Carmel Rotary and the Rotary Foundation
Posted by Edward Schaffer
Our club has always been proud to show a high percentage of Paul Harris Fellows, and the Board helps by paying part of the $1,000 fellowship fee. Even after receipt of the Fellowship members can continue to contribute to the Foundation as tax-exempt contributions.
Don Grenier, Tony Maccarini and Ed Schaffer are the Club committee on the Rotary International Foundation, which is funded each time a contribution is made to the Paul Harris Fellowship. Members should check the back of the Carmelite, which shows after some member's names either an "S" or a "PH"; the "S" which indicates that the member is working toward becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, and the PH indicates the member has reached Paul Harris Fellowship.
In case you don't know it, the mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. Each time we as Rotarians contribute toward the Paul Harris fellowship, we are helping promote the principles of Rotary.
Rotary International is presently working on updating the goals of the Rotary Foundation. The plan is intended to bring the Foundation into a second century of service with a simpler and more streamlined method of operation. The plan aims to simplify the Foundation programs, balance local and global involvement, and increase each Rotary Club's sense of ownership by having them involved in Foundation decision making. Our District Governors are involved in participating in decision-making regarding the millions of dollars in income the program generates for it purposes.
One of the premier efforts of the Foundation was and is the old "Polio Plus" program, now called PolioPlus Partners program. Decades ago, polio outbreaks were a major and constant threat around the world. After the introduction of polio vaccines by Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, and a steadfast immunization effort, these outbreaks became part of history in most of the world. Yet many still live under the threat of polio, which is why Rotary with its global partners are committed to reaching every child with the vaccine and ending this disease worldwide. Polio Plus started in 1984.
Major gains have been made in the global fight against polio: In the 1980s, 1,000 children were infected by the disease every day in 125 countries. Today, polio cases have declined by 99 percent, with fewer than two thousand cases reported worldwide in 2006. Two billion children have been immunized, five million have been spared disability, and over 250,000 deaths from polio have been prevented.
In a recent publicized event, Rotary International announced a partnership with the Gates Foundation that will inject $200M into the global effort to eradicate polio. The Rotary Foundation received a $100 million Gates Foundation challenge grant, which Rotary will raise funds to match, dollar for dollar, over the next three years. Each of us should take part in contributing toward that effort, which if it makes the world free of Polio is a worthwhile effort indeed!
In case you don't know it, the mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. Each time we as Rotarians contribute toward the Paul Harris fellowship, we are helping promote the principles of Rotary.
Rotary International is presently working on updating the goals of the Rotary Foundation. The plan is intended to bring the Foundation into a second century of service with a simpler and more streamlined method of operation. The plan aims to simplify the Foundation programs, balance local and global involvement, and increase each Rotary Club's sense of ownership by having them involved in Foundation decision making. Our District Governors are involved in participating in decision-making regarding the millions of dollars in income the program generates for it purposes.
One of the premier efforts of the Foundation was and is the old "Polio Plus" program, now called PolioPlus Partners program. Decades ago, polio outbreaks were a major and constant threat around the world. After the introduction of polio vaccines by Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, and a steadfast immunization effort, these outbreaks became part of history in most of the world. Yet many still live under the threat of polio, which is why Rotary with its global partners are committed to reaching every child with the vaccine and ending this disease worldwide. Polio Plus started in 1984.
Major gains have been made in the global fight against polio: In the 1980s, 1,000 children were infected by the disease every day in 125 countries. Today, polio cases have declined by 99 percent, with fewer than two thousand cases reported worldwide in 2006. Two billion children have been immunized, five million have been spared disability, and over 250,000 deaths from polio have been prevented.
In a recent publicized event, Rotary International announced a partnership with the Gates Foundation that will inject $200M into the global effort to eradicate polio. The Rotary Foundation received a $100 million Gates Foundation challenge grant, which Rotary will raise funds to match, dollar for dollar, over the next three years. Each of us should take part in contributing toward that effort, which if it makes the world free of Polio is a worthwhile effort indeed!