THE LAST OF THE GOLDEN YEARS

During the two wars every resourcein our country was mobilized to further Canada's war effort, and our club naturally became involved with related matters. This was particularly true with the Second World war when it donated money to assist with the training of Air and Sea Cadets. Interest in these areas continued after the war and the club became the sponsor of the Abuette Air Cadet Squadron, Squadron 96.

The Rotarian chiefly responsible for the activity related to the Air Cadets was Jean-Marie Lachance. With this encouragement and with financial contributions, the squadron made rapid strides forward during the years 1964/65 to 1968/69. As a means of enlarging their general arrangements for the cadets to visit Bell Telephone Labs, Air Canada repair depots, the Canadian Broadcasting Commissions' Studio, etc., were made. As the years went by there was a steady improvement in the quality of the boys who followed the programme. Many of the cadets began to win awards which sent them to Camp Borden, to Alberta, St. Jean Military College and elsewhere to undergo special training. The squadron's band began to win awards at the various reviews. The help extended by Rotary was amply rewarded by the results achieved. Jean-Marie Lachance was extremely proud of the Squadron and its accomplishments.

The programmes of the International Services Cornmittee took a radical change. During the year 1965 /66 there was a severe drought in India. World relief agencies called on countries to supply food, drugs and other materials. Our club undertook to supply drugs. Through the efforts of Rotarian Dick Fielitz, numerous drug companies were contracted: Among them were Ayerst, Smith, Kline & French and several others, both in Canada and the U.S. The Baillargeon Transport Company volunteered to supply the transportation. Roger Bourassa undertook to look after customs and insurance and Nick Bell arranged to the distribution of the drugs handled by the Salvation Army in Inia. The Calcutta Rotary Club working closely with the Salvation Army was also involved in the distribution. This project received commendation from Rotary International.

The Rotary Club of Bombay East also applied for assistance to purchase drugs, food and other medical supplies. The club was unable to accept this second request but through a member representing Siemens Limited it did manage to obtain an ultra sonic therapy unit which was eventually shipped to India. A great deal of assistance and advice for these projects was received from Tapan Nitra Rotary International student from India who was attending McGill University. This student continued to assist the projects after his return home.

Other projects were also assisted during the same period. For instance, at the request of the Overseas Book Centre close to 1,000 books were collected for shipment overseas. A similar effort was embarked upon to supply books for Nassau. Many donations were made towards the building of a school in Mexico and for a library in Mantero, Bolivia. Other requests from various parts of the world received small contributions.

During the 1968/69 year, the committee undertook to finance a project to bring a doctor from the Cameroons to study physical medicine attheMontreal Rehabilitation Institute, Cardinal Leger encouraged this project and the Rotary Club of Yaounde and the Canadian Embassy was approached to find a suitable candidate. No reply, however, was received. It was then suggested that a student might be obtained from the Cameroons instead of from Nigeria. Dr. Gingras suggested writing to a hospital in Nigeria and to the Canadian representative. Again no answer was received. The committee then wrote a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa complaining of the lack of action on the part of the representatives in the Cameroons and Nigeria. The Foreign Affairs Office apologized for the lack of support and encouraged the club to continue its efforts. This project did not attain success until several more months had elapsed.

Although the committee ' 5 efforts to obtain a medical student for training had failed, it was successful in obtaining equipment for the teaching of science at a Norwegian Missionary School in the Congo. David Trikeloshivil, a student from that area who had attended Concordia University was returning to teach science at the Mission's School. He had approached Rotarian Douglass Clarke to help him obtain the necessary equipment.

During the years 1965/66 to 66/67 the committee became involved in welcoming the many hundreds of Rotarians who came to Canada for Expo '67. It also helped to bring students from various parts of the world to vish" Man & His World." Rotarian Larry Howe was active in this particular area. As Secretary of the committee he devoted much time and energy to the project. His largest undertaking was arranging for 100 Venezuelan teenagers to come to Canada. He organized their visit to Expo, their stay with Rotarian families in the city and other events, such as a visit to Ottawa and several plant tours.

An annual activity of the International Services Committee is the selection of a candidate for the Rotary International Scholarships. Our club has been instrumental in selecting several winning candidates, some ofwhom have gone onto lead important lives. The two outstanding examples are Marc Lalonde and Serge Joy al both ofwhom were selected by the Montreal club and became very important political figures.

The International Services Committee also assisted Czechoslovakian refugees who came to Canada following the revolution in 1968. The refugees were assisted with clothing, employment and other services.

It continued of course its local programmes with university students, sponsoring receptions at the Citizenship Court and welcoming inter¬national visitors at the general meetings. Respecting international students, it made contributions towards the operation of the Students' Centre known as Crossroads. The committee can indeed be proud of its achievements during this five - year period.

Through the efforts of Rotary and other civic minded bodies, organizations concerned with handicapped people were receiving more government assistance. Disabled children were being educated in the school system and disabled adults were being helped through pensions for the handicapped. This trend diminished the work of the Cripples Aid Committee. Nevertheless, visits to the crippled children camps, arranging for outings of handicapped children to attend the Ice Follies and the Ice Capades and other similar projects continued. Rotarians and veterans from Air Force Wing 306 visited Ayers Cliff and St. Alphonse de Joliette annually as working parties and much good was accomplished. In 1964/65 the committee received a grant of $1,000 from the G. H. Wood Co. which, with additional funds, was used to furnish a dormitory in the new Mackay Centre building on Decarie Boulevard. A second donation from the G. H. Wood Co. enabled it to supply recreational furnishings for a lounge in the Montreal Rehabilitation Institute.

Perhaps the most important action of the committee during this period was, with a donation from Easter Seal funds, the purchase of a new piece of equipment known as the Russian Bio-electric Arm. With this donation the Rehabilitation Institute was able to play a leading role in the development of bio- electric prosthesis.

A great deal more attention was being given to matters of mental health as a result of the club's initiative, under the guiding hand of Dr. Baruch Silverman. The Family Life Education Council Incorporated and the Mental Health Institute continued to organize the showing of films and the committee made annual financial contributions towards the purchase of additional films. In addition, a mental health research project was being conducted jointly by McGill University and the Mental Health Institute. Contributions were made to assist in this undertaking.

In 1965 the Mental Health Committee changed its name from Mental Health to Mental and Industrial Health. In April 1965 a one-day conference on industrial mental health was organized. It was cosponsored by the Mental Health Institute. It was extremely successful in focusing attention on the need for industry to become concerned with the welfare of employees.

After the Half- Way House Project the club continued its interest in the problems of the Douglas Hospital. In 1966 Drs. Durost and Bayne requested assistance in connection with their workshop programme for mental patients. The doctors outlined that a panel of Rotarians representing various types of industry could be of great assistance in an advisory capacity. Accordingly, Lionel Brittle was appointed to work closely with the doctors, to canvass Rotarians to sit on the panel, and to serve as chairman. In due course this sub-committee was successfully put together and proved to be of great benefit to the hospital.

The committee maintained its active interest in the air pollution problem. Early in the 1964/65 year the question of establishing a Citizens Committee to further the study of air pollution was discussed. It was suggested that monitoring stations should be established in strategic areas. The interest and cooperation of other Rotary clubs and various civic bodies was obtained. The Bid-Research Laboratory of Pointe Claire offered to supply equipment at cost. Several substantial donations of funds were made towards this project during the five - year period from 1964 to 1969. The two Rotarians most deeply involved were Bent Larson and Dr. Armour Forse. Eventually it was suggested that a Foundation might be established to assure the project's continuity. This became the ultimate goal of the committee so that it could then turn its attention to other matters.

The committee, broadening its outlook to include health problems of a general nature accepted to help the Montreal General Hospital obtain dialysis equipment. In 1968/69 it also provided funds for the purchase of a new ambulance for the St. John's Ambulance Service.

By the year 1966/67 the committee underwent yet another name change and became known as the Health Committee. One year later it was amalgamated with the Cripples Aid Committee and hence forward it was known as Health Services Committee.

Beginning around 1950, the government was becoming more conscious of the needs of large numbers of European immigrants as well as others in the lower income bracket. The universities were producing more social workers and existing welfare agencies were delving into the many social problems. The Rotary club soon became involved.

During 1964/65 the Social Services Committee became interested in an in-depth study of a depressed area in Montreal. Promoted by the social work schools of McGill University and the University of Montreal, it was an ambitious project. The goal was to determine how to eliminate negative effects of poverty and crowded housing facilities. Such a project required a great deal of funding as it had to span several and cover numerous subjects to be statistically sound.

The Social Services Committee pledged $5,000 per annum for a three- year period and obtained an additional pledge of $30,000 from another source for the same length of time. Further money was made available from a private foundation.

In April of 1966 the Social Services Committee organized a two-day Conference on Human Resources to be held in St. Adele. Many interested groups were invited to participate and several prominent speakers were selected to address the delegates and lead discussion groups. The major recommendation at the outcome was the establishment of a Human Resources Development Council, with the Rotary Club acting as the coordinating body to follow up on recommendations. This council confirmed the need for research and" the need of understanding that education, environment, housing, work, leisure, social service, family life, government and all other institutions of living are interrelated and must be considered as a whole."

In May of 1968 the report submitted to the club recommended that a "Human Resources Council should be set up together with an Operating Committee and Institute. The council would be a representative group of leading citizens from each strata of society, and the Operating Committee would be a somewhat similar group more in touch with the problems to be dealt with and the Institute would, to begin with, have a flill time director and a staff of full time researchers. It was felt that with such commitments the project would be launched with an annual budget of $75,000, the balance being obtained principally from interested foundations.

At this point in the records it appears that the club gradually withdrew from the project leaving it in the hands of the two university social work schools. The opinion was that the universities could now carry on successfully without Rotary's support. Today we are constantly hearing the term" Human Resources" being applied in many fields such as welfare, industry, etc. The St. Adele Conference and its aftermath demonstrated that human resources were every bit as vital to our society and our economic growth as natural resources. Our club can be proud of the fact that it played on important role in this entire affair.

Although the Human Resources Project occupied a great deal of the time and energy, the committee did not neglect its other responsibilities. It gave financial support to a project of the Montreal Council of Social Agencies which looked into similar problems, but on a city wide basis. For several years it contributed $1,500 annually towards the cost of this project.

Annually, the Social Services Committee assists a substantial number of organizations by providing equipment not usually covered by their budgets. From 1964/69 the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal School for Deaf Children, the Foster Rome Recruiting Centre, St. Lawrence Half-Way House, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and others were assisted. During the same period it made a grant of $500 towards the establishment of the Canadian Hearing Society. Lloyd McClintock and Bob Prenevost were appointed to sit on its Board of Directors. In conjunction with the Singer Sewing Company, the committee made sewing machines available to Welcome Hall Mission, St. Gabriel's Church and other welfare agencies. The women's auxilaries of these agencies could then institute a sewing service to repair old garments and make new ones for the poorer citizens of the area. The Singer Company provided the machines and related supplies at a special price. Several textile companies provided cloth remnants either at a very low cost or free of charge. For a number of years this project proved extremely beneficial.

The committee's attention on the Housing for the Aged project continued. Various organizations were contacted to gather information on land costs, government regulations, etc. The Board authorized an expenditure of$500 to set up a corporation to build low cost housing. By the end of 1969 it was felt that more information should be gathered before the club embarked upon what might prove to be an expensive project.

During the year 1965/66, the Montreal Volunteer Bureau requested financial assistance to establish a new programme to be known as "Meals on Wheels." This was a project whereby nourishing meals would be prepared in a central location and then delivered to shunt- in elderly people on certain days of the week. After some negotiation, the committee made funds available and a Meals on Wheels programme was established at St. Mathias Church in Westmount. Within a short time other clubs followed suit.

During the years 1964/69, the Youth Services Committee carried out its usual programmes. It continued to assist a large number of summer camps with camperships, recreational equipment a variety of other items. The same applies to the boys' and girls' clubs in the Montreal area. Rotary has always been prepared to meet these needs. Such financial assistance is routine, but the real concern is to do something which has a long range benefit. In conjunction with the Y.M.C.A., the committee continued organizing Leadership Training Programmes and the first Leadership Training programme, mentioned earlier, was attended by44 youngpeople from age 15 to2l. Encouraged by the success of this effort, similar sessions were organized for the following years with anywhere from 50 to 100 young people enrolling. Each session's effectiveness was evaluated by Sir George Williams University and on each occasion it was highly praised. Rotary provided the necessary funds whfle the Y.M.C.A. provided the training personnel and the space. Many of the young people who took part in these courses became club leaders and summer camp counsellors.

The Youth Services Committee was interested in Camp Carowanis, the new camp for diabetic children. Individual members were on the Board of Directors and lent their expertise in firmly establishing the camp.

Over a three-year period the committee supplied $15,000 to build a new infirmary. Rotary's participation and the publicity it received attracted other groups to extend assistance. About this same period the McConnell Foundation appears to have made a substantial contribution towards the building of a central dining hall.

Guided by the Van Wagners, father and son, the committee attempted to establish Rotary Interact in several high schools. Unfortunately it was not successful, for the schools felt the students were already too busy with other programmes.

With the approach of 1967, Expo year, the committee focused some of its attention on its magnificent event. Aware that the opportunity to see the world in one 'sown back yard might not present itself again. It felt that as many young people as possible should visit the Expo site. Accordingly, it set aside $6,000 for the purchase of passports to be handed out to youth organizations. The results were that some 3,000 children who might not have otherwise been able to visit Expo were given the opportunity to do so.

There is no easy way to assess what effect our actions have on other people and society. A Rotary club does not, as a rule, seek publicity, but it is always extremely gratified when its achievements are visible.

The years 1964/69 were reasonably busy for the Public Affairs and Education Committee, But unlike previous years, it did not undertake any major projects. As with all the other committees, it was involved with the Conference on Human Resources. This involvement led to many members being invited by the Montreal Council of Social Agencies to sit on committees which were studying urban development and other similar questions. The establishment of a committee to coordinate social research plus a group to deal with education in the Province of Quebec were studied. This later resulted in a seminar which was attendedty 75 businessmen. The main Rotarian participants in this conference were Ros James and Douglass Clarke. The main speaker was the Assistant Deputy Minister of Education. These were activities where Rotary participation was sought after rather than being initiated by the club.

The end of this period marked the beginning of what is sometimes referred to as the quiet revolution. Rotary had participated in the work of the B & B Commission and had submitted a brief which it also distributed to the other Canadian Rotary clubs. In order to promote a better understanding of what was occurring in the Province of Quebec, the Public Affairs and Education Committee was requested to do research and recommend speakers for the weekly meetings. The three following speakers were invited: Dr. Benjamin Higgins a noted economist at the University of Montreal; Dr. Garigue, Dean of the Department of Social Science at the University of Montreal; and Mr. Marcel Caron, author of the Chambre de Commerce pamphlet" Effects on Separatism on the Province of Quebec" and noted management consultant.

The committee continued its interest in water and air pollution, following up on the progress being made. It also approved the selection of candidates for the Community Service Award. During Expo year this award was given to a number of men responsible for Expo '67. These were: His Excellency Pierre Dupuy, Commissioner General; Robert Shaw, Deputy Commissioner General; His Honour Mayor Jean Drapeau, Mayor of Montreal; Andrew Kniewasser, General Manager; Phillipe deGaspe' Beaubien, Director of Operation; Pierre de Bellefeuille, Director of Exhibits; Colonel E. Churchill, Director of Installations; Jean- Claude Delorme, Secretary and General Council; Yves Jasmin, Director of Public Relations; and 6. Dale Redeiker, Director of Finance and Administration.

Rotary's interest in Indian Affairs was beginning. Rotarian Mac Smith addressed the Public Affairs Committee on the subject and his talk provoked a desire to look further into the problems of native people.

The Vocational Services Committee was responsible for overseeing the Junior Achievement programme, in cooperation with the Lakeshore Rotary Club. Numerous companies were successfully established and the club was kept abreast of what was being achieved. For several years substantial contributions were made to the programme of matching students from more privileged areas to work with students from less privileged areas. The results were most gratifying. In 1964, the committee organized a one - day conference at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel to which vocational guidance teachers from Montreal high schools were invited. Several guests and Rotarians addressed the teachers on various vocations and professions. This conference was a success and the committee planned to organize others in future years.

These were extremely busy years for Rotary. With a wide field of interest, numerous temporary committees were organized to deal with particular questions. For instance, a Project Committee was established to study possible projects for the future. Another one was created to work with other clubs in District 704 to study Rotary's participation in the Vanier Institute of the Family project.

Perhaps the most important committee established at this time was the one which concerned itself with Expo. In conjunction with other clubs, it undertook to maintain a Rotary Hospitality Table in the Klondike Steak House in the Old Fort Edrnonton area of the Expo site. Hundreds of visitors were received at the desk as well as at the regular Tuesday meetings. On some days visiting Rotarians almost outnumbered the regular members. The club was also deeply involved in the selling of Expo passports and bonus books. As well as being a service, the profit from the commissions netted in excess of $10,000.

Expo year was a real fellowship year and many visiting Rotarians went away with fond memories of the hospitality extended by Rotarians in Montreal.

The five men who served as President for those busy years were:
1964/65, EdwinW. Twizell; 1965/66, Douglass B. Clark; 1966/67, Peter F. Kerrigan; 1967/68, Frederick E. Peters; and 1968/69, Malcolm N. Davies.