Each Tuesday morning I get up a little earlier and make my way to Scarborough Downs for the weekly Rotary Club meeting. Lured at that hour by an extensive breakfast buffet complete with lots of coffee, fruit and juice, and good company it’s easy to forget that it’s only 6:50 in the morning. The routine is set: the bell rings, and the meeting begins with a salute to the flag, the singing of “God Bless America,” followed by a prayer.
Then the banter of “happy dollars” begins, as a Rotarian makes his way to each table to check in on the well-being and happiness of each meeting attendee. Next come announcements and a brief general meeting, and then a guest speaker. The bell rings again at 8:00 and off we go until next week.
A lot happens in that hour and ten minutes. There’s a special camaraderie that is formed. Week after week, things get done in tried and true Rotary rhythm. And great things are being done in Rotary Clubs all around the world.
It all started on a cold February evening in Chicago 100 years ago. A successful lawyer, Paul Harris, gathered three of his friends and decided to form a club based on fellowship and community service. They met weekly, and Rotary was born. The formula of weekly meetings has stayed intact.
Today, there are 1.3 million Rotarians in 31,000 different clubs spanning 166 countries. Call it a weekly obligation, Rotary opens you up to a world of fellowship, where Rotary Club members are welcomed visitors the world over. As you visit foreign countries or simply visit towns or cities close to home, a Rotary Club is close by to welcome you.
Beyond the friendship is the community service where good works are done. Sheer numbers, in membership, have been able to accomplish great things. The most noted accomplishment for which Rotary has gained its fame is the eradication of polio.
Rotary’s involvement in polio inoculation began in 1979 with a commitment to provide and deliver six million vaccines to children in the Philippines. In 1985 Rotary launched a Polio Plus program to protect children worldwide from the debilitating and deadly consequences of polio. Together with a number of partnering agencies, Rotary has been able to provide the financial resources – in excess of $600 million, to reduce polio cases by 99 percent.
In addition to the polio effort, the international vision of Rotary focuses on three other areas: literacy, water and hunger. As the bell rings at Rotary each week, a number of local and international efforts take place in line and in keeping with the global vision.
Different members step up to organize efforts, and the group joins in to pull it off. Some weeks we recognize Students of the Quarter. Other weeks, we provide medicine to Africa. Scholarships to students are given and aid to Project G.R.A.C.E. Scarborough Rotary not only welcomes visitors from other clubs, but new members, all the while cultivating future leaders through the youth RYLA program.
The Rotary motto is “Service above Self.” Paul Harris believed in what he referred to as the “service way,” free and clear of political influences, he believed first and foremost that “The power of Rotary is friendship … friendship means peace.”
As the basket is passed, and the happy dollars are collected, the friendship gathered around the table working together for the good of community and world are recognized. It is a fun group to be around and great things are being done.
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