The Rotary Golden Theater Radio Program
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-Gustavus-Loehr,-Silvester-Schiele,-Hiram-Shorey,-and-Paul-P.-Harris-Courtesy-of-Rotary-Images.png "Rotary International's first four 'Rotarians: Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey, and Paul P. Harris circa 1905, Courtesy of Rotary Images.")
Rotary International's first four 'Rotarians': Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey, and Paul P. Harris circa 1905, Courtesy of Rotary Images.
Rotary founder Paul Harris, circa 1905
One of Rotary International's first emblems, based upon a simple wagon wheel from the turn of the century
United States Postal Service issue of 1955 commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Rotary
This 8-cent commemorative was not numerically rare (80 million printed), but it is the sole Rotary stamp ever issued by the U.S.--in which Rotary was founded. In 1954, before Rotary's Golden Anniversary of 1955, Emerson Gause, suggested Willi Wolf Wind, a stamp designer for the United Nations, might adapt a Rotary Foundation cover design as a commemorative stamp design. The commemorative went on sale on 23 February 1955 — Rotary's 50th Anniversary — in Chicago. During a gala dinner in downtown Chicago, blocks away from where Paul P. Harris and the other founders first gathered, the U.S. postmaster general presented then-Rotary International President Herbert Taylor with an autographed sheet including Wind's original design.
This highly collectible First Day Cover commemorating the 5oth Anniversary of Rotary International was franked at 9:00 a.m. on February 23, 1955, the day and hour of the official, world wide kickoff celebration of Rotary's Golden Anniversary
Pre-Castro Cuba honored the 50th Anniversary of Rotary International with this pair of commemorative stamps from their 1954 issue.
Issuing commemorative stamps to honor Rotary wasn't new to Cuba. Note the above 1940 issue commemorating the Rotary International Convention of 1940.
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There were hundreds of special public service series broadcast over Radio during the Golden Age of Radio. Some were simply a local run of public service announcements (PSAs) interrelated by a uniting theme; Case Dismissed out of Chicago's WMAQ is a good example. Some of the better examples of these broadcasts in the public interest came not from the Government, but from private fraternal or service organizations of the era. In the above cited Case Dismissed, for example, it was The Bar Association of Illinois.
In the present example it was the Rotary International. As part of a coordinated, international campaign to alert the World to Rotary International's Golden Anniversary, the National U.S. arm of The Rotary, commissioned a series of thirteen, illustrative and inspirational dramas to highlight various aspects of The Rotary's accomplishments, priorities and ongoing ideals and programs. The production was appropriately titled, Rotary Golden Theater, both in recognition of its 50th--Golden--Anniversary, as much as by way of pointing out the 'golden' advice, examples, and practical, problem-solving illustrations contained within each of the thirteen installments of the production.
The first Rotary Club was founded in Chicago on the 23rd of February, 1905. For their Golden Anniversary, all Rotary Clubs inaugurated their 50th Anniversary celebrations on February 23, 1955. In 8,000 local Rotary Clubs in 89 countries throughout the world, the week of 23 February 1955 also premiered the feature film "The Great Adventure", produced in Hollywood and starring Edward Arnold. Television's the Hallmark Hall of Fame, aired another Edward Arnold vehicle entitled, "The Story of Paul Harris and the Founding of Rotary International" (originally aired on May 29,1955), with Edward Arnold in the role of Paul P. Harris. Both the feature film and the Television production depicted Rotary activities throughout the world.
In addition to the Cuban and U.S. stamps indicated in the sidebar to the left, Australia, Belgium, The Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Denmark, Austria, Egypt, Nicaragua, Panama, and The Philipines all honored Rotary with postage stamps commemorating the Golden Anniversary of Rotary.
The same week that Rotary kicked off their coordinated Golden Anniversary celebrations around the world, newspapers across the U.S. printed articles announcing the various Rotary Golden Anniversary celebration activities, including the first broadcast of Rotary's thirteen-episode dramatic presentation, Rotary Golden Theater, which first aired the day following the 50th Anniversary Celebration of February 23, 1955. Thus, February 24, 1955 marked the first official local and national broadcasts of Rotary Golden Theater.
The very first episode of Rotary Golden Theater, broadcast February 24 1955 was entitled, appropriately enough, The Golden Year, a fitting commemorative to both the Golden Anniversary celebration and 1955--Rotary International's Golden Year. The thirteen installments were as follows:
- The Golden Year | The 50th Anniversary Celebration itself
- Let's Get Acquainted | Rotary Club Service
- Magic Formula | The Four-Way Test (Herbert K. Taylor)
- The Active Citizen | Citizenship
- Honor Among Thieves | Buyer-Seller Relationships
- Spotlight On Youth | Boys and Girls Week
- Dear Enemy | Trade Associations
- Hands Across The Sea | Rotary Foundation Fellowships
- Working Together | Employer-Employee Relationships
- Our Partners: Youth | Service to Youth
- The World We Know | International Understanding
- Worthy Work | Dignifying Occupations
- Youth: Yesterday and Today | Juvenile Delinquency
One can't help but note the business world orientation of most of these titles, but that's entirely in keeping with Rotary's charter as an organization of, predominantly, business people reaching across international borders--and across town--in service to both their local business communities, and to the greater community of all civililzed people throughout the world. Indeed, by it's 5oth Anniversary, Rotary--and Rotarians throughout the world--were widely known for their philanthropy, their altruism, and their active promotion of international unity.
Given the five tumultuous decades that framed, shaped and expanded Rotary International, it's no wonder that it evolved its service-oriented approach to such a fine degree. These were the years of the First World War, an international collapse in the Stock Market, The Great Depression that followed economic collapse in many parts of the world, a Second World War, the economic collapse of much of Central Europe and The Orient in the wake of the end of World War II, the United Nations policing action in Korea, and the dawn of the Atomic Age and the Cold War years.
Needless to say, no matter what Rotary may have set out to do in 1905, it soon became clear to its organizers and membership alike that the only honorable mark it should make in service to both the business community and the greater community at large was through international outreach, their famous Four-Way Test program, seeking further equity between employee and employer alike, and through establishing programs that recognized the importance of preparing the Youth of the day for Rotarian-ideal service as adults.
The specific themes of the twelve installments following The Golden Year, very pointedly illustrated their underlying stories to underscore that aspect of Rotary's ongoing initiatives. Using their tried and true Four-Way Test, during each dramatic presentation, Rotary even more effectively illustrated:
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
The Four-Way Test reputedly came to its original proponent, Rotarian Herbert K. Taylor, in 1932, in the midst of The Great Depression and the aftermath of the Wall Street collapse. Initially framed as an 'ethical yardstick' for his own employees, Taylor soon realized that his simple, four-way test might just as easily be applied to virtually all business ethics throughout international society.
Although Taylor's inspired test has clearly stood the test of time--both within and without Rotary International--its very simplicity shouldn't be taken for granted. Indeed, the Four-Way Test was amply demonstrated in all thirteen of the often poignant topics presented in Rotary Golden Theater. And it's that very application of the Four-Way Test that underscores both the arc--and resolution--of the twelve major societal issues presented by Rotary Golden Theater during its production. They each presented a universal truth, resolved in a manner fair to all concerned, demonstrably intended to build both goodwill and better friendships, and the result was clearly beneficial to all who listened to them.
Given Rotary's demonstrated five decades of the highest standards of business ethics by the time these programs aired, it's both refreshing and reassuring to note that Rotary very successfully underscored those fifty years of ethical service with this splendid, short-lived, celebratory drama anthology.
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Series Derivatives:
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None |
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Genre: |
Anthology of Golden Age Radio Social Documentary Dramas |
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Network(s): |
All networks and/or independent affiliates who wished to subscribe |
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Audition Date(s) and Title(s): |
None |
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Premiere Date(s) and Title(s): |
55-02-24 01 The Golden Year
[Note: Above premiere for Lumberton, North Carolina affiliate WAGR] |
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Run Dates(s)/ Time(s): |
55-03-08 to 55-05-31; KSUE, Reno, Nevada; Thirteen, 14:30-minute programs; Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. [Notes: We used the KSUE Reno run simply out of continuity and convenience. It was the one run that was both intact and complete in the contemporary Radio listings of the Reno Evening Gazette. This was, afterall, a syndicated, transcribed production which aired over any local affiliate that chose to broadcast it, on any day, any time of day and during a span of months between February and June 1955 from our research.] |
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Syndication: |
Rotary International |
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Sponsors: |
Rotary International |
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Director(s): |
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Principal Actors: |
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Recurring Character(s): |
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Protagonist(s): |
None |
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Author(s): |
None |
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Writer(s) |
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Music Direction: |
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Musical Theme(s): |
Unknown |
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Announcer(s): |
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Estimated Scripts or
Broadcasts: |
13 |
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Episodes in Circulation: |
13 |
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Total Episodes in Collection: |
13 |
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Provenances: |
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RadioGOLDINdex, Hickerson Guide.
Notes on Provenances:
The most helpful provenances were the log of the RadioGOLDINdex and newspaper listings.
The earliest broadcast dates widely put forth by the otr community are all in error by as much as a month. The first reported broadcast of this series was February 24, 1955. Indeed, some otr groups go even further, alleging either 'exclusive distribution rights' to Rotary Golden Theater or some other 'authorized' designation. Any and all such assertions of authority are utter and complete rubbish. Rotary International has made their own, official set of Rotary Golden Theater available at this address. It's been available at that address for over two years now.
OTRisms:
As hard as it is to believe, given only thirteen episodes in this run, virtually all otr sources for this program have as many as four of the thirteen titles in this series misnamed. We've corrected them below. As with most things otr-relatied, once the OTRR got involved with mangling the distribution of this series they simply fell into the same trap of never listening to the programs that most other proponents of the otr movement have fallen into. This is just another example of the absurd, shabby grandstanding from the OTRR in every nook and cranny of the internet
As yet another example of otr plagiarism, even when the source plagiarized is grossly in error, you need but perform the following search in virtually any search engine:
"Rotary Golden Theater" "Those Golden Years"
What you see here, is what you get. Complete transparency. We have no 'credentials' whatsoever--in any way, shape, or form--in the 'otr community'--none. But here's how we did it--for better or worse. Here's how you can build on it yourselves--hopefully for the better. Here's the breadcrumbs--just follow the trail a bit further if you wish. No hobbled downloads. No misdirection. No posturing about our 'credentials.' No misrepresentations. No strings attached. We point you in the right direction and you're free to expand on it, extend it, use it however it best advances your efforts.
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All rights reserved by their respective sources. Article and log copyright 2009 The Digital Deli Online--all rights reserved. Any failure to attribute the results of this copywritten work will be rigorously pursued.
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