From the earliest days of British Rotary, there was deep suspicion about some of the commercial implications of the American style of operation. Indeed, Arthur Sheldon's suggested slogan 'he profits most who serves best' was never officially recognized in Britain, although adopted in America in 1909. As late as 1949, RIBI officially discounted it for the emphatic use of the word 'profit'.
In fact, Paul Harris himself was unhappy about the way in which the Chicago Club had developed. His original idea had been to found a club, based on fellowship, which should do something for the community from which it drew its members. The Chicago Club, however, had become a self help organisation, even having a 'transactions register' in which members…
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