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Rotary is a dynamic worldwide organization
consisting of over 1.3 Million Rotarians in more
than 32,000 clubs in over 200 countries and
geographical areas. The object of Rotary is to
encourage and foster the ideal of service as a
basis of worthy enterprise and in particular to
encourage and foster
1. The development of acquaintances as an
opportunity for service;
2. High ethical standards in business and
professions; the recognition of the worthiness of
all useful occupations, and dignifying of each
Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to service
society;
3. The application of the ideal of service
in each Rotarian's personal, business and community
life;
4. The advancement of international
understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world
fellowship of business and professional persons
united in the ideal of service.
Rotary meets weekly. A typical Rotary meeting
would include a meal, introduction of guests,
announcements and a short program. Each member is
assigned a classification based on his vocation.
You will have a name badge to wear at meetings and
it is usually kept in a location near the check
in.
We stress attendance and below 50% is not
acceptable. It is easy to make-up though with 77
clubs in our own district and 32,000 clubs
worldwide. You can also receive a make-up for
working Rotary sponsored local functions, attending
a Club Board Meeting, as well as attending the
Rotary District Conference and/or International
Rotary meetings or programs. You have two weeks
before you miss or two weeks after you miss to
make-up.
Rotary consists of its members and clubs. Clubs
are in a district governed by a district governor
who serves for one year. An International President
and a Board of Directors govern Rotary
International. Our district is 6110 and is made up
of parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and
Kansas. We are considered to be in the top 10
districts in the world based on the furtherance of
Rotary ideas.
Usually clubs work independently of each other
on projects. One project all clubs in our district
work together on is the District 6110 Medical
Supplies Network Inc (MSNI). This operation is
based in a Tulsa warehouse where we accumulate used
medical equipment and supplies that we ship to less
fortunate countries. Over 117 truckloads have been
sent out of this warehouse to 32 different
countries since January 1996. Usually one truckload
per month is shipped overseas.
It is not unusual for clubs to have local,
district, and/or international projects. Clubs
sometimes work independently or with district or
international partners.
The four avenues of service in Rotary are Club
Service, Community Service, International Service
and Vocational Service.
1. Club Service: Rotary's First Avenue of
Service involves actions a Rotarian must take
within the club to help it function successfully.
This means having a good place to meet, good food,
good fellowship, fun, and having good programs and
speakers each week.
2. Vocational Service: Rotary's second Avenue of
Service. Its purpose includes promoting high
ethical standards in businesses and professions,
recognizing the worthiness of all occupations, and
fostering the ideal of service in the pursuit of
all vocations. The role of the club includes
developing projects that help members contribute
their talents to meeting society's needs. The role
of Rotarians includes conducting themselves and
their businesses in accordance with Rotary
principles and responding to projects their clubs
develop.
3. Community Service: Rotary's Third Avenue of
Service comprises varied efforts Rotarians make,
sometime in conjunction with others to improve the
quality of life for those who live within their
club's locality or municipality. This is a most
critical avenue, for if a club is not active in the
community with projects, it will not grow and
prosper.
4. International Service: Rotary's fourth Avenue
of Service comprises all the things that a Rotarian
can do to advance international understanding,
goodwill and peace by fostering acquaintance with
people of other countries, their cultures, customs,
accomplishments, aspirations, problems &endash;
through reading and correspondence, and through
cooperation in all club activities and projects
(including those associated with the Rotary
Foundation) designed to help people in other lands.
Our District 6110 Medical Supplies Network is an
example of International Service.
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is
involved in many educational and humanitarian
projects. The Foundation had assets of $709.2
million in fiscal year 2006 with revenues of $162.1
million dollars.
In 1985 Rotary undertook the project of
eradicating polio in the world. Before eradication
efforts began in 1988, polio paralyzed more
than1,000 children a day, which totaled about
350,000 children annually. Over 2 billion children
have been given the oral polio vaccine since 1988.
The incidence of polio has declined by more than 99
percent. Rotary International is the spearheading
member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
and is the largest private sector donor. It has
contributed more than $600 million to the polio
eradication activities in 122 countries. In
addition, tens of thousands of Rotarians have
partnered with their national ministries of health,
UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the U.S.
centers for Disease control and Prevention, and
with health providers at the grassroots level in
thousands of communities. Today only four countries
remain polio endemic &endash; Nigeria, India,
Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
The Foundation is involved in many educational
and humanitarian programs throughout the world. A
few of these are Ambassadorial Scholarships, Rotary
Centers for International Studies, Rotary Grants
for University Teachers, Group Study Exchange,
District Simplified Grants, Individual Grants,
Matching Grants (Major and Minor), Health, Hunger,
and Humanity (3H) Grants, Blane Community
Immunizations Grants, PolioPlus, and PolioPlus
Partners.
The Rotary Foundation receives its monies from
individuals contributing money to the Rotary
Foundation. Those who contribute $1,000 are
eligible to become a Paul Harris Fellow. An
individual may also contribute additional monies
and become a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, a Major
Donor, or a member of the Arch Klumpf Society.
Those who wish to provide for a gift in their
estate plan may become Benefactors or Bequests
Society members.
Rotary was started in Chicago in 1905 by Paul
Harris who got a group of four businessmen together
to meet weekly. Their original purpose was to refer
business to one another, and they rotated the
meetings among their offices to get better
acquainted. Hence, they decided to name it The
Rotary Club. Soon, they realized that business men
could not be held together by fellowship alone.
They decided to do an occasional service project in
order to attract more members. From this simple
beginning, Rotary has developed into one of the
most dynamic service organizations in the world. As
Rotarians we follow the 4-Way Test in the things we
think, say or do.
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER
FRIENDSHIP?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
We think you will enjoy Rotary and be proud of
the things you help us accomplish.
Updated June, 2007
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