Arch was 48 when he had the idea of setting up the Rotary Foundation as a separate entity from Rotary International, our worldwide administrative body that coordinates the clubs and communicates with them.
The Foundation was created to enable us collectively to do good things in a dark world. That was Arch’s vision, and that is what makes us proud and honored to be Rotarians today. Every dollar you give, outside of Club and R I dues, goes through the Foundation so it can be wisely invested and spent.
In other speeches Ray has reminded us of Rotary’s areas of concern, where the Foundation makes its grants. Each one deserves a program all to itself. Specifically, one is in play right now, concerning Ukraine. The Rotary Foundation has created an official channel for donors around the world to contribute funds to support the relief efforts underway by Rotary districts and has designated its Disaster Response Fund as the main avenue for contributions.
This is how it works, your Rotary dollar going into the world: The Rotary Foundation has approved expedited disaster response grants, to be used to provide relief to refugees or other victims of the crisis including items such as water, food, shelter, medicine and clothing.
Now through 30 June 2022, designated Rotary districts that border Ukraine and the Rotary district in Ukraine may apply for grants of up to $50,000 each from the Disaster Response Fund. During this same period, other impacted Rotary districts that wish to offer support to refugees or other victims of the crisis in their district can apply for $25,000 grants from the Disaster Response Fund.
But this wasn’t the main focus for today. Today Ray’s point of view was close up and personal: how our Downey Club’s giving compares in giving, with the other 66 clubs in District 5280. And how do we? Ray showed us the figures.
First, on a dollar volume basis, how much does the Downey club give compared to all the other clubs? We rank 26th out of 67. Not bad. Remember, this field takes in the LA5 Behemoth with 400 members, the Beverly Hills Club, Palos Verdes, the Valley, and other perceived high-income places to live and work.
Narrowing it down to a more specific figure, how does Downey do on a personal basis? Remarkably well. We come in ninth, with an average gift of $166 per person.
Now for the third category of rating. This is where we placed third, but this is also how statistics gets damned for leaving the field of cold hard fact to make a point. The statisticians- and the group studied, the clubs-themselves, make up arbitrary goals, and then measure each club’s members’ attainment against that.
The category is, how close does each club come to the self-set goals for giving. WOW. We came in Third. We did well, partly because the goal we set for ourselves was, maybe, one might say, modest: $100 per Rotarian. And we achieved $166.
Should we reset the goal, and aim higher?
John Lacey, that connoisseur of Ray’s talks over the years, gave him a thumbs-up. “Best one you’ve done so far,” said John. And I agree.
Here’s how Arch talked, about the idea of the Foundation: in the greeting that he made to the Rotarians at the 1917 Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, he said “We are gathered here today, a band of loyal, tired, and true members of the most worthy organization, consecrated to the doctrine of service in all that the word implies.”
Arch Klumph believed that Rotary would brighten all eternity when he later proclaimed, in December 1928 “The Rotary Foundation is not to build monuments of brick and stone. If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work on brass, time will efface it; if we raise temples they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds…we are engraving on those tablets something that will brighten all eternity. Rotary is built by members made of good stuff; the ideal of service is developing into practice. As a consequence, the organization will never stand still.”
If you’ve read this far you probably won’t mind if I take time to remember with a poem Art Morris, wonderful friend, world traveler and one of our long-lived Rotarians. He joined the Merchant Marine at 16, and he died just ten years ago this week, at 93. Art had a splendid service and we all ended up back at Rio Hondo where he had arranged to have a shot of vodka at every place. His son Jim raised his glass in a toast, “To trail’s end.”
Art Morris
February 8, 1919 – April 21, 2012
Art Morris O is he dead then
I saw him Tuesday
at home home-housed but that home
only a half-way habitat He was preparing
to leave body-mindful knowing
that body was failing blue-bruised
where bed-bordered he had lain too long
He sees and speaks
but where he is entering
he does not speak of that
yet that is all he thinks of now
Yet he knew me raise my head he said
take my hand and pull me toward you
he who with lucid blue eyes once sailed
the South China Sea now seeing
luster beyond lucidity
Lorine Parks
