Hindi Chini Bhai-Bhai

During a recent business trip to China, I took the opportunity to meet one of the local clubs in China – Rotary Club of Shanghai (RCS). Rotary is an upcoming phenomenon in China, but comes with its own flavours and restrictions.

• The original RCS was already formed on October 1st,1919!

• During the early communist era, Rotary as a whole was disallowed and banned.

• On 8.2.2006 the club was rechartered – with restrictions.

• Rotary in China today is allowed only for foreigners, i.e. non- Chinese members.

• The club consists thus of 100 % of ex-pats. During the meeting, 21 nationalities were present.

• RC Shanghai meets every Tuesday evening (much like RCB) for 2 hours at the Marriott near People’s Square in downtown Shanghai.

The meeting

• Any meeting starts with reading the 4-way-test in English and Mandarin with everyone standing up.

• The guests that have announced themselves before via e-mail are welcomed by name. They also get a badge with their name, so that communication is easier.

• After the welcoming of Rotarian guests, a chance is given to exchange flags.

• One randomly chosen Rotarian from the visiting Rotarians presents in one minute one of their projects.

• After dinner and before the speech, they conduct something called “happy money”: people can stand up and state why they are happy and contribute any amount to the charity box. The colour red in China is a very happy colour (see the Chinese flag and even the colour of the Club flag). Also the 100 Renminbi note is red and thus considered particularly lucky (also for Rotary).

• After the speech final toast is raised to Rotarians in distress and a good cause.

I used to live in China almost 20 years ago and was an active part of the “Friends of Rotary of Shanghai”. During those days I met a 102 years old gentleman who was a founding member of the original RCS. During the thirties he used to head the Bank of China and was – already back than – a man that travelled the world and could speak six languages. He left an ever lasting impression on me. I remember his thinking as razor sharp, his understanding deep and his nature humble. All this despite the fact that he had to go through personal agonies and unbelievable hardship: the communist system locked him away in working camps where for more than 40 years he was made to work as a prison sweeper.

-Write-up & pictures by Rtn. Christopher Bluemel