The news about the launching of a Rotary club in Prague quickly spread during 1926 to other places in the Republic and raised understandable interest. Members of RC Prague started explaining their acquaintances, friends and business partners what Rotary is about. Josef Schulz, a member of the Prague club, in co-operation with F.W.Teele, the RI general delegate for continental Europe, started to prepare the launching of new clubs (Jičín, Moravská Ostrava, České Budějovice, Podmokly, Králův Dvůr, Liberec, Cheb, Mariánské lázně).
In the annual report of the Prague Rotary club for 1926 we can read the following: “Rotary correctly found its place in public life in the Republic, and it turns out that those members in leadership positions in large industrial enterprises whose participation in the life of the clubs was doubted are prime examples of punctuality and discipline in club attendance. They are happy to recognise that even they who are under heavy pressure from morning to night in their professions long for the moment of rest and refreshment they had sought elsewhere, but had finally found in the Rotary club. Nobody doubts any longer about the usefulness of Rotary and many provincial correspondents keep asking if a similar club could be opened in their town. Indeed, their situation makes it necessary, because in the countryside at present there are no places where people of different opinions can meet and openly speak about things of general interest without fear they might be proscribed by their parties or different inimical „cliques“.
In the autumn of 1926 people interested in Rotary are meeting in several cities. Just before Christmas the situation made it possible for the RI general delegate Teele, the President of RC Prague doctor Sum and Josef Schulz together with other club representatives to make a several day round trip which led to the launching of clubs in Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Plzeň, Karlovy Vary and Brno. The club in Brfatislava was also launched at this time.
A Rotary club was also being launched in Poděbrady. This was thanks to the local pharmacist Dr Karel Helich, who also became the distinguished host of the „1st Congress of Rotary Clubs of Czechoslovakia“. During their deliberations 26th June 1927, the delegates from the clubs (we are certain representatives of RC Prague, RC Plzeň and RC Hradec Králové attended) laid the foundation for the creation of the new Czechoslovak Rotary district and chose its governor, Josef Schulz of RC Prague.
In June 1927 the 18th World Convention of Rotary took place in Ostende in Belgium. Thanks to the Belgian king Albert, also a Rotarian, it became a prestigious event as its location was close, it was attended by a large group of actual and future Rotarians from Czechoslovakia. Several participants of the Convention from overseas also came to Prague.
Great expectations were created by the convocation of a gala meeting of RC Prague for 25-27 September 1927. Before it took place, the Prague German-language newspaper Prager Presse published an eight-page supplement devoted to Rotarian society and the activities of members of the Prague club. Later, the paper published a substantive report of the gala meeting, from which we quote.
Over 200 Rotarians and guests met in the Sladkovský hall of the Municipal House to attend the gala evening, presided over by Josef Schulz from the Czech side. The excellent frame of the finely arranged hall was formed by the flags of Czechoslovakia, USA and Rotary under which in honorary places were seated President of Rotary International Arthur H. Sapp, RI Secretary General Chesley R. Perry, Professor Dr. Václav Tille, President of the Prague Rotary Club, Mr Josef Schulz, organiser of Czech Rotarians and Section Chief Dr Matouš-Walbrohan of the Ministry of Education.
The conveyance of the papers was introduced by Josef Schulz by a presentation in Czech, German, English and French. Presidents of the clubs of Hradec Králové, Pardubice, České Budějovice, Karlovy Vary, Brno and Bratislava were introduced to the President of Rotary International A. H. Sapp, who conveyed to them their official founding papers in a cordial and enheartening manner. His speech stressed the great importance of Rotary in today´s world, the spirit of noble friendship connecting members of the World Rotary, the humble origins in Chicago as well as the present admirable expansion of the society, which is catching the interest of people in all parts of the world.
Then President RI Sapp announced the attending clubs to be officially accepted into Rotary International and declared Czechoslovakia an independent district as Rotary District No. 66. At the same time he appointed the accomplished organiser of Czechoslovak clubs Josef Schulz its first Governor. After speeches by delegates of foreign clubs Messrs. Dr. Hegedüs from Budapest, Ing. Otto Bohler from Vienna, Louis Rettl from Brussels and van Dillen from The Hague was this part of the evening closed.
The first District conference of the newly established Czechoslovak District took place half a year later in April 1928 in Plzeň.
Rotary District No. 66 was formed in 1927 by the following clubs (253 members in toto):
RC Bratislava (14), President: Cyril Tille, general in retirement
RC Brno (39), President: Dr. Vl., List, Professor, Czech Technical University
RC České Budějovice (25), President: Dr. Albín Dlouhý, lawyer
RC Hradec Králové (17), President: MUDr Adolf Švanda, colonel, social works
RC Karlovy Vary (17), President: Karel E, Schlecht, Director of Živnostenská banka Branch
RC Kutná Hora (22), President: Ferdinand Hejna, notary public
RC Pardubice (15), President: Ing. Vincenc Kratochvíl, Director of factory Exploisia, Semtín
RC Plzeň (26), President: Dr Josef Královec, Commerce and Craft Chamber Secretary
RC Prague (78), President: Dr Václav Tille, University Professor
