.	Rotary Club of Mordialloc District 9810
	ABOUT ROTARY		Paul Harris Rotary’s Founder
	The world’s first service club was the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The club was formed on 23 February 1905 by lawyer Paul Harris and three friends – a merchant, a coal dealer and a mining engineer. Harris wished to recapture the friendly spirit that he had felt among business people in the small town where he grew up. The name “Rotary” was derived from the early practice of “rotating” meetings among the members’ offices.
	Mission The main objective of Rotary is service – in the community, in the workplace and throughout the world. Rotary volunteers build goodwill and peace, provide humanitarian service and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations. The Rotary motto is “Service above Self”. Membership Rotary members are professional men and women who work as volunteers to improve the quality of life in their home and world community. Club membership represents a cross-section of local business and professional leaders. Rotary clubs meet weekly and are non-political, non-religious and open to all cultures, races and creeds. There are now approximately 1.25 million Rotary club members working in 32,200 Rotary clubs in 168 countries. First admitted in 1987, women are the fastest growing segment of Rotary’s membership. There are some 2,000 women club presidents worldwide and women are rapidly assuming senior leadership roles. In the 2003-04 Rotary year, Kay Gordon was the President of the Rotary Club of Mordialloc, the first woman to occupy this position. In the same year, Rotary District 9810 which includes Mordialloc, had its first woman as District Governor, Jenny Coburn of the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central. Service Today Rotary volunteers initiate community projects that address many of today’s most critical issues such as violence, drug abuse, youth, AIDS, hunger, the environment and illiteracy. Rotary clubs are autonomous and determine service projects based on local needs. They are encouraged to develop projects that address specific areas of need such as children at risk, disabled persons, the aged, health care, international understanding and goodwill, literacy and numeracy, population issues, poverty and hunger, the environment and urban concerns. Rotary members work with and for youth to address challenges facing young people. Through participation in Rotary sponsored Interact clubs (for secondary schools), Rotaract clubs (for young adults) and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, young people worldwide learn leadership skills and the importance of community service. Rotary International Youth Exchange gives high school students the opportunity to broaden their view of the world and build international friendships. Rotary volunteers have a history of building safe communities and working for peace. In places where urban violence is rampant, Rotary’s community-based network helps to prevent unrest. Rotary sponsored violence prevention projects and conferences address the root causes of violence such as drug abuse, poverty and lack of role models. The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is one of the world’s largest non-Government humanitarian programs. It provides the opportunity for Rotary club members to work for international understanding and peace. Through the Foundation, Rotarians sponsor the following international educational and humanitarian programs. PolioPlus is Rotary’s commitment to eradicating polio worldwide by the year 2005. Through the efforts of Rotary and its partners in the fight against polio, more than two billion children worldwide have been immunised since 1985. By 2003, the number of new polio cases in the world for the year had decreased by 99% (350,000 to less than 2,000) since PolioPlus began. Rotary cash contributions now exceed half a billion US dollars to help eradicate the crippling disease. Of equal significance is the huge volunteer army organised by Rotary for social mobilisation, vaccine transport and immunisation programs. The Foundation’s humanitarian programs provide health care and supplies, clean water, food, job training and education particularly in the developing world. Rotary’s international network links people in need with Rotary club members in other countries that can provide resources. The Foundation’s educational programs include Ambassadorial Scholarships, the world’s largest privately funded source of international scholarships. Some 1,000 scholarships are awarded annually for post-graduate study in another country. Grants are also awarded for university teachers to serve in developing countries. The Group Study Exchange program provides an opportunity for teams of young professionals to undertake professional and cultural exchange and development in another country. The 2005 Group Study Exchange program for our District 9810 was conducted with District 6000, Iowa, USA. Past President Kay Gordon of our club lead the District 9810 team that travelled to Iowa in May/June 2005 and attended the Centennial Rotary Convention held in Chicago in June. The Rotary Centres for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution offer individuals committed to peace and cooperation to pursue a two-year master’s level degree in international studies, peace studies at one of seven prestigious universities around the world. Commencing in 2002, 70 Rotary Peace Scholars are selected annually for study at the Rotary Peace Centres. THE OBJECT OF ROTARY The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster: FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society; THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business and community life; FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service. THE FOUR WAY TEST Of the things that Rotarians 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?
	THE ROTARY “WHEEL” LOGO The familiar Rotary “gearwheel” emblem universally identifies Rotary clubs, programs and members throughout the world. It was adopted in its present form in 1923 and is protected by trademark and other intellectual property laws. Use of the emblem is restricted to official stationery, badges and signage associated with authorised Rotary programs and activities. The Rotary emblem must be used in its entirety without any additions, deletions, colour change or other variation to the adopted design. The emblem cannot be used to promote a member’s personal or business interests. Further information on use of the emblem is contained in the Rotary International Manual of Procedure.
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