Historic moments -- Rotary mottoes

Rotary's official mottoes, Service Above Self and They Profit Most Who Serve Best, trace back to the early days of the organization.

In 1911, He Profits Most Who Serves Best was approved as the Rotary motto at the second convention of the National Association of Rotary Clubs of America, in Portland, Oregon. It was adapted from a speech made by Rotarian Arthur Frederick Sheldon to the first convention, held in Chicago the previous year.

Sheldon declared that "only the science of right conduct toward others pays. Business is the science of human services. He profits most who serves his fellows best."

The Portland convention also inspired the motto Service Above Self. During a convention outing on the Columbia River, Ben Collins, president of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, talked with Seattle Rotarian J.E. Pinkham about the proper way to organize a Rotary club, offering the principle his club had adopted: Service, Not Self. Pinkham invited Paul P. Harris, who also was on the boat trip, to join their conversation. Harris asked Collins to address the convention, and the phrase Service, Not Self was met with great enthusiasm.

At the 1950 RI Convention in Detroit, slightly modified versions of the two slogans were formally approved as the official mot­toes of Rotary: He Profits Most Who Serves Best and Service Above Self. The 1989 Council on Legislation established Service Above Self as the principal motto of Rotary, because it best conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service. He Profits Most Who Serves Best was modified by the 2004 Council to its current wording, They Profit Most Who Serve Best.

For more historical information about Rotary, visit Rotary History and Archives or the Rotary Global History Fellowship.

How Rotary can save you money

The Planned and Major Gifts Division of Rotary International often advises members who are considering donations of US$10,000 or more on how to maximize the impact of their gifts, as well as the potential U.S. tax benefits. 

A charitable remainder trust is one in which the donor irrevocably places assets in exchange for an income, either for life or a certain number of years. This type of trust allows donors to reduce capital gains taxes on gifts of appreciated property and is a great strategy for incorporating charity into estate plans. It can be funded with cash, real estate, publicly traded stock, closely held stock, bonds (including tax-exempt bonds), and certain other assets. 

Income will be earned at a rate agreed upon by the donor and the Foundation, with a minimum of 5 percent of the initial trust principal. If Rotary is named the trustee for your charitable remainder trust, it will cover up to 50 percent of the fee charged by the custodianbank, Northern Trust, to administer the trust. 

Karena Bierman, senior planned giving officer for The Rotary Foundation, says that,forU.S. residents who include the Foundation asabeneficiary of a charitable trust,a charitable remainder trust passes the "four-win" test: Donorscan receive a tax deduction in the year the gift was made, avoid capital gains taxes on the donation of appreciated assets, receive lifetime income from the donation, and enjoy recognition for the gift that supports the Foundationwhile they are still alive.

"Trust assets areinvestedright away to enable the Foundation to get the most out of the gift," Bierman says, "while the donor gets income and a tax benefit. That way it maximizes the benefit to both the donor and Rotary."