The Classification Principle Defined the Charter Membership of Nanking Rotary Club 南京扶輪社

The Nanking Rotary Club (南京扶輪社) was chartered on January 19, 1934, under Rotary International’s classification principle, which restricts membership to distinct business or professional fields to ensure diversity. Unlike typical Rotary clubs in commercial centers, Nanking, then the capital of Republican China with about 600,000 residents, was mainly a government city. As a result, many charter members were government employees, requiring special approval from Rotary International. The club was established under the leadership of Douglas C. Howland, Rotary International’s Assistant Secretary for Eastern Asia, and prominent figures such as Dr. Yen Te-Ching, a railway engineer and former president of the Peking Rotary Club, who served as Nanking’s first president. The inaugural meeting and charter presentation held on April 5, 1934, included Chinese officials and international Rotary representatives, symbolizing the collaboration between Chinese and foreign communities and marking a key milestone in Rotary’s growth in China.

O Nanking Rotary Club (南京扶輪社) foi constituído em 19 de janeiro de 1934, sob o princípio de classificação do Rotary International, que limita a adesão a campos profissionais ou comerciais distintos para garantir diversidade. Diferentemente dos clubes Rotary em centros comerciais, Nanking, então capital da China Republicana com cerca de 600.000 habitantes, era principalmente uma cidade governamental. Consequentemente, muitos membros fundadores eram funcionários públicos, necessitando de aprovação especial do Rotary International. O clube foi liderado por Douglas C. Howland, secretário assistente do Rotary International para a Ásia Oriental, e figuras importantes como Dr. Yen Te-Ching, engenheiro ferroviário e ex-presidente do Rotary de Pequim, que foi o primeiro presidente do clube. A reunião inaugural e a apresentação da carta em 5 de abril de 1934 reuniram autoridades chinesas e representantes internacionais do Rotary, simbolizando a cooperação entre comunidades chinesas e estrangeiras e marcando um marco importante na expansão do Rotary na China.

南京扶輪社（南京扶輪社）于1934年1月19日成立，遵循扶轮社国际组织的分类原则，限定会员来自不同商业或专业领域以确保多样性。与通常设立于商业中心的扶轮社不同，南京作为当时中华民国首都，人口约60万，主要是政府机构集中的城市。因此，许多创社会员为政府职员，需获扶轮国际特别批准。该社由东方亚细亚助理秘书Douglas C. Howland领导，著名铁路工程师、前北京扶轮社社长严德清博士担任首任社长。1934年4月5日的成立大会及授证仪式，有中国官员及国际扶轮代表出席，象征中外社区合作，并标志扶轮在中国扩展的重要里程碑。