THE BEGINNINGS OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HALIFAX

It was back in 1913 that a tall, distinguished looking man in his early forties, whilst on a business trip to Winnipeg, was invited to attend a luncheon at the Rotary Club, (the club which first made Rotary International). He was so much impressed by the fellowship and the ideals of service he found there that, when he returned to Halifax, John C. Gass invited eight of his business friends to luncheon in the old YMCA building, and he inspired them so much that they decided to form a Rotary Club in this city. Maurice O. Crowell was the secretary of this first meeting on April 21, 1913 and included as ninth on the membership roll.

While contacting other business and professional leaders whom they considered suitable, they discovered that another insurance supervisor was also planning a luncheon club.

An organizational meeting was held on May 5, 1913 and the following officers were elected:
President John Gass
Vice President P. O. Soulis
Secretary H.L. Bethel
Treasurer W.A. Hart

An application was rushed off to Rotary International.

On August 1, 1913, the Rotary Club of Halifax was elected to membership in the International Association of Rotary Clubs as Club No. 81. This was not only one of the first Clubs in Canada, but in the world. By the time of our 90th Anniversary, there were over 30,000 Rotary Clubs with nearly one and a quarter million members in 164 countries and geographical regions.

The Charter Members were:

John C. Gass Pearl O. Soulis
Charles H. Climo Fred M. Guldford
Herbert D. Wallace Temple L.E. Piers
Henry H. Marshall Hugh G. Fraser
William A. Hart Andrew H. Cobb
Charles N. Butcher Arthur E. Doull
Harold F. Bethel George D. Wallace
Arthur D. Morris George H. Maxwell
George B. Hillis H. MacArthur Wood

Before the end of the year, these 18 members had increased to 93, and before long to an average of about 130.

John Gass was not only the founder but also the President of the Club in 1913 and 1914, and was responsible for the Club founded in Saint John in 1914. He and other leading Rotarians were instrumental in forming a Rotary Club in Charlottetown in 1917. The Halifax Club also assisted in forming Rotary Clubs in Sydney in 1920, St. John's in 1921, Yarmouth in 1922, New Glasgow in 1924, Truro in 1926, Windsor in 1929, Dartmouth in 1953, Halifax Northwest in 1957 and Bridgewater in xxxx.

Our former historian, Osborne Crowell reminisced:

“I recall the fun we had on the trip to New Glasgow. We had booked a sleeping car which was attached to the Sydney train, but left overnight on the siding at the New Glasgow station to serve as our hotel. Lots of Rotary fellowship resulted, and carried on with singing to the inaugural meeting”.

In the early days, some of the smaller clubs found difficulty in getting speakers each week, and some of the members of the “parent” Halifax Rotary Club were called upon to assist.

John Gass was also the first District Governor and did much to spread Rotary throughout the Atlantic Provinces. The Gass Challenge Trophy, which he presented in 1927, continued to be the object of friendly rivalry in curling and golf for many years after.

There is not enough space to record even the names of the scores of people who have given outstanding service, but one should mention some who were known in International Rotary.

Charles J. Burchell, a leading lawyer, was active not
only in the promotion of local clubs, but carried the spirit of Rotary to distant places, as High Commissioner for Canada to Australia 1939-1941, Newfoundland 1941-1942, and South Africa 1943-1945. He was the second President of the Club, and the second District Governor and in 1925, third Vice President of Rotary International.

Dean Donald MacRae in 1920 was appointed on a Committee with Charles Burchell to redraft the Constitution and the Dean proposed an amendment, which he piloted through the 1921 convention in Edinburgh, and which became the Fourth, and one of the most important, Objects of Rotary – the building of international goodwill.

Hon. J. Layton Ralston, one of Canada's great soldiers and statesmen, fought with the famous 85th Battalion overseas in the First World War and was Minister of National Defence in the Second World War.
He and another lawyer, James W. Davidson, of Calgary, were sent by Rotary International to Australia and New Zealand and thus became the founders of Rotary in those countries in 1921.

Edwin K. Ford was one of the Canadian Directors of the Board of Rotary International.

Rev. Clarence MacKinnon, the Principal of Pine Hill College, was one of the theme speakers at two of the Rotary International Conventions.