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THE HISTORY OF
DISTRICT 7000, Puerto Rico
A Part of Our History of Rotary in
Central America
Prepared by the district and not verified by Rotary Global History
written by
EGD José Rivera Barriers
1918-1978
It is my intention to condense as much as possible the work of the District, without going into details because it
would make an endless story.
Therefore, I will strive for the attention of those of you who enjoy the thrill of Rotary that we have all lived. and
which has done great and much good in our district.
It is well known by all, that the first Rotary Club established in Ibero-America was that of Havana, established
on April 29, 1916.
The second club was organized in the Antilles at San Juan, in the year 1918.
As Puerto Rico was not part of any District, the Rotary Club of San Juan became part of
District 8, comprising the
districts of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Cuba, under the Governorship of John H Gay, for the following
year of Truman McGill and for the year 1920-21, Wilbur R. Smith.
These governors were responsible for the Clubs of San Juan and Ponce until the 30 December 1920, when the Directors
of Rotary International took the agreement to remove the Clubs of Puerto Rico from District 8.
It should be noted that none of the Governors of the District 8 who were assigned to the first two clubs: San Juan and Ponce
of Puerto Rico and who visited us, were required to
communicate directly with Rotary International.
This did not preclude the continuation of enthusiasm in the organization of new clubs on the island.
Our
District currently has 48 Rotary Clubs with an enrollment of 2020 Rotarians, 39 governors, beginning with the
father of our district, Nelson Ramírez and ending with the newest of the governors, Efrain Nazario and for 1978-79,
Eduardo Bayouth, Governor Nominee.
The development of the clubs was as follows:-
- San Juan June 01, 1918
- Ponce June 01, 1919
- Mayaguez December 13, 1926
- Arecibo March 04 de1935
- Guayama June 30, 1937
- Humacao April 26, 1938
- Caguas May 26, 1938
- Yauco August 16, 1938
- Rio Piedras May 24, 1941
- Aguadilla July 28, 1941
- San Germán September 19, 1946
- Cayey 01 October 1946
- Juncos December 26, 1946
- Villa Caparra March 15, 1947
- Santurce December 12, 1947
- Fajardo August 12, 1948
- Coamo, 03 February 1951
- Añasco 06 January 1953
- Aguada October 14, 1954
- Utuado July 16, 1956
- San Sebastián September 19, 1956
- Hato Rey November 02, 1956
- Camuy-Hatillo July 19, 1957
- Vega Alta on July 31, 1957
- Manatí November 15, 1957
- Isabela, 03 December 1957
- El Isla Verde May 26, 1958
- Bayamón 04 February 1960
- Monacillos September 20, 1962
- Moca, 09 April 1964
- Jayuya September 29, 1965
- Cidra April 14, 1966
- Cabo Rojo on January 12, 1967
- Mayagüez Playa May 05, 1967
- El Vigia 02 October 1967
- Lares, 07 March 1968
- Adjuntas, 08 April 1968
- Ciales June 04, 1969
- Corozal August 14, 1969
- Juana Diaz Nov. 19, 1970
- Guaynabo on April 26, 1971
- Quebradillas May 03, 1971
- Naranjito June 21, 1972
- El Señorial August 22, 1974
- Carolina 02 May 1975
- Peñuelas September 05, 1975
- Cruce Dávila 20 April 1978
- Dorado, 05 May 1978
In addition to these clubs in the District, is organized on the island the "Rotary Club of Cuban Exiles."
Clubs were also organized in St.Croix and Charlotte Amalia, under the leadership of then District 403 but currently do not
belong to any district, as shown below.
It should be noted that it was not until July 1, 1939 which was formed
District 45, during a meeting at Mayaguez to nominate a candidate for governor, appearing as a candidate Francisco Parra Toro for Ponce and Mayaguez by
Nelson Ramirez. Parra withdrew his candidacy and Nelson was elected as the first
District 45 Governor.
Returning to the historical origin, we accurately recall that in late 1934
the distinguished lawyer and notary public Dr.Donato Gamin of Montevideo, Uruguay,
at that time, First Vice President
of Rotary International, visited Puerto Rico from Chicago.
Dr. Gamin brought the task of reviving the International Rotary Club of Ponce, which was inactive and in fact
succeeded in the revival,
having been granted a new Charter on September 9, 1935. Also was interested Dr. Gamin in extending
Rotary to
other cities. In his visit came the appointment of Nelson for the Special Representative of Rotary for the organization
of new clubs entrusts it accepted.
By limited space it is difficult to make an inventory of the different days of fruitful services that
have been are conducted by
our clubs, the reality of enforcement of unquestionable social benefit parade before us, making us feel worthy
interpreters of the human greatness that involves Rotary.
It is therefore, that much-needed assistance for orphaned children
was provided by the Rotary Club of Rio Piedras;
the Arecibo and Santurce Clubs maintained a wonderful system of scholarships for students lacking financial resources;
despite the tightness in his old age Christian ministry and relief
provided by the President of the Rotary Club of Utuado; that the Hato
Rey Club strives to make the pain of the wounded less painful; that the rehabilitation of inmates in prison
is a vital issue that occupies the attention of the Club of San Juan; and yet the stimulus to the study is encouraged by the
granting of awards for the Manatee Club, Ponce and others.
That and no other, is the work of extraordinary social projections that are developing our clubs.
The quality of these services brings unmistakable peace to our souls.
And speaking of the history of our District Rotary comes to my mind the illustrious figure of the Spanish jurist,
Dr. Luis Jimenez Arnau, who in an unquestionable realism tells us:-
"Life is conscious of being attended an arc between the past and the future."
With such a clear vision of what our own fleeting existence as a mortal, Rotarians must hurry to make a reality within
Rotary, those goals that inspired Paul Harris; goals that are the bone and flesh of our personality as Rotarians
of both the state and internationally.
The past is never for us an oasis for contemplation, less activity to our muscles and to numb our goals.
Yesterday,
with its unquestionable achievements, is no reason to stop, and if more valuable stimulus
is required to conquer, because we
must lerarn from that great Rotarian Herb Taylor, "The past is a prologue."
Let me quote following the previous thinking of the distinguished former president of Rotary International, made
by a Rotary to the effect that: "Rotaty, while it has a "foreword", which is its glorious past,
is an orphan of EPILOGUE", because to our institution to be incorporated into the human progress, it
is linking its very existence to the existence of the entire universe, as
Rotary will
not disappear from the face of the earth, while men carry in their souls, like us, the abiding faith in the love of
their neighbour.
At the incantation of that faith, a cornerstone of the durability of Christianity, may I make a fervent appeal
to all my fellow Rotarians, so that by pooling wills, purposes and tasks,
we redouble our efforts in the course of time,
all moved by the sublime ideals of Rotary, to feel the greatness of being useful to others, to strengthen our spirit of
serving others and raise our consciousness through the everyday practice of fraternity among men and among peoples.
That and no other must be our firm determination as Rotarians, without thinking of the wheat produced by spikes
and cultivated by them, we can not reach our barns, as our ideal should be to serve, ask for, without thinking of
receiving anything, although we receive humiliation by asking, as they say in memorable occasion as our illustrious
fellow countrymen, the former Attorney General of Puerto Rico and Former President of the Bar Association,
Don Benigno Garcia Fernandez:-
"THAT YOU CAN GIVE, YOU SHOULD. They deserve punishment of
having to order".
Seventy-three years in the history of Rotary and 60 in the history of our district may seem many,
but few, very few for an organization whose motto is the great ideal of service.
In 73 years our district has sown the seed of tolerance, love, justice, brotherhood and will continue seeding in
the inner walls of our spirit and our conscience, where they germinated and grew the great tree of fraternity and
brotherhood among men and among peoples, in whose shadow meet the men and women of goodwill to work in common good
of our fellow human beings.
This District gives the greatest recognition to these worthy leaders to whom
we give thanks, and joins the fraternity
that preaches no limit Rotary.
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