Rotary International, established in 1905, is a world wide Service Club, whose members include those men and women who are in leading positions in their chosen careers. At the end of 2001 there were some 1,188,492 members belonging to 30,149 clubs spread throughout 162 countries.

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:

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 by each Rotarian of his occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
3. The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to his personal, business and community life.
4. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional men united in the ideal of service.

Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s own CHARITY and operates internationally. Foundation’s ambitious programme includes a very wide range of activities comprising:

Polio Plus, Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants, Matching Grants, Helping Grants, New Opportunities Grants, Rotary Peace Programmes, Grants for Rotary Volunteers, Discovery Grants,, Disaster Relief Grants, Community Assistance Programme Grants, Humanitarian Transportation Grants, Ambassadorial Scholarships, Rotary Grants for University Teachers, and Group Study Exchange.

Of these, Polio Plus is both the largest and most ambitious of Rotary’s programmes.

The aim is the eradication of Polio throughout the World by 2005 to celebrate Rotary’s own centenary. By that time it is anticipated that through the efforts of Rotary, Foundation will have contributed in excess of half a billion US$ providing oral polio vaccine to over two billion children by the giving of grants to 122 nations around the World.

The author’s profits from this book will all be donated to Rotary Foundation through the Rotary Club of Aylesbury.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF AYLESBURY
Web site: www.aylesburyrotary.org
email: aylesburyrotary@copingwithcalamities.com

The Rotary Club of Aylesbury is the local club of which the Author is a member. The Club is one of the oldest clubs in the World having been founded in 1924. There are some 40 members from whom these experiences all come and which includes a very active local Foundation Committee.

In addition to the Foundation Committee there are a number of other committees:

Club Service, which is responsible for the good operation of the Club
Community Service, which is responsible for local projects
International Service, which is responsible for overseas projects
Vocational Service, which is responsible for youth activities
Charity Funds, which raises money for each of the above committees

Membership of Rotary is not about giving money, it is about giving service. The value comes from peoples’ experiences and their contacts thus making things happen. These aims are the aims of all Rotary Clubs around the World.