TY  - BOOK
TI  - The bakers in the Philippines: an unforgettable visit
N1  - The Rotary Balita no. 787 (December 29, 1955)
N2  - The schedule of activities for the visit of the President of Rotary International and his wife Cornelia was carried on schedule according to the plan drawn in the program prepared by Governor Danding.

Tiresome as it was for President A. Z. Baker and Cornelia, they appeared delighted with the welcome extended to them by all the Rotary clubs in the Philippines. They went from one place to another with hardly a few minutes for rest anywhere but the greeting of the Filipino Rotarians in the different places visited was so overwhelming that they said they never noticed to be tired at all.

In the last issue of the Balita (December 15) it was reported the arrival of the President of Rotary International and the Dinner and Barrio Fiesta offered by the Rotary Club of Manila as Host Club in which over 330 Rotarians and guests attended and listened to a most interesting speech from the President.

On Saturday, December 10, the party left for Tacloban and Cebu early in the morning and had a regular luncheon meeting with the Rotary Club of Cebu at the Casino Español. At this meeting Rotarians from Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Oroquieta, Ozamis, Tacloban and Zamboanga were present and after the President of Rotary International left again for Manila with Governor Danding and several Manila Rotarians, in the evening the Rotary Club of Cebu offered a dinner-dance to the assisting Rotary clubs which had sent representatives to the noon meeting.

Sunday, December 11, could be perhaps considered the hardest day of the visit. At 7 in the morning, President Baker left Manila preceded and followed by a large caravan of cars carrying numerous Rotarians and had breakfast with the Rotary Club of Malolos. At 9:30 after the Rotary Club of Malolos had held its meeting, the Rotary Club of San Fernando was ready of music and a detachment of boy scouts, he visited the Rotary Club where Tinong David and his fellow Rotarians had also prepared another meeting.

Third meeting of the day was later at Tarlac where a magnificent luncheon had been prepared by Ben Buan and his Tarlac Rotarians. They had been waiting for the President's party at the boundary line of the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac. 

While in Baguio they visited interesting parts of the city escorted by Vice-Mayor Bien Yandic and visited also Camp John Hay. In the evening the Baguio Rotary Club had prepared a most lavish meeting with a sumptuous table arrangement and representatives of the Rotary Club of Bangued Cabanatuan, Cavite, Dagupan, Laoag, Malolos, Manila, San Fernando, Tarlac and Vigan were present to assist the Host Club.

During all these five visits to the above-mentioned Rotary clubs, President Baker addressed all his fellow Rotarians in the most interesting and down-to-earth Rotary speeches that had been heard for a long time. In all of these clubs as in the clubs visited in the previous day and in the day after, President Baker was given the greetings of all the clubs by the respective presidents and was introduced many times by our Governor Danding Romualdez. Typical of these introductions and greetings were those that we wish to reproduce here. Danding Romualdez who as President Baker said had introduced him to several clubs in the most different manners, in the most elaborated speeches, or in the shortest one, has this to say of President Baker in Baguio:

Last June, in Chicago, you and me, together with almost 420,000 fellow Rotarians from 8,570 clubs in 93 different countries and geographical regions, elected our leader for 1955-56. We have been most demanding and exacting in outlining to him his duties and responsibilities. We have asked him not only to direct and administer the affairs of Rotary, not only to lead and guide the Board of Rotary International in its policies and decisions, but also, and perhaps most important of all, to undertake official visits to as many Rotary clubs as possible all over the world. These visits, in a sense, are made to see to it that every link in the great chain of fellowship and service encircling the globe, forged and made stronger day by day by the individual and concerted efforts of Rotarians, are kept strong and firm and constantly ready for best productive use. The task is arduous and grueling and requires not only physical stamina but more than anything else, a strong sense of dedication and an unparalleled stoutness of heart. Tonight, in Baguio, we have with us that leader we elected last June in Chicago. Since last Friday when they arrived until tonight, he has visited 5 Rotary converging areas where 28 Rotary clubs of the district met with him. Tomorrow, at noon, 5 Southern Luzon clubs will converge at Tagaytay to meet with him. 

We have taken President A. Z. first to the South and then to the North of our country. We have taken him to our cities and to our rural areas—to our biggest club and to our smaller clubs—and now I would wish to say that in all these places, bubbling with excitement and sincerity over his visit, he must have found that abundance and happiness are measured by the peace of the mind and the fullness of the heart for it is in our country where every smile has a meaning, every word said has a message and every heartbeat has a theme—for this indeed is our land of the morning—where 34 Rotary clubs are endeavoring to contribute their modest share in making our communities better place to live and better areas to promote understanding and goodwill.

That we may derive greater inspiration in our quest to be of service, I am privileged to present to you our leader in Rotary than whom to be exposed to his great personality every Rotarian feels a distinct thrill, President A. Z. Baker.

Also typical of the addresses of the different presidents in the many clubs visited were the beautiful lines mentioned by Abe Abellera, President of the Baguio Rotary who greeted "A.Z." and Cornells with the following lines:

President A. Z. Baker, the Rotary Club of Baguio and the other clubs of Northern Luzon welcome you, your charming Rotary Ann Cornelia and Editor Karl K. Krueger. You have seen Manila, our great city, with its teeming population and its swift autocalesas darting thru its ever busy centers; the solemn traces of its past history eloquently imprinted upon the gray walls of Intramuros, defying bombs and shells; the promise of its growth and expansion foretold by Quezon City and Diliman piloting the orientation of our country's future.

You have seen our Visayas, the emeralds, set in the deep blue of our seas. traversed the heat and dust of our farmlands—Central Luzon—You have waiting for harvest, and our coconut trees, with the golden grain that to us, are aesthetically as well as economically useful.

Now at last you are with us at Baguio, the most beautiful city in this part of the world with the coldest climate, coldest air, temperature, coldest of everything but where welcome and hearts are warmest.

"A.Z.", Cornelia and Karl, welcome to Ba guio's throbby bosom and to us in Northern Luzon, who have looked forward to your coming with the anxiety and happy expectation of loving kins longing for the red letter day of your arrival.

Our city with everything that is beautiful and pleasing about it, is yours to enjoy its vibrant mountains and hills, the cataracts of its waterfalls, the fleecy clouds, its glorious sunsets, the invigorating breezes, the mists that veil its mysterious vistas and the frosts on the blades in the early mornings; our trees, the pines we are so proud of and the exquisite flowers that are willing to thrive here, and only here.

All of these and much, much, more, we all offer to you with all our hearts!
Thank you.

On Monday, December 12, the same path ob served in the previous days was continued with departure from Baguio at 8 in the morning to arrive in Manila about 9 and then another motorcade to Tagaytay where a joint meeting was held by the Rotary clubs of Cavite, San Pablo, Lipa, Batangas, and Lucena. In the same manner, President Baker greeted the Rotary clubs present, made his beautiful Rotary address to all of them and received the greetings of the different presidents of the clubs present.

In many of the places visited, President Baker and his wife Cornelia were presented with gifts of the most exquisite Filipino handicraft and both of them were delighted with the signs of affection and hospitality and the words of praise that they have heard during their stay in the Philippines. 

In the morning of December 13, the Bakers ve received by His Excellency, President Magsaysay. 

They left on Tuesday, December 13, after a Governor's dinner given by Governor Danding at the Manila Hotel on the previous night which was w attended by the presidents of clubs and past officers of Rotary International and several personalities as guests of the governor. In the opposite pages of this story, we are completing a pictorial record of this unforgettable visit of President A. Z. Baker and Cornelia Baker, of Rotary International.
Also we want to mention a most pleasant personality, that of the editor of the Rotarian, Karl K. Krueger who accompanied the President and his wife and did a magnificent job taking pictures, movies and notes of the visit to prepare the report that will appear in the Rotarian magazine.
In his quiet way, trying hard to avoid the headlines, Rotarian Karl made a great impression on those who spotted him, and were able to talk to him. He did not make speeches, he avoided to be at the head table. This was not his trip but that of President Baker. And Karl knew all the time to do his duty, modestly hiding behind the spotlights. For him we feel a deep respect. 

Thus, the work of the Bakers can be really called, as it was said in Malolos and Cebu, Tagaytay and Tacloban, or San Fernando, an unforgettable one. We are sure also that "A.Z." and Cornelia have taken back home the assurance that Rotary in the Philippines is strong and that our Rotarians observe, practice and live the Rotary principles.
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