Members & Membership - New Members Corner

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AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS

The Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships Program is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. In 1947, 18 "Rotary Fellows" from 11 countries were selected to serve as ambassadors of goodwill while studying in another country for one academic year. Since that time, approximately $242 million has been expended on some 25,000 scholarships for people from more than 125 countries, studying in 105 countries around the world.

The purpose of the Scholarships Program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. Scholars are expected to be outstanding ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country through both informal and formal appearances before Rotary and non-Rotary groups.

ROTARY MOTTOES
The first motto of Rotary International, "He Profits Most Who Serves Best," was approved at the second Rotary Convention, held in Portland, Oregon, in August 1911. The phrase was first stated by a Chicago Rotarian, Art Sheldon, who made a speech in 1910 which included the remark, "He profits most who serves his fellows best." At about the same time, Ben Collins, president of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota, commented that the proper way to organize a Rotary club was through the principle his club had adopted-"Service, Not Self." These two slogans, slightly modified, were formally approved to be the official mottoes of Rotary at the 1950 Convention in Detroit-"He Profits Most Who Serves Best" and "Service Above Self." The 1989 Council on Legislation established "Service Above Self" as the principal motto of Rotary, since it best explains the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.

Charter Night

This is the annual celebration of the birth of our club. We were chartered on April 26, 1990. A club is chartered by Rotary International when they have a minimum of twenty members. And have adopted the Standard Club Constitution, which outlines administrative techniques for clubs to follow in holding weekly meetings, procedures for membership and classifications, conditions of attendance and payment of dues and other policies relating to public issues and political positions. Rotary International grows by chartering new clubs in underserved areas.

Charter Members

These are the members who started this club. T. Campbell, PDG Graham Green, Buck Jacoby, Vicki Lewis, and Ralph Sutton are the remaining Charter members.

They have a Charter Member designation on their name badge.

Club Singing

Harry Ruggles was the fifth man to join Paul Harris in the conversations that led to the formation of the first Rotary club in Chicago in 1905. Harry was a fellow who enjoyed singing, and this was a popular activity at the turn of the century. At an early meeting of the fledgling group, Harry jumped on a chair and urged every­one to join him in a song.

Group singing soon became a traditional part of each Rotary meeting. The custom spread to many of the clubs in the United States and is still a popular fellowship activity in the Rotary meetings of such diverse countries as Australia, Japan, Nigeria, New Zealand, and Canada. Some clubs sing a national song as the formal opening of the meeting. Some Rotary Clubs have developed into outstanding choral groups.

Types of Membership

There are two types of Rotary club membership — active and honorary. An active member is one who has been elected to membership in the club under a classification of business or profession and enjoys all the obligations, responsibilities, and privileges of membership as provided in the RI constitution and bylaws. Active members may hold office in their clubs and serve RI at the district and international levels. They are expected to meet attendance requirements, pay dues, and bring new members into Rotary.

Honorary Rotary membership may be offered to people who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals. An honorary member is elected for one year only, and continuing membership must be renewed annually. Honorary members cannot propose new members to the club or hold office and are exempt from attendance requirements and club dues.

Many distinguished heads of state, explorers, authors, musicians, astronauts, and other public personalities have been honorary members of Rotary clubs, including King Gustaf of Sweden, King George VI of England, King Badouin of Belgium, King Hassan III of Morocco, Sir Winston Churchill, humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, Charles Lindbergh, composer Jean Sibelius, explorer Sir Edmund Hillary, Thor Heyerdahl, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, Dr. Albert Sabin, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and many of the presidents of the United States.

Service above Self (Adopted as the Official Rotary Motto 1989)

Let Service Light the Way (1979-80)

Take Time to Serve ( 1980-81)

Discovering a New World of Service (1984-85)

Rotary Brings Hope (1986-87)

Promoting World Understanding and Peace (1981-82)

Building Bridges of Friendship (1959-60)

Looking beyond Yourself (1991-92)

He Profits Most Who Serves Best (Adopted 1950 as an Official Motto)

Act with Consistency, Credibility, Continuity (1999-2000)

Mankind Is Our Business (2001-2002)