High Society
Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey. Familiar names? Let’s add one more name to the mix: Paul Harris. On February 23, 1905, these four gentleman met for the first time at Gustavus Loehr’s law office. Paul Harris was also an attorney. This group became the first Rotary club. From such humble beginnings.
Harris started this club seeking fellowship and wanting to give back to the community. By the way, the first club community project was building an outhouse in Chicago. Boy, did they need one.
Two years later, Paul Harris became the third president of the Rotary Club of Chicago. Towards the end of his term, Harris became ambitious about the club’s undertaking. He sought to expand Rotary outside of Chicago. Some club member resisted because of the financial burden it would place on the club.
In 1910, Rotary had expanded to cities outside of Chicago. In August 1910, the first Rotary International Convention took place in Chicago. Sixteen clubs participated. Not coincidentally, Paul Harris was chosen as the first president of Rotary International. In January 1947, Paul Harris passed away at age 78. A Paul Harris Memorial Fund was established to honor Harris. $1.3 million was raised for scholarships for graduate study abroad, a favorite cause of Harris.
In 1957, Rotary created the Paul Harris Fellow to show appreciation for contributions that support the Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant.
To become a Paul Harris Fellow, one only need to contribute, using Foundation recognition points, a gift of $1,000 or more cumulatively to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or an approved global grant. Recognition consists of a certificate and pin with sapphire stones for each $1,000 acknowledging the donation.
To become a part of the Paul Harris Society, Rotarians contribute $1,000 or more each year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or approved global grants. Our District has 219 Paul Harris Society members. By the way, the Paul Harris Society was the creation of our Past District Governor Wayne Cusick of the Blythe club.
There is another Society that was just created by our Zone 26/27. The Polio Plus Society. The rationale behind the Polio Plus Society is to finish the job of eradicating polio. The money will be used to provide vaccines and pay the nurses to administer the vaccine. We are down to two countries with polio: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
To be a part of the Polio Plus Society, one need only make an annual contribution of $100. And this gift is matched 2-1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In true Rotary fashion, you will get goodies like a beautiful, specially designed pin for your lapel, a very nice Certificate suitable for framing and wrist bands (End Polio Now).
Marty Peters, Past District Governor from the Del Mar club, has just ordered 6,000 new bumper stickers - End Polio Now. The bumper stickers can be ordered through Marty for $.27 each - a bargain at any price. Marty’s email address is: paul.peters@lpl.com.
Being a part of these Societies is important to the advancement of the Rotary mission. But, we mustn’t forget the annual fund: Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY). Giving to the annual fund allows us to do more DDF projects and Global Grants. Three years after a Rotary year, half our annual giving to the Rotary Foundation comes back to our District for DDF projects and Global Grants.
Our District has been amazing at submitting and doing DDF projects and Global Grants. This year, all our Grants were allocated by the end of August. A total of 93 DDF projects were awarded.
As fate would have it, the past two Rotary years showed a decrease in giving to the Annual fund. This will mean that in the next two years we will have less money for DDF projects and Global Grants. It is not too late to reverse this trend.
As the end of year giving becomes a priority for us, please consider making a donation that will allow our clubs to do more projects to make the world a better place.
Thank you.