. “Their meetings were different from meetings of other clubs of
the day; they were far more intimate, far more friendly. First names
were always used, while ‘Misters’ and all other prefixes which might
in any way interfere with the free flow of spirits, were banned. They
became boys once again.” Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newsletter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org).
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