ROTARY AWARENESS
Some of us may be aware of what follows, but to many, particularly our newer members, some of the following may not be familiar, and in this month of Rotary awareness it seems appropriate to remind all of us of how rotary was born and has evolved.
HISTORY OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
The first four Rotarians (from left): Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey, and Paul P. Harris, circa 1905-12.
Paul P. Harris, an attorney, wanted to create a professional group with the same friendly spirit he felt in the small towns of his youth. On 23 February 1905, Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey gathered at Loehr’s office in Room 711 of the Unity Building in downtown Chicago. This was the first Rotary club meeting. They decided to call the new club “Rotary” after the practice of rotating meeting locations.
Within five years clubs had formed across the country, from San Francisco to New York.
In August 1910, Rotarians held their first convention in Chicago. The 16 clubs that existed at that time united to form the National Association of Rotary Clubs.
In 1912, the name changed to International Association of Rotary Clubs to reflect the addition of clubs in other countries. The name Rotary International was adopted in 1922.
By July 1925, Rotary had grown to more than 2,000 clubs and an estimated 108,000 members on six continents.
Rotary’s reputation attracted presidents, prime ministers, and a host of other luminaries to its ranks — among them author Thomas Mann, diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, and composer Jean Sibelius.
As Rotary grew, members pooled their resources and used their talents to serve their communities. The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its motto: Service Above Self.
In 1932, Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor created The Four-Way Test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages
HISTORY OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
At the 1917 convention, outgoing RI President Arch C. Klumph proposed to set up an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” In 1928, it was renamed The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International.
GROWTH OF THE FOUNDATION
In 1929, the Foundation made its first gift of $500 to the International Society for Crippled Children. The organization, created by Rotarian Edgar F. “Daddy” Allen, later grew into Easter Seals.
When Rotary founder Paul Harris died in 1947, contributions began pouring in to Rotary International, and the Paul Harris Memorial Fund was created to build the Foundation.
EVOLUTION OF FOUNDATION PROGRAMS
1947: The Foundation established its first program, Fellowships for Advance Study, later known as Ambassadorial Scholarships.
1965-66: Three programs were launched: Group Study Exchange, Awards for Technical Training, and Grants for Activities in Keeping with the Objective of The Rotary Foundation, which was later called Matching Grants.
1978: Rotary introduced the Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants. The first 3-H Grant funded a project to immunize 6 million Philippine children against polio.
1985: The PolioPlus program was launched to eradicate polio worldwide.
1987-88: The first peace forums were held, leading to Rotary Peace Fellowships.
2013: New district, global, and packaged grants enable Rotarians around the world to respond to the world’s greatest needs.
Since the first donation of $26.50 in 1917, the Foundation has received contributions totaling more than $1 billion.
PEACE FELLOWSHIPS
Each year, Rotary funds some of the world’s most dedicated and brightest professionals to study at our Rotary Peace Centers. These fellows are committed to the advancement of peace, and often go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank.
WHAT ARE ROTARY PEACE FELLOWSHIPS?
Each year, Rotary selects individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centers. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship/field study expenses. Two types of peace fellowships are available.
MASTER'S DEGREE
We offer master’s degree fellowships at premier universities in fields related to peace and conflict resolution and prevention. Programs last 15–24 months and require a practical internship of 2–3 months during the academic break.
OUR PARTNERS
Rotary collaborates with international, governmental, and university groups to tackle global humanitarian issues.
· Polio: Rotary is a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to end polio, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
· Peace and conflict resolution: The Rotary Peace Centers program develops leaders who are catalysts for peace and conflict resolution locally and globally. Rotary Peace Fellows receive a master’s degree or complete a certificate program at one of our partner universities
· Water and sanitation: Rotary and the U.S. Agency for International Development work together to support water and sanitation projects through the RI/USAID International H2O Collaboration
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WORKING WITH PARTNERS
Rotary’s relationship with the following partners opens the door for Rotarians to work with them directly:
· ShelterBox for disaster relief
· Global FoodBanking Network for hunger
· Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library for literacy
· International Reading Association for literacy. Find out more about starting a literacy project in our Literacy Project Guide.
· Goodwill Industries International for vocational training
· YSA (Youth Service America) for youth involvement