Foundation Facts

              
     
Over the coming weeks, at our weekly meetings, our Rotarian Noel Trevaskis, OAM, will explain some facts on The Rotary Foundation.
 
Part 1
 
The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit organisation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve World understanding and peace through international humanitarian educational and cultural exchange programmes.
 
It was established by Past RI President Arch Klumph in 1917 who said "We should not live for ourselves alone but for the joy in doing good for others."  He also said "It seems eminently proper that we should accept endowments for the purpose of doing good in the World."
 
His idea for an endowment fund dedicated to "doing good in the World" has grown from the initial donation of $26.50 where there is now almost two billion dollars in Rotary Foundation.
 
The Rotary Foundation has spent over $3 billion on programmes and projects to support humanitarian efforts and scholarship throughout its 100 year history.
 
In 1979, Rotary began immunising 6 million children in the Philippines against polio; in 1980 Rotary committed to eliminating polio from the World through immunisation.  It was estimated that over 360,000 children contracted polio worldwide each year.  As a result of Rotary, polio is in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
 
Part 2
 
The Rotary Foundation’s motto is “Doing Good in the World”.  The motto for Rotary International is “Service Above Self”.  In 1947 when the founder of Rotary International Paul Harris died, Rotary members contributed US$ 1.3 million in his memory.
 
In 1957, Paul Harris Fellow recognition began – the first form of donor recognition, expressing appreciation of contributions of US$1,000.  Individuals, Clubs and Districts and non Rotarians can contribute to the Rotary Foundation.  The naming of a person as a Paul Harris Fellow is not an award, it is recognition that US$1,000 has been donated.  There is no such thing as a Paul Harris Fellowship. People can belong to the Paul Harris Society which means they contribute US$1,000 annually to The Rotary Foundation.  Centurions are Rotarians who contribute US$100 a year to The Rotary Foundation.
 
All contributions to The Rotary Foundation Trust are held in trust for three years.  After three years of investment, 50% of what was given in a year is available for districts and clubs throughout the World through different grants and programmes enabling them to participate in projects anywhere in the World.  District Designated Funds from The Rotary Foundation are available for clubs to use for projects in their district or elsewhere in Australia if they want to.
 
Contributions to the Australian Rotary Foundation Trust are tax deductible.  Those donations go onto The Rotary Foundation.
 
Part 3
 
Clem Renouf (later to become Sir Clem Renouf) from the Rotary Club of Nambour, Queensland, was President of Rotary International in 1978-1979.  He was passionate about the health and well being of the children of the world.    Sir Clem had an idea, he wanted a polio free world, importantly for the world that idea became a vision which he took to the Board of Rotary International while he was President.  That vision is slowly becoming a reality, a world free of polio.  It was estimated that over 360,000 children a year were crippled because of polio or died from its effects.  Sir Clem was vigilant in Rotary taking on the task of immunising the children of the world.
 
In 1979 Rotary began immunising six million children in the Philippines against polio, in 1980 Rotary committed to eliminating polio through immunisation.
 
In 1985 the Polio Plus programme was launched - the "plus" initially referred to the additional vaccines administered along with the polio vaccine.  Today it also reflects the fact that the infrastructure, fundraising and advocacy methods developed for the polio eradication campaign also support efforts to fight other infectious diseases.
 
In 1988 the Global Polio Eradication Initiative originally composed of Rotary, the World Health Organisation, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF was created to coordinate polio eradication work.
 
The Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation have contributed over 450 million US dollars to help Rotary to eradicate polio.  The Gates Foundation committed to giving two dollars for every dollar that Rotary raised for the eradication providing Rotary raises $50 million a year.
 
Australia was declared polio free in what year?
(2000)
 
Part 4
 
Two great Rotarians
 
Herbert J Taylor and the history of the Four Way Test
The Four Way Test was created by Rotarian Herbert J Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy.  It has become one of the world’s most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics. 
The twenty four words were developed for the employees of the company that was facing bankruptcy.  The Four Way Test was to be used by the employees to follow in their business and professional lives as the guide for them in sales, production and relations with all dealers and their customers. The survival of the company was attributed to everyone following Herbert J Taylor’s Four Way Test.
 
Herbert J Taylor went on to become the 44th President of Rotary International in 1954-1955.
 
Rotary’s Four Way Test
We strive to apply this Four Way Test to the things we think and 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?
 
Ian Scott and Australian Rotary Health
Australian Rotary Health was formerly known as Australian Rotary Health Research Fund.  It will celebrate forty years this year.  Australian Rotary Health is the largest private provider of funds for research into mental illness and has been, for the last twenty years.  Australian Rotary is not part of the Rotary Foundation.  The founder of Australian Rotary Health was Ian Scott who was a member of the Rotary Club of Pambula before moving to the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.  He started Australian Rotary Health Research Fund to raise funds for research into the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  $2.5 million was raised and as a result of research funded by Australian Rotary Health Research Fund it was discovered that by having babies sleep in a particular position, SIDS was greatly reduced.
 
Part 5
 
The structure of Rotary
 
Who are the members of Rotary International?
 
The members are the Rotary Clubs throughout the world.  Clubs make up the Districts, our District is District 9705 and is one District of 23 in Zone 8, which is Australia and New Zealand. There are 34 Zones throughout the world. Each Zone consists of approximately 35,000 members.
Each Zone elects a Director every four years. The Board of Rotary International has 17 Directors plus the RI President and the General Secretary.
 
The Council of Legislation, which acts as the Parliament of Rotary International, meets every three years with a representative from every district attending. The Council makes decisions on what and how Rotary is to be governed. The Board has to implement those enactments from the 1st July in the year of the Council of Legislation.
 
Any Club can submit any proposed enactment to the Council.
 
Rotary is very much a bottom up organisation.
 
Part 6
 
The Rotary Foundation does more than contribute to the eradication of polio from the world
 
Rotary has seven areas of focus:
 
Peace and conflict, prevention and resolution
Disease prevention and treatment
Water and sanitation
Maternal and child health
Basic education and literacy
Economic and Community development
The environment
 
With the eradication of polio this year, we have to date, only had two cases of the wild polio virus reported. Are we about to see the end of polio? After the last case we need to wait for three years before the world can be declared polio free. During that time water and sewerage will be tested for any remnants of the disease.
 
Rotary has contributed 2.1 billion US dollars to the eradication of polio. This has meant nearly 3 billion children have been vaccinated in 122 countries.
Rotary’s advocacy of governments has played a huge role in governments contributing ten billion US dollars to the effort.
If we were to stop the task of eradicating polio today, it is estimated that 200,000 children would eventually be infected with polio annually.
When Rotary started the eradication programme it was estimated there was a minimum of 350,000 children a year globally infected with polio.
 
Every Rotarian can say that they have and are contributing to the eradication of polio which will only be the second disease to be eradicated from the world.
 
Part 7
 
The 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.
 
THREE: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business and community life.
 
FOUR: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.