The
Montes Claros Rotary Club
Wanderlino
Arruda
Now
that we are approaching the completion
and commemoration of eighty portentous
years of Rotary in Brazil, Rotary
being founded at Rio de Janeiro,
in 1923, it now seems opportune
to expound upon the creation of
the first Rotary founded at Montes
Claros in 1926. This was the same
year that Antonio Augusto Teixeira,
a Montes Claros pharmacist, excitedly
returned from a Rotary Club reunion
in New York. Enthusiastically
contaminated by the ideas and
prestige of Paul Harris, who was
he? he immediately embraced the
Rotarian philosophy of brotherhood.
Whenever he would talk about his
trips, he would always tell of
how he was greatly impressed by
the protcol and other virtues
that he had witnessed and observed
during the Rotary meeting, which
had completely enthralled him.
In other words, it was love at
first sight.
Being a traveler by vocation,
Antonio Augusto - better known
as Niquinho Teixeira – knew
many people and had innumerous
acquaintances, and among them
was Robert Shalders, diplomat
of the American Embassy as well
as secretary of the Rotary Club
at Rio de Janeiro. At the time,
he was really interested in visiting
Montes Claros, to see and taste
the best of what the little city
had to offer: sun-dried beef and
a native tropical fruit, the pequi,
which is a staple food rather
than succulent and sweet. Antonio
Augusto Teixeira was in Rio and
didn’t want to return to
Montes Claros without first visiting
his friend, and so he did, as
soon as he got off the ship. He
told of his many adventures in
these last two months of travel,
highlighting what he had seen
at the Rotary meeting. Shalders,
upon witnessing his friend’s
enthusiasm, smiled and made his
friend a challenge. He challenged
Antonio Augusto to found a Rotary
Club in Montes Claros and, if
he had the courage and perserverance
to do this, Shalders himself would
be there, traveling the thousand
miles from Rio, to preside at
the first directory’s inauguration.
Intense discussion there followed
and soon the details were decided
and the day set for the inagurational
party.
Honoring
his agreement with his friend
Shalders, that is, to found a
Rotary Club in Montes Claros,
was his immediate mission on Niquinho’s
arrival in Montes Claros. Once
the principal leaders of the city
were brought together –
a city of little more than five
thousand inhabitants – the
Rotarian philosophy was presented
along with the advantages of having
Rotary international representation
in Montes Claros. Adhesion was
enthusiastic and immediate. “If
the Rotary was good for Rio de
Janeiro and Sao Paulo, it would
be even better for Montes Claros”,
exclaimed the lawyer Alfredo Coutinho,
immediately applauded by all present.
A distant city, Interior and isolated,
always eager for news from the
outside world, Montes Claros would
never dream of letting a chance
like that slip through their fingers.
A dream more than a dream that
fell out of the clear blue sky,
the first act of proceedings of
the foundation was pronouncedly
recorded in the noble penmenship
of professor Cicero Pereira.
The
first board of directors was of
the most representative and underlined
the social importance of the new
institution. It could even have
been enhanced by the presence
of Cyro dos Anjos e Darcy Ribeiro,
if they hadn’t been so young
and penniless at the time. The
elected were: President –
Jose Correia Machado; Vice-president
– Antonio Augusto Teixeira;
Secretaria – Alfredo Coutinho;
Subsecretario – Jose Proenca
Costa; Treasurer – Cicereo
Perreira; Director of Protocol
– Rubens dos Reis Teixeira;
Directors – Jose Tomaz de
Oliveira, marciano Alves Mauricio
and Mario Versiani Veloso; Substitutes
– Artur Vale, Froes Neto
and A. Ferreira de Oliveira. Doctors,
pharmacists, laywers, judges,
journalists, teachers, store keepers,
farmers and bank managers. Without
a doubt, citizens of great prestige,
today represented as names of
streets ans squares throughout
our and other cities. At the inauguration
party of the club, and the installation
of the first Director, the event
was immortalized by the Rotarian
Robert Shalders representing the
Rotary Club of Rio de Janeiro,
who photographed the first board
of directors meeting next door
to the Hotel Sao Luiz, on Doctor
Carlos square.
The
daring of the brave people of
Montes Claros of 1926 continues…In
the newspaper Gazeta do Norte,
in its edition of July fourteenth
of that year registered: “steeped
in great solemnity was last Sunday’s
meeting of the Rotary Club of
Montes Claros, created to motivate
development of the city. The goal
of the session was to elect the
definite board of directors, which
was realized with the presence
of twenty-one members, including
those admitted on that same day
by unanimous vote.”
“The
election, which was done by means
of secret vote, and majority of
two thirds, had second and third
votes for some positions. On the
agenda was programmed a luncheon
for the refreshment of the members
after the voting. The voting,
having terminated at five p.m.,
obliged the luncheon to be postponed
until nine that night. This circumstance
gave the new club a fortunate
opportunity to receive in its
seat, the illustrious engineer,
Alvaro da Silveira who was passing
through our city on his way to
the north of the state. Many topics
were brought to discussion that
night and not lacking in importance
was the toast proffered by president
Correio Machado, who vigorously
responded in turn, followed by
a speech from co-members Antonio
Augusto Teixeira, Alfredo Coutinho,
Jose Maria Fernandes and A. Ferreira
de Oliveira.”
Continues,
the Gazeta do Norte:
