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Gilford RotaryGilford, NH |
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THE HISTORY OF ROTARYThe Rotary organization was started in Chicago on February 23, 1905 by Paul P. Harris, a lawyer, and three of his friends: Silvester Schiele, a coal dealer; Gustavus E. Loehr, a mining engineer; and Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor. Paul's idea was to get people together in the spirit of camaraderie to enjoy each other's company and to enlarge their circle of business and professional acquaintances. Weekly meetings were held at each member's place of business in turn. The rotation of meetings was designed to help members get better acquainted with each other's vocation and to help promote business. Soon membership increased to the point that meetings were then held at restaurants or hotels.The first community project by Rotary was in 1907 with the establishment of a " Public Comfort Station" in the city of Chicago. By 1910 there were 16 clubs with 1,500 members in the USA In 1910 Rotary held it's first convention, in Chicago, and the 16 clubs were united as "The National Association of Rotary Clubs," to which Paul Harris was elected president. The slogan " Service Above Self" became Rotary's motto at the 1950 convention in Detroit, Michigan. In 1911, Paul Harris , after several attempts was finally able to organize a club outside the USA, into Canada, thus Rotary became international. Also in 1911, The National Rotarian, the forerunner of The Rotarian Magazine was born. Later in 1911 clubs were formed in Dublin ,Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburg, Scotland and in Great Britain. As a result of clubs expanding so rapidly, at the 1912 Rotary Convention in Duluth, Minnesota, the name was changed from The National Association of Rotary Clubs to The International Association of Rotary Clubs. It was later shortened in 1922 to Rotary International. The Rotary emblem of a simple wagon wheel, which was designed in 1905 by Montague M. Bear, represented civilization and movement. In 1923 the present gear wheel with 24 cogs and six spokes was adopted and a keyway added to signify that the wheel was a " worker and not an idler." The official description of the emblem was adopted at the 1929 convention in Dallas, Texas. Royal blue and gold were chosen as the Rotary colors, and the flag of Rotary was designated as a white field with the Rotary wheel in it's center. The four avenues of service in Rotary: Club Service, Community Service, Vocational Service, and International Service came into acceptance at the 1927 convention in Belgium. Arch Klumph is regarded as the father of the Rotary Foundation, which was instituted in 1928. He indicated that "Rotary should accept endowments for the purposes of doing good in the world in charitable, educational and other avenues of community progress. Immediately after Paul Harris' death in 1947, the first plan for the Foundation's educational awards was started and dedicated as a memorial to Rotary's founder. Eighteen scholarships were granted to students from seven different countries in the 1947-1948 school year. The Foundation remains dependent on voluntary contributions from both Rotarians and non-Rotarians around the world. A major source of funding is from Paul Harris Fellow recognitions which are granted to persons who contribute $1,000 or more to the Foundation. Paul Harris Fellow recognitions may also be granted to persons whose contribution to their club or community is above and beyond expectations. There are five types of educational awards granted by the Rotary Foundation. They are:
The Foundation also funds many other programs, some of which include:
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