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:
