Fireside Chat - A Primer for All Potential Rotarians

 

 

What Rotary is: 

  1. It is an organization of business and professional people pledged to uphold the highest of personal and professional standards
  2. It is a service club.  In fact it is the oldest service club in the United States.
  3. It is international.  There are Rotary Clubs in over 160 countries worldwide.
  4. It is a club whose members recognize and exemplify the charity and sacrifices that one should expect from those who believe they have a responsibility to help others.
  5. It is Service Above Self.

 

What Rotary is not:

  1. It is not a religious organization, though Rotarians believe in a higher power.
  2. It is not a political organization, but Rotarians are good citizens.

 

The Four-Way Test
 these bring a surprising clarity to all business and personal interactions.  
 
  1. Is it the TRUTH
  2. Is it FAIR to all concerned
  3. Will it bring GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS
  4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned

 

Rotary Organization

  1. 1.25 Million members worldwide
  2. 33,000 Clubs in 166 Countries
  3. The Northern Neck Rotary Club is a member of District 7610
  4. The Northern Neck Rotary Club's number is C000027678

 

Rotary International Information:

            Information is available on the International website at www.rotary.org.  There is a lot of information on the site and you are encouraged to browse it at your leisure.

 

Rotary District Information:

The district web site can be found at  www.rotary7610.org.  Here you will be able to find information regarding the district, its activities and officers.

 

 

The Rotary Foundation 

 

The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs.   It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$73 million contributed in 2000-01. Its event-filled history is a story of Rotarians learning the value of service to humanity.

The Foundation's Humanitarian Programs fund international Rotary club and district projects to improve the quality of life, providing health care, clean water, food, education, and other essential needs primarily in the developing world. One of the major Humanitarian Programs is Polio-Plus, which seeks to eradicate the polio virus worldwide. Through its Educational Programs, the Foundation provides funding for some 1,200 students to study abroad each year. Grants are also awarded to university teachers to teach in developing countries and for exchanges of business and professional people. Former participants in the Foundation's programs have the opportunity to continue their affiliation with Rotary as Foundation Alumni.  Projects and programs funded by the foundation typically involve a partnership between multiple clubs and districts in at least two countries.

The fundraising efforts fall into two main categories: The Annual Programs Fund, which supplies monies for the Educational and Humanitarian programs; and the Permanent Fund, which is Rotary's endowment — a fund whose principal is never spent and investment earnings are channeled into programs. The PolioPlus program is funded through a separate PolioPlus Fund — the result of an extraordinary fundraising effort began in the mid-1980s and continuing today in an effort to eradicate polio worldwide.  This mission is nearing completion with only four countries reporting cases of Polio last year.
 
The Rotary Foundation unique is its three-year funding cycle is unique and the Foundation's mechanism for program participation, known in Rotary as SHARE. Through the three-year cycle, funds contributed in any given year are invested for three years before being spent on programs. This ensures that all contributed dollars go directly to programs with investment earnings being used to pay administrative costs. In years in which the Foundation's investments have performed well, the Foundation has been able to channel extra monies into program awards.
 

Paul Harris Fellowship

 A Paul Harris Fellow recognition is given a member who has contributed or had contributed in his/her name a total of $1,000.00 to the Rotary Foundation.  The honor is named after Mr. Paul Harris, an attorney, who started Rotary in 1905 in Chicago.    All Rotarians are encouraged, but not required, to become PHF’s.   Rotarians are ask to  become Sustaining Members by pledging and giving $100 per year to the Rotary Foundation. 

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