A meeting between
two men – an American and a Briton – brought Rotary
to Singapore. In 1930, Rotarian James Davidson, Honorary General
Commissioner of Rotary International, travelled to Singapore specifically
to meet with Sir John Scott, the Chief Secretary of the British
colonial government in Singapore.
As a result of this meeting,
75 civic-minded people representing 16 different nationalities
met at the Raffles Hotel and founded the Rotary Club of Singapore
later in the same year with Sir Roland Braddell as its first
president. Members believed they were unique because of the
many nationalities represented in the first club: English,
Irish, Scottish, Danish, Swiss, Japanese, Dutch, Arab, French,
Chinese, German, Malay, American, Indian, Australian –
all working together and basking in fellowship.
Soon after the Rotary club was
established, its directors felt its membership should reflect a
real cross – section of the community. This was vital if the
aim was to foster racial understanding of goodwill – the foundation
for true international peace.
The director went, on a resolution,
to the Central Office in Chicago, Illinois, USA, requesting that
classification be filled on a racial basis. They also asked that
Eurasians be admitted as a racial group. Rotary International gave
its approval and membership in the Singapore club quickly rose to
24 ethnic groups, earning it the distinction of being the most multi
– racial Rotary Club in the world.
About a decade later, Rotary International
decided that the one classification, one-member rule, which previously
had applied to other clubs in the Rotary world, was applied in Singapore
as well.
After the Japanese occupation of
Singapore, the island was in a state of deprivation, with thousands
suffering from malnutrition and disease and a shortage of medicine
and medical services. Many villagers had contracted tuberculosis
and were unaware of the fact. This spurred |
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Rotarians
to sponsor a major project: the establishment of the first tuberculosis
clinic in Singapore. With government assistance, and strenuous efforts
on the part of all Rotarians, Singapore’s Rotary Tuberculosis
Clinic was opened in 1949.
It soon became evident that tuberculosis
was one of the worst health hazards in Singapore and that the medical
facilities available were clearly inadequate. The Rotary TB Clinic
was unable to cope with the number of cases it received. More clinics
were needed. So, in typical Rotary fashion, a group of ten Rotarians
formed the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association (SATA) a charitable
organization that raised funds to build two more clinics.
At the time when the Singapore
club was founded, there were no Rotary districts as such in the
region. One was formed in 1935 and designated Rotary International
District 80. This embraced all Rotary Clubs in Southeast Asia. Over
the last 69 years, the district was reorganized several times and
the clubs in Singapore were zoned in sequence under Districts 46,
330 and 3310 in 1948, 1957 and 1991 respectively. Today, Singapore
is part of District 3310, which covers the southern Malaysia Peninsula,
East Malaysia and Brunei.
The formation of the Rotary
Club of Singapore West in 1960 gave the Republic its second club,
and over the years as the city-state developed, other clubs came into
being in the area. Today, Singapore Rotarians---many of them distinguished
professionals and entrepreneurs---are active in civic and community
welfare work.
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