Rotary International is an organisation of business and
professional people united worldwide to provide humanitarian service,
encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build
goodwill and peace in the world.
This is a pre-view of our 2012-2013 Rotary International President's emblem:
Rotary's International President for 2012-2013 will be Sakuji Tanaka-san.
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.
ROTARY CLUB OF SAMFORD VALLEY - About
Rotary
This overview, although a brief
summary, is how we, in Samford, would tell someone about Rotary.
Rotary started in 1905
in Chicago, U.S.A. It was founded by a young lawyer, Paul P.Harris, and
three of his friends. Paul Harris wished to recapture the friendly
spirit he had felt among business people in the small town where he had
grown up. The four men soon started to talk about the need for a club,
where business and professional people could meet and get to know and
support each other and together work towards the further development of
their community. Their weekly meetings "rotated" among their offices,
providing the new service club with it's name.
There are 1.2 million men and women
Rotarians in 30,000 clubs in 187 countries and geographical regions
providing community service in virtually every nation in the world. In
Australia and Papua New Guinea alone there are about 55,000 Rotarians
in over 1,400 clubs. Membership in a Rotary club gives a Rotarian the
right to attend meetings of any other club around the world, where he
or she would be welcomed enthusiastically and offered immediate
friendship and assistance. Rotary provides an opportunity to build
lifelong friendships and experience the personal fulfilment of giving
volunteer service to others. The friendships that develop amongst
Rotarians are such that they have to be experienced to be fully
appreciated, particularly in our club in our unique Samford community.
A SERVICE ORGANISATION
Rotary is a service organisation,
with
many programs and projects, ranging from huge international initiatives
like 3H and Polio Plus to district and local community fund-raising,
donations and working bees. The large and international programs are
administered through the Rotary Foundation and achieve tremendous
results. However, great emphasis is placed on the development of
friendship, particularly in our small community of Samford Valley.
Friendship among the members and from the members to the community.
Services to humanity through the development of friendships.
We have a motto in Rotary. It is: SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
We like to think that service is the
rent we pay for the space we occupy on this earth.
THE OBJECT OF ROTARY
All good organisations have an
overall objective. Rotary's objective is to encourage and foster the
ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to
encourage and foster:
1. The development of
acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
2. 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;
3. The application of the ideal
of service in each Rotarian's personal, business and community life;
4. The advancement of
international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world
fellowship of business and professional people united in the ideal of
service.
THE FIVE AVENUES OF SERVICE
The Avenues of Service are Rotary's philosophical cornerstone and the foundation on which club activity is based:
1. Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club.
2. Community Service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community.
3. Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards.
4. International Service encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the globe and to promote world understanding and peace.
5.
New Generations Service
recognises the positive change implemented by youth and young adults
through leadership development activities, service projects, and
exchange programs.
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THE FOUR-WAY TEST
The Four-Way
Test is a
simple but profound statement by which all Rotarians live: Of the
things we think, say or do
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and
better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all
concerned?
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in our club is generally
restricted to one person from any particular occupation or vocation.
The idea of this is to bring into the club business or professional
people of good standing from as many different sections of the
community as possible. They bring to Rotary the knowledge and
experience gained in the sphere in which they work and reside, and take
back into that section of the community the experiences and knowledge
gained in Rotary.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for membership, one
must be an adult, of good character and good business and professional
standing, engaged as proprietor, partner, company officer, manager, or
one holding an important position in any business, profession, firm or
institution.
MEMBERSHIP OBLIGATIONS
The Rotary Club of Samford Valley
meets each Tuesday at 6.30 for 7.00 pm start at the The Samford
Homestead Restaurant, Main Street, Samford.
Because attendance is indicative of
commitment, Rotarians are expected to maintain a high attendance
record. Attendance of at least 60% of weekly meeting in any six month
period is the minimum required.
Where a member is unable to attend
his or her own club's weekly meeting, it is encouraged to attend a
meeting of any other club in order to "make-up" for the meeting missed.
Most Rotarians do not find this an imposition, and enjoy the fellowship
of the other club's members.
Rotary is a service organisation. It
is expected and will be necessary, from time to time for each member to
give time ( generally on a week-end) in support of club projects. There
are usually three or four week-ends during the year when Rotarians are
expected to assist in one of the many projects undertaken by our club.
Some of the more significant
community projects undertaken by Samford Rotary in the past include the
building of the Kindergarten in Camp Mountain Road, assistance to the
Samford Historical Society Museum and the Rural Bush Fire Brigade
buildings, the CWA hall, the Samford State School and Community
Swimming Pool, and of course, the Rotary Station in John Scott Park.
More recently, we've established the Undambi Park at Highvale, which
will be an ongoing project for the club, and also established the
Samford Emergency Relief Fund to assist people in our community
following an unforseen disaster.
COST OF ROTARY
An active member of the Rotary Club
of Samford Valley has the following financial obligations:
* Club Joining Fee - currently
$80.00 payable on acceptance of membership
* Annual Subscription -
currently $160.00 payable in advance by half yearly instalments on 1st
January and 1st July.
* Weekly Dinner Fee - currently
$20.00. A member may bring dinner guests at $20.00 per guest.
Rotaractors are also always welcome to attend: $10.00.
* Fines and Club Raffles - the
Sergeant-at-arms will conduct a light-hearted fines session at each
regular meeting - nominal minimum is $1.00 for each fine. If you would
like to learn more about Rotary, and the Samford club in particular,
please ask any of us.
PARTNERS
These days, our Samford club and
many others are no longer single gender. Traditionally, partners
(wives) were known as Rotary-annes. Now it's simply partners. Partners
are not affiliated with Rotary nor are they members of a constituted
club but Rotarians encourage their partners to meet socially to get to
know each other.
Partners are also called upon from
time to time to assist Rotarians with one or other community project,
if appropriate.
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