Rotarians around the world will be celebrating the 111th anniversary of the first and greatest service organization, Rotary International, on February 23rd.
The first Rotary club was founded in 1905 when four friends met in Chicago to discuss how they could work together to help the wider community. Rotary has since grown internationally to more than 1.2 million members across 200 countries.
“Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves”
—PAUL HARRIS
Our organization started when Paul Harris, a Chicago attorney, had an idea of forming a club where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the early practice of rotating meetings between the offices of each member.
In 1914 the organization moved across the Atlantic and the British Association of Rotary Clubs was established. The association was renamed Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland in 1924.
Today Rotary continues to respond to the needs of an ever changing world, whilst retaining its strong founding principles.
Here are a few of the celebrations we discovered: In Washington, USA, the Rotary Club of Gateway - Thurston County (Olympia area) will hold an all Thursday County Rotary Clubs get- together to celebrate Rotary’s 111th Birthday. The cost of the Birthday Celebration event is $10 per person (guests are welcome). This covers the expense of two hors d’ oeuvres, a birthday cake that will serve 100, room use, sales tax and a required gratuity. A no host bar will be set up. The Rotary Club of Chicago will hold a celebration dinner on the 23rd at the Gaylord India Restaurant with music by The Piano Man. Reservations must be made by 3:00 pm Monday and tickets are $40 per person. In South Australia, Districts 9500 & 9520 will be celebrating Rotary’s 111th Anniversary of the Founding of Rotary. We’re taking the opportunity to tell everyone who comes to our marquee all about Rotary and what we do! Our Rotary Volunteers will have their “ASK ME ABOUT ROTARY” badges on, they’ll hand out Birthday Cup Cakes and SHARE THEIR ROTARY STORIES. In British Columbia, Canada, Rotarians will "Give the Gift of Rotary" by donating to the Rotary Foundation. When you give to Rotary, you empower your fellow leaders to improve their communities and make a lasting impact.
Ladysmith Rotary is once again going to "Light Up the Night with Rotary" to celebrate Rotary's 111th Birthday on February 18th.
We will be selling biodegradable Chinese Lanterns
at Transfer Beach for $5 to aid in Polio Eradication. - See more at: http://yourwestcoast.com/festivals-events/light-night-rotary#sthash.Bu2NKd2i.dpuf
