Monday, September 25, 2006

September 28, 2006 Discussion - The Rotary Foundation

This week at lunch, The Rotary Club of Chicago O'Hare will discuss the Rotary Foundation. Below is information that I copied from the Rotary International website www.rotary.org

About The Rotary Foundation http://www.rotary.org/foundation/about/index.html
The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$117.9 million contributed in 2004-05. Its event-filled history is a story of Rotarians learning the value of service to humanity.

The Foundation's Humanitarian Programs fund international Rotary club and district projects to improve the quality of life, providing health care, clean water, food, education, and other essential needs primarily in the developing world. One of the major Humanitarian Programs is PolioPlus, which seeks to eradicate the poliovirus worldwide. Through its Educational Programs, the Foundation provides funding for some 1,200 students to study abroad each year. Grants are also awarded to university teachers to teach in developing countries and for exchanges of business and professional people. Former participants in the Foundation's programs have the opportunity to continue their affiliation with Rotary as Foundation Alumni.

For more information on current Foundation program awards and financial status see the Rotary Foundation Fact Card and the Rotary Foundation Annual Report, both of which are available for download.

Why Join Rotary?

By Barbara LaSpesa
www.rotarychicagoohare.org

Some people call Rotary a club, an organization, a bunch of old men having lunch while writing a check to a good cause every so often to make themselves feel good. Wrong, Rotary is a way of life, a way to look at the world, a way to realize no matter how bad things get in your own life, there are people who have got it worse, and you have the power to help.

A bunch of old men? No, not that either, the Chicago O'Hare Rotary has both men and women, from ages 26 up. For every age and gender the mission of service above remains the same.Our club's job is to find things in the world, things that we think we can change, improve and/or just help with and pull together money, talent, and a bit of sweat to make the world a better place.

Our members support a Literacy program for a low-income Pilsen School. We've handed out new books to kids from 1st through 8th grade. We award several scholarships for worthy students in the O'Hare area yearly. The list goes on.

Want to make more of a global impact? Great! In 1988 Rotary International committed to wiping Polio from the face of the earth. Now we are down from thousands of cases in dozens of countries to dozens of cases in a handful of counties. Finally, if you are not sure of the mission of our club, it is pretty simple. It is the strength of each member, the flexibility of our club, and cohesiveness of our organization that allow those with a burning desire to make a difference to make our club their own.