Allan has asked that I provide some information on our Foundation for coming Bulletins so logically I have started at the beginning!
The President of Rotary in 1917 was Arch Klumph and he put forward to an International Convention the idea that we should have an endowment fund for Rotary for the purpose of doing good in the world. The response was polite and favourable but no money materialised until the next year when a cheque was presented for $26.50, the surplus from the 1918 Convention account. Over the next four years, a total of $700 was given so the takeoff was slow.
The RI Board decided that the most efficient way to administer a fund would be by establishing a Foundation so in 1928 a Foundation was formed with five Trustees. What is significant for us was that one of the five was Charles Rhodes, a New Zealander. He was the Manager of the Waihi gold mine, which was at that time considered to be the most profitable gold mine in the world. He was a most interesting man who in 1923/1924 was a Director of Rotary International at a time when New Zealand was not even big enough to be a Rotary District and Rotary had only been introduced to New Zealand in 1921.
The Trustees were very active and over the first four years raised $50 000 and in 1937 set a goal of $2 million for the fund. The Second World War lead to that goal being abandoned and it was 1947 before our Foundation really became a significant force and the first permanent programme was established.