ABOV CE E I S V E R OTARY L E R F S • • 1 9 0 9 2 I 5 9 N L A • 1 T • 7E 5N R N I O N A T A . N .C III AIMO, B Two of our dedicated cashiers, an example of Rotarians in Club Service. CLUB SERVICE CLUB SERVICE A. Club Venue his report, “for the first two years there was difficulty in deciding on a suitable meeting The Nanaimo Rotary Club had place. Finally, in 1922 the Club settled on the difficulty arranging for an appropriate Windsor Hotel (today known as The meeting place. In a letter to charter Dorchester) until the opening of the Malaspina members, elected secretary Jim Galbraith Hotel in 1927.” had this to say, “The committee to make The Malaspina Hotel was built by the arrangements for the holding of our weekly Nanaimo Community Hotel Association, a luncheons has had considerable difficulty group of Nanaimo businessmen who securing a suitable meeting place, as none of the financed the construction. It was built on hotels has a suitable dining room. Mrs. Gordon the water front, adjacent to the C.P.R. wharf of the Lotus Hotel (then on Bastion Street) has with an eye to attracting the travelling agreed to arrange a private room for us. Our public. Frank Cunliffe was President of the regular luncheon will commence at the Lotus on Association for twenty years. He was also Friday at 12:15 p.m. and tickets will be 75¢. President of the Nanaimo Rotary Club in Smokers to provide their own cigars.” The 1926-1927, the year the hotel opened on Lotus was nicknamed the Temperance July 30, 1927 according to the Free Press. It Hotel by the locals as they did not serve must have been one of the highlights of liquor. Frank Cunliffe’s year as President of the In 1945 on the 25th anniversary of the Nanaimo Rotary Club. Several other Club, then President Earl Fletcher said in Rotarians were included in the Nanaimo The Winsor Hotel in 1925, Rotary meeting place from 1922-1926. Currently known as the Dorchester Hotel 13 SERVICE ABOVE SELF Community Hotel Association, including the matter and bring back a recommendation to Bob Ormond, Oliver Eby, and Ernest Bird. the general membership two weeks hence. The Rotary Club met at the Malaspina Those in favour of having the bar said it Hotel from 1927 until well into the 1960s would add to the feeling of fellowship and give when due to a lack of suitable parking the new members an opportunity to meet older Club moved back to the remodelled members. Windsor Hotel, then known as the A recent visitor to England, Canon Harry Shoreline Hotel.(Plaza?). While at the Greenhalgh said he noticed all English Rotary Shoreline the Club’s controversy regarding Clubs have a bar. “It just points up the a bar in the banquet room made the local different attitude between North America and papers in December 1968. The headline Britain regarding drinking”, said Canon was “No Peaceful Sailing Over The Bar, It Greenhalgh. Seems” followed by; “It would not add to the dignity of the “Nanaimo Rotarians are split on a club club,” said Jim Scales, echoed by John Cook and matter that drew comments from many Ken Alexander. members in a lively controversy at Friday’s meeting in the Shoreline Hotel. The question The Rotary Club returned briefly to the which sparked the debate was, whether or not Malaspina Hotel during the 1970s until in the club should upset a 50-year-old tradition January, 1978, the Club was asked to leave and have a bar in the banquet room, or not. as the hotel was closing after 41 years service to the community. The Nanaimo After the pros and cons had been heard, a Rotary Club then moved to the Tally-Ho motion was passed asking the directors to study Motel, where it has been ever since. ▼ Malaspina Hotel in 1927, Rotary meeting place from 1927 to 1960’s. Cartoon from Nanaimo Free Press, December, 1968. ▼ 14 CLUB SERVICE Luncheon Prices and any such assessments be thus taken care of.” This was approved by the Club at the At the Board meeting on February 3, luncheon meeting February 7, 1947. This 1947, F. J. Fall, manager of the Hotel compares with today’s assessment of $10.00 Malaspina advised that effective February with $8.50 going to the Tally Ho for meals 4, 1947 the price of meals would be and the remaining for club expenses. increased to 70¢. Membership, Club Extension The Board made the following recommendation to the Club. “Whereas an and Attendance. increase in the price of luncheons from 60¢ to Membership in the Nanaimo Rotary 70¢ has been approved by the Wartime Prices Club has grown over the last 75 years. and Trade Board and whereas Rotary Nanaimo Rotary started with 24 members Fellowship through various forms of social and quickly grew to 43 members in its functions necessitates drawing from our second year. The Club stayed at roughly “General Fund” from time to time and whereas this level until 1943 and during this period the present system of collecting 15¢ each week sponsored three Rotary Clubs, Duncan, over the cost of the meal is totally inadequate. Courtney and Port Alberni chartered in Your directors recommend that this is an 1930, 1936 and 1937 respectively. Nanaimo opportune time to set the price of our weekly Rotary membership began a steady growth luncheon ticket at $1.00 and that the 30¢ per in 1944, reaching 112 members in 1972. The ticket thus collected be turned over to the Club’s formation of the Nanaimo North Rotary “General Fund” to cover expenses, and that the Club significantly impacted the Clubs annual donation at Christmas to the hotel Staff, membership and the following year ROTARY CLUB OF CHICAGO #1 1905 ROTARY CLUB OF SEATTLE #4 1909 ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER 1913 ROTARY CLUB ROTARY CLUB ROTARY CLUB OF DUNCAN OF NANAIMO OF LADYSMITH 1930 MAY 1, 1920 1970 ROTARY CLUB ROTARY CLUB OF COURTNEY OF NANAIMO NORTH 1936 1972 ROTARY CLUB ROTARY CLUB ROTARY CLUB OF PT. ALBERNI OF LANTZVILLE OF PARKSVILLE 1937 1988 1979 Rotary Club Extension. 15 SERVICE ABOVE SELF 140 future proposals to include women.” A pivotal 120 decision was made in the California 100 (U.S.A.) Court of Appeal, reversing a decision of the trial court favourable to 80 Rotary. The court held that Rotary 60 International and its local clubs in 40 MEMBERS California are business establishments 20 under the law of the State, and, as such, are 0 prohibited from excluding females from 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 membership. Rotary disagreed but issued YEAR the following as reported in Rotarian Magazine Sept. 1986; Rotary Club of Nanaimo membership 1920 - 1994. “It is the official policy of Rotary membership dropped to 93 members. International that the Constitutional Interestingly, the formation of Ladysmith prohibition against female membership be Rotary in 1970 did not appear to impact the adhered to by all Rotary clubs, except those in Club’s membership. Membership grew California. through the mid eighties, peaking at 129 Recognizing nonetheless that the and once again club extension impacted membership rules of Rotary and particularly members with the formation of a breakfast those relating to male membership are of club in Lantzville in 1988. Membership substantial concern to many Rotary clubs and now fluctuates between 105 and 110 Rotarians around the world, the Board of members. Directors of Rotary International has Rotary year 1991-1992 was an historic determined that it will promptly undertake a year for membership in that women were study of Rotary’s membership rules and the brought into the Rotary Club of Nanaimo. impact of possible changes. With the benefit of President Ian Williams began the process this study, which will include a survey of by announcing at the August 9, 1991 Club Rotary club attitudes worldwide, the Board Assembly that it was time the Club discuss will, acting in the best interests of Rotary, the introduction of women. He gave the consider submission of appropriate legislation at following short history; the earliest time, the 1989 Council on Legislation.” The first women members of Rotary were inducted into the Duarte Rotary Club President Ian pointed out that as of in California in April 1977. This caused a November 1, 1988 all Rotary Clubs in great deal of controversy among Rotary Canada could accept women membership International and the clubs charter was in Rotary and following this the 1989 later revoked by Rotary International and Council on Legislation in Singapore confirmed by the delegates at the rendered a milestone decision as reported International Conference in Tokyo Japan in in the April 1989 Rotarian magazine; May 1980. In July of 1986 Rotary’s Council “Among the milestone decisions of the 1989 on Legislation rejected a bid to admit Council was one to change international women to Rotary clubs in 160 countries membership rules to allow any Rotary club to around the world. Edward Cadman, R.I. admit qualified women as members. The president was quoted “There was full and proposed measure received significantly more fair discussion. At this time, the majority feels than two-thirds majority required for adoption. Rotary should continue as a service club for At six previous Council meetings dating back to men, but the door is certainly not closed to 1964, the proposition went down to defeat. 16 CLUB SERVICE Specifically, the action removed the word President Ian summed up the reason for the “male” from the R.I.