Who Is Paul Harris and What Kind of Fellow Am I?

Last week, while Governor Rich Kaye was visiting, we were able to honor Bill Stokes and Anne Penney Newton with their Paul Harris plus Four pins.  At the same time, our board has been in conversation about how to ensure we are making annual gifts to the Rotary Foundation in order for us to benefit as a club, and for Rotary to continue it's global mission.  I want to take a minute to make sure our membership understands where our money goes, how it's used, and where it has the most value.

In 1905, when Paul Harris and a group of Chicago businessmen began Rotary, they sought to connect service-minded men who could use their power, influence and income to improve individual lives and better local communities.   Since those early days, Rotary International has undergone substantive changes.  International clubs were formed as early as 1914, but the inclusion of women didn't occur until 1987.  What has been called "Future Vision" up until now, marks another major change in the way Rotary operates.  As of July 1, 2013, Rotary is now shifting to a more global focus, but with more club and district discretion as to how to serve global purposes.

Since 2004, our club has billed new members $100/year to go towards the Rotary Foundation.  Rotary asks that each club member give that amount to the Foundation,and that accounts for EREY (Every Rotarian, Every Year).  Those funds are used to support club, district and international projects.  Rotary International keeps the funds for three years, and then returns 50% back to the district.  The district allocates back to the club the percent that they gave three years ago.  Those funds come to us in the form of DAP grants.  We can use those funds for almost any sort of a service project we want.  This year, we have $1500 to play with.  

Besides the money that comes back to us, we also have access to the district funds in new ways.  By proposing Vocational Scholars, we can secure  $5000 a year of district funds for a local student to study in our community.  And global grants allow us to work on international projects starting at $30,000 with no more than a $100 input from the club.  The leverage for us to access district funds is tremendous.  Beyond that, the DAP funds we get back come with no strings and allow us to use them on any project we wish - local or otherwise.

Unfortunately, we have a few members of our club who do not give $100 each year to the Foundation, which means we are not an EREY club.  Also, because much of our money is used at the club level, it never gets to the Foundation.  We have a mechanism by which our club is able to award every new member a Paul Harris Fellowship within their first year of membership.  If they continue to give at the minimal level of $100/year then they will achieve another Paul Harris Fellow in ten years when their donations have reached $1000.  Every $1000 accumulated gift to the Foundation is another Paul Harris fellow.  In addition to awarding the first Paul Harris fellow the first year, we also offer matching funds.  This year, we've made $5000 available for matching funds so that all members can reach their next level.  When the campaign opens, we will send out notification so that every member knows how far from their next fellow they are.  We will match your donation in an effort to get you to the next step!

District funding now will offer our club a huge payoff in three years.  Justin raised more in Foundation dollars last year, than we've ever given, and I am committed to the next generation of leaders and know that three years from now, we will have substantial funding to use towards the improvement of our community.  If you are not currently an EREY member, I urge you to spend .27 a day to help our club meet its minimal commitment to the Foundation.  And if you're close to another Paul Harris Fellow, get ready for the matching campaign.  Together we can increase our "buying power" when it comes to providing service at home and abroad!

This just in...

A challenge to all Rotarians:

If at least two people in District 5870 will make a gift of $5,000 to the Annual Programs Fund-SHARE as reflected on the records of the Rotary Foundation, the same amount will be posted by the White Hat member offering the challenge.

All gifts made after July 1, 2013 are eligible for this match.

Each of the persons accepting this challenge will become new members of the District 5870 White Hat Society, or will receive additional Concho awards.

If you want to take the donor up on his offer, please contact PDG Suresh Pahwa, d5870dg12.gmail.com, and he will walk you through the process.