Los Banos Rotary Club History
Rotarians Hear Of Paris Convention

A first hand report of the Rotary Club's International Convention held last May in Paris, was given to the local Rotary Club Tuesday noon by R. L. Hayden, of Santa Cruz, who attended the convention as delegate from the Santa Cruz club. Hayden is vice president and regional manager of the Coast Counties Gas and Electric Co.

Hayden briefly reviewed the convention program and commented briefly on some of the legislative action that was proposed in the convention; and described some of the color and splendor attached to such a gathering of 11,000 people from all parts of the world under a common banner.
Mostly, however, he told of his impressions of countries and peoples visited, describing incidents with a rich sence of humor that made his talk exceptionally interesting. He and Mrs. Hayden made the 17,000 mile round trip in just 17 days, and their sightseeing was necessarily limited. . . for instance his only view of the famed Winsor Castle in England was aboard the big plane enroute to London, the plane making a sweeping half circle curve over the castle grounds as it passed over on the regular flight. In London only ten days before the Coronation Week festivities, they saw all the festive decorations and carnival spirit that marked the Coronation. Of the English economy, he said economy is the word of the day. Retail prices are comparable to the United States, but salaries of the working people are far less, with unskilled labor averaging about $25.00 a week.

His impressions of Paris: hotels very moderate priced other than in the expensive resort and tourist hostelries catering especially to U. S. dollars; food very reasonable except along the tourist path; night clubs expensive, but champagne and other wines delicious, men's clothing expensive; ladies' clothing very expensive; wages and salaries far below the U. S., the average working Frenchmen receiving about $75 a month.

Hayden was introduced to the local club by Wm. A. McCandless, manager of Coast Counties Los Banos division.

July 24, 1953

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