In this municipal park of Valença there is a tree already grown, with a plaque that reads:
"ROTARY CLUB DE VALENÇA
Árvore da amizade
10º aniversario 29-4-90"
"As president emeritus of Rotary, Paul Harris traveled extensively in the 1920s and 1930s, accompanied by his wife Jean. A lover of nature, on these trips he planted trees to symbolize the value of friendship and goodwill.
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Paul Harris with members of the Rotary Club of Tallinn, Estonia, during a tree planting in 1932.
In the autumn of 1932 in the Northern Hemisphere, Paul spent five weeks visiting clubs in Europe and planting his friendship trees along the way.
“On Wednesday morning I planted my first friendship tree on European soil. It is interesting that this first tree was planted in Germany, precisely in Berlin, in a sports square that was used for war purposes. A large number of Rotarians, government representatives and other people were present on the occasion.”
Since then, Rotarians have planted trees in the name of fellowship and friendship, and for the pleasure of serving the community. These trees, found in different parts of the world, are an enduring testament to Rotary ideals. "
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