The Birth of the Hong Kong Rotary Club in 1930

The Rotary Club of Hong Kong was officially admitted to Rotary International on 20 February 1931 as a non-districted club, following its founding on 8 December 1930 by James Wheeler Davidson, a Canadian Rotary vice-president and explorer. Davidson successfully united government officials and community leaders, including prominent Chinese members, to create a multicultural club. The inaugural meeting took place at the Lane Crawford restaurant in Exchange House with 79 charter members from varied professions and ethnic backgrounds. Initially under direct Rotary International supervision, the club joined the 81st District in 1935, which included clubs from China and the Philippines. Over time, due to geopolitical changes, it moved through different districts and, in 1960, became part of District 345, covering Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao. The Hong Kong Rotary Club remains one of the oldest and most influential Rotary clubs in the region.

O Rotary Club de Hong Kong foi oficialmente admitido na Rotary International em 20 de fevereiro de 1931 como um clube não-distrital, após sua fundação em 8 de dezembro de 1930 por James Wheeler Davidson, vice-presidente canadense da Rotary e explorador. Davidson uniu com sucesso autoridades governamentais e líderes comunitários, incluindo membros chineses proeminentes, para criar um clube multicultural. A reunião inaugural ocorreu no restaurante Lane Crawford, em Exchange House, com 79 membros fundadores de diversas profissões e origens étnicas. Inicialmente sob supervisão direta da Rotary International, o clube ingressou no Distrito 81 em 1935, que incluía clubes da China e das Filipinas. Com o tempo, devido a mudanças geopolíticas, passou por vários distritos e, em 1960, tornou-se parte do Distrito 345, abrangendo Taiwan, Hong Kong e Macau. O Rotary Club de Hong Kong permanece um dos mais antigos e influentes da região.

香港扶轮社于1931年2月20日正式被扶轮国际接纳为非区域俱乐部，成立于1930年12月8日，创始人为加拿大扶轮国际副总裁兼探险家James Wheeler Davidson。Davidson成功凝聚政府官员和包括著名华人在内的社区领袖，促成多元文化俱乐部的建立。首次会议在Exchange House的Lane Crawford餐厅举行，79名来自不同职业和种族背景的创始会员出席。起初由芝加哥扶轮国际直接监督，1935年加入包含中国和菲律宾俱乐部的第81区。因地缘政治变迁，俱乐部历经多个区划调整，1960年加入涵盖台湾、香港和澳门的第345区。香港扶轮社至今仍是该地区历史最悠久、最具影响力的扶轮社之一。