WHAT IS ROTARY? |
It's an important question! What exactly is this organisation called Rotary and what do they do?
Backround of Rotary International:
Rotary International is the world's first service club organisation. Its more than 1.2 million members volunteer their time and talents to further the Rotary motto, Service Above Self.
On the 23rd of February, 1905, the world's first Rotary club was established in Chicago by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.
By 1925, Rotary had grown to 200 clubs with more than 20,000 members. The organization's distinguished reputation attracted presidents, prime ministers, and a host of other luminaries to its ranks — among them author Thomas Mann, diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, and composer Jean Sibelius.
Today, over a century later, Rotary International has grown to include 1.2 million Rotarians belonging to over 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.
Guiding Principles:
In 1932, Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor created The Four-Way Test, a code of ethics adopted by Rotary 11 years later. The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, asks the following questions:
OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK, SAY OR DO
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
These four guiding principles sum up the aim of Rotary and its members: To change the world for the better from the local community upwards through charity events and projects.
Community Involvement:
The Rotary Club of Tamworth is involved in many community based activities raising funds for both local organisations (such as Ronald McDonald House) as well as international activities including international eradication of the Polio Virus and the movement of Shelter Boxes to disaster zones such as Burma.
The ways in which we achieve these goals is via community based fundraising events such as the annual Booksale and Garden Expo.
Now for the next step...
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