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Chief sergeant-at-arms H. Tucker Gratz raises the
symbol of his office at the 1969 convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. With
Tucker are some of his assistants: Ray Faisst, of El Paso, Texas; Paul
Heckenlively, of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Jack Ma, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan,
Canada; and John Young, John King, and Edward Armstrong, of Honolulu.
SERGEANTS-AT-ARMS
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NOW KNOWN AS-ROTARY GUIDES
Anyone who has attended a Rotary convention is familiar with the
sergeants-at-arms. Since the first convention in 1910, these men and women in
yellow vests have guided Rotarians and their families.
During this year’s convention, 21-25 May, the sergeants-at-arms -- this year
known as Rotary guides -- will sport a new look, designed to keep them cool in
the often-steamy weather of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Instead of the usual
yellow vests, the guides will be wearing yellow sashes. The hundreds of
volunteers who assist them will sport red ones, in a nod to the red vests
they’ve traditionally worn.
Sergeants-at-arms have a long and distinguished history in Rotary. The
organization’s first constitution established the position as an elected officer
of the association. Werner Hencke, of St. Louis, Missouri, was the first to
serve in the role. He was charged with maintaining order at meetings, including
the convention, which functioned as Rotary’s legislative body in its early
years.
At the 1921 convention in Edinburgh, Scotland, when delegates elected George
Harris sergeant-at-arms for the upcoming year, General Secretary Chesley Perry
presented him with a shillelagh (A cudgel made of hardwood e.g. oak) that had
been given to Rotary by the Rotary Club of Belfast. Harris (no relation to Paul)
quipped: “I only want to say one thing. I am a little fellow, but I promise you
now that I will use that mace to keep people straight, and I am going to have a
great big fellow to assist me so that I will keep straight.”
Each year, the wooden club was passed down, and for several decades, the chief
sergeant-at-arms carried it at conventions as a ceremonial symbol of the
position. There is no record, however, that it was ever used for “keeping people
straight.” The shillelagh is now part of the Rotary History and Archives
collection.
As the result of changes to the constitution passed at the 1922 convention,
sergeants-at-arms now serve as officers of the convention, appointed by the
president rather than elected.
See pictures and more:
http://tinyurl.com/3zp53xg
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