Over the years, there have been many criticisms of the Rotary movement, some of the most scathing coming in the pages of Rotary's own journals. Even Paul Harris, so it is said, was somewhat disillusioned by the way in which his original club refused to allow development elsewhere. He was also less than happy that it had become a self-help organisation with a 'transaction register' of deals, a far cry from his conception of a club to work for the community in which it was based. This, almost inevitably, was heavily criticised by some people and was lampooned in plays and books, perhaps most successfully by Sinclair Lewis (right) in 'Babbitt'. Here Rotary was barely disguised as the 'Boosters' . (read the first chapter of Babbitt on our website, with a link to all 33 chapters)
H.L. MENCKEN at his peak. Other literary figures have also commented on Rotary. H. L. Mencken frequently made disparaging comment in his writings, so much so that G. K. Chesterton in a speech in New York, once said that he did "not dislike Rotarianism with the fury of H. L. Mencken (right) or Sinclair Lewis, but I agree with them…
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