Branching Out For Rotary
In 1912, the United States Government and Japan exchanged dogwood trees for cherry trees as a gesture of friendship between the two countries.
The 50 Ohio dogwood saplings were planted in Tokyo and 3,000 cherry saplings were planted along the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.
President Taft’s wife admired cherry trees while living in the Philippines during her husband’s term as Governor. The Japanese gave the cherry trees as a gift to the United States for the aid given to Japan during the war with Russia in 1904-05.
In August of 1970, Ardmore Rotarian George Uhlig happened to be attending a meeting at the Rotary Club of Tokyo when a journalist brought to the attention of the club that most of the dogwood trees donated to Japan by the Americans in 1912 had died or were destroyed during WWII, but the 3000 cherry trees in Washington, D.C. were still thriving along the banks of the Potomac River. “It was felt by the Japanese that replanting them would be a significant event in cementing relations between the two countries" (Shintao Uyeda-President of 2002 Tokyo Club.)
With the assistance of Past RI Vice-President George Uhlig, Past Ardmore President David Kelso, Laird Robertson, and the Ardmore Rotary Board of Directors, Ardmore Rotary sent 300 dogwood saplings that were planted in
Kita-no-maru Park in the outer gardens of the Japanese Imperial Palace. This happened to coincide with the 50 year Anniversary Celebration of the Tokyo Rotary Club. The saplings were delivered from Pittsburgh and
were packaged by Ardmore Rotarians on the front lawn of Laird Roberson’s
home in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
The plaque in the Japanese park reads” From the Rotary Club of
Ardmore,PA, on behalf of the People of the United States as an expression
of friendship for the People of Japan”
Each year in late April, members of the Rotary Club of Tokyo board buses
To visit the trees in bloom.
Past RI Vice-President Kyozo Yuasa, and the Rotary Club of Tokyo,
presented the Ardmore Rotarians with cherry trees which were planted in the
Wynnewood Valley Park in the Garden for the Blind and Children in
Wynnewood, PA U.S.A.
The Plaque reads:
”Flowering Cherry Trees
Presented to the Ardmore Rotary Club by the Rotary Club of Tokyo in gratitude for its contribution of Dogwood Trees and as a symbol of goodwill between the Peoples of United States and Japan 1976-77.”
In anticipation of Rotary International’s Centennial year and the 2004
International Convention held in Osaka, Japan, Douglas Klepfer and Laird
Robertson thought about Ardmore Rotary replacing some the 1970’s trees
that had been diseased or died. President Wil Sandvik, Past District Goveror
Hogie Hansen, and Ardmore Board of Directors agreed that it
would be a wonderful opportunity to continue this gift of Peace and
Friendship in memory of George Uhlig and to celebrate the beginning of
Rotary Internationals’ Centennial year.
Many of Laird Robertson’s former contacts had retired or sold their businesses, and we could locate only dogwood seeds from Ohio.
Douglas Klepfer spoke with Bill Randolph of Millstone Valley Nursery, President of Somerset County Board of Agriculture, who made many calls to locate plantings. He suggested the Rudger’s variety, which are very disease resistant, hardy, conducive to long freight travel and thrive in the climate of Japan. He also suggested considering 2-foot whip plantings, which can be planted upon arrival instead of prior greenhouse care. Bill Randolph referred us to Fred Shadow of Tennessee Valley Nursery in Winchester Tennessee.
Fred and his father, Hoskins A. Shadow, were both members of the
Winchester Rotary Club.
His father was a member for over 50 years until he died at age 94. Since
September 11, 2001, many growers in the United States will not ship to Asia
due to the considerable custom and inspection issues, but since Fred was a
Rotarian, he decided to make an exception. He generously donated 200 2
foot white and pink dogwood saplings to the project in Memory of his father
and Rotary International. Ardmore Rotary would cover all the freight and
inspection costs.
The presentation plaque reads:”From the Rotary Club of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, on behalf of the people of the United States of America as an expression of Peace and Friendship to the people of Japan in Memory of Past Rotary International Vice-President George Uhlig and past Rotarian Hoskins Shadow. May 28th 2004”
Past District Governor Hogie Hansen of Ardmore Rotary has been a
valuable resource to us in helping obtain the history of this project and
working with RI Trustee Fumio Tamamura, who will assist with custom
and arrival issues.He has invited all Ardmore Rotarians to Tokyo after the
Convention to tour the dogwoods in the Imperial Gardens.
The Tokyo Rotary Club is honored to receive this Gift and has planned a
dinner celebration in the ballroom of the Imperial Hotel for the
ceremony of presenting Ardmore Rotary’s gift to the People of Japan.
Dr. Douglas F. Klepfer, President-Elect and Project Chair will make a
formal presentation on behalf of Ardmore Rotary.
Planning to attend the ceremony are:
Ardmore President-Elect Douglas Klepfer, Past District Governor Hogie
Hansen and his wife, Swathmore Rotarian Anne Hansen, Trustee Lynmar
Brock and his wife Claudine, Betty Uhlig and her previous Japanese foreign
exchange student Shoko Shirakabe and her daughter Haruko Shirakabe.
Tokyo Rotarians plan to distribute the 200 trees to local Rotary Clubs in 50
locations to plant throughout Japan in the fall of 2004 after they are cared
for in a nursery farm by a local Rotarian Tomiichi Arai of Tokyo Chofu-Murasaki Rotary Club.
The 5th graders at Loomis Elementary School in Broomall,PA U.S.A.(where Douglas Klepfer’s son Matthew attends) made beautiful Friendship letters that Douglas Klepfer will distribute to Rotarians in the House of Friendship during the International Convention in Osaka. Rotarians will be asked to deliver the letters to children in their families or children in their community throughout the world.
The Rotary Club of Ardmore has also sent Dogwood trees of friendship to
Ataturk Forrest in
Turkey and an American Veterans Cemetery in France, a legacy inspired originally by Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary International, who planted trees in his yard at Comely Bank, Chicago whenever he and his wife Jean had an international visitor. As Paul Harris traveled the world he planted trees of friendship in many countries.
Douglas F. Klepfer D.P.M.
President, Ardmore Rotary Club, PA USA 2003- 2004
Project Chair “Branching Out for Rotary”
This is the background to a
This is the background to a very historical program in which the Cherry Trees recently dedicated at Normandy Park are part. We certainly appreciate Ardmore Rotary Club for selecting Normandy Park as a receipant of these trees.