Fellow Rotarians,

 

This is my last newsletter as Chairman of Rotary Global History Fellowship. My two year term ends on June 30, 2006 and it is time to summarize the achievements during that last two years.

 

Two years ago, Rotary Global History Fellowship had recently been authorized by Rotary International as a Rotary Fellowship. Two years later, we have become a very well known and visible fellowship:

 

• In a Google search using the key word "Rotary", our fellowship website shows up in the list of Google’s ten most popular Rotary websites. (Out of 54,700,000 search returns) Topping the list is for Rotary International’s website. Google bases its ranking strictly on the number of searches they receive for a particular website.

 

• Many Rotary websites around the world use our material. You can see a list of these websites when you search Google using the key phrase “Rotary Global History Fellowship”.

 

The center of our activities is in our website. It includes more than 2,000 pages with articles about Rotary Global History. Approximately 75,000 Rotarians from all over the world visit our website every month. Our website can be reached through the following domain links:

 

www.rotaryfirst100.org
www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org
www.whatpaulharrissaid.org

www.rotaryfirst100.org/why
www.rghf.org
www.archivohistoricoderotary.org

www.ourfoundation.info

 

In addition to receiving visitors to our website, we publish via e-mail the following regular publications:

 

• “What Paul Harris Said” consists of quotes by Rotary Founder Paul Harris that are e-mailed to more than 7,500 Rotarians around the world each week. It is very popular among Rotary Clubs to read these quotes during their Rotary meetings. We estimate that as many as 100,000 Rotarians read or hear "What Paul Harris Said" quotes every week. You can find a collection of all previous “What Paul Harris Said” quotes on our website at www.whatpaulharrissaid.org.

• “Why I am a Rotarian” are statements from a different Rotarian every week (famous or not) explaining why he or she is a Rotarian. You can find a collection of these very interesting Rotarian statements on our website at www.whyiam.org.

• “Our Foundation Newsletter” is recognized by leading Rotarians around the world as the best source of information about the activities of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. You can find all our reports on our website at www.ourfoundation.info.

 

We participated in the following Historic Rotary Events during the last two years:

 

• Rotary Global History Fellowship played an important roll in the Centennial Celebration of the Rotary Club of Chicago in February 2005. During their 100^th anniversary meeting I spoke about “Rotary Founder Paul Harris’ Exciting Youth”. You can read about it on our website at www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org/rghf/activities/rotaryone2005/index.htm and www.nyrotaryhistory.org/ingemanson/index.htm.

• We participated as exhibitors in three successful Rotary Conventions in Osaka 2004, Chicago 2005, and Malmö/Copenhagen 2006.

• Rotary Global History Director Dick McKay was a driving force behind the acquisition and dedication of Rotary Founder Paul Harris’ home Comely Bank on June 16, 2005 not 2004.  Three days later, the missing stone temple lantern was re-installed at Comely Bank with RGHF member Fred Otto as a driving force. You can read about Comely Bank on our website at www.paulharrishome.com. You can find pictures from the dedication of Comely Bank on our website at www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org/rghf/activities/comelybank.htm.

• During the Centennial Rotary Convention in Chicago 2005, we sponsored a breakfast meeting with 100 Rotarians together with the Rotary Global History and Heritage Fellowship to support the purchase of Comely Bank.

 

I personally believe that the job of Chairman is to always find someone else to do the job. Consequently, I always try to delegate as much as possible:

 

• Our Rotary Fellowship has a committee of 29 members from around the world, gathering and publishing Rotary Global History. You can read about them on our website at www.rotaryfirst100.org/historians/committee.htm.

• Many leading Rotarians around the world have contributed material to our website. They include Past Rotary International Presidents Cliff Dochterman, Frank Devlyn, Bhichai Rattakul, Jonathan Majiyagbe, Glenn Estess and Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar. A number of Rotary International Directors and Past Directors have also contributed information and some of them have also joined our history committee along with nearly a dozen past, present and future District Governors.

 

I want to thank all of them for their great service. Our achievements in the last two years would not have been possible without their active contributions.

 

I want to thank the members of our outgoing Board for their extraordinary and dedicated service above self:

 

·        Calum Thomson, Vice Chairman

·        Rajinder Singh Bedi, Secretary

·        PDG Geri Appel, Treasurer

·        Dick McKay, Director

·        PDG Dr. Eddie Blender, Director

·        Don Murphy, Director

·        Maureen Bond, Director

·        Carlos Garcia, Director

·        DG Helen Reisler, Director

 

You can read about our directors on our website at www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org/committee/board.htm.

 

 

Our Directors are usually spread around the world. Here is a rare photo with most of our Directors assembled together in one place. From left to right, Director Eddie Blender, Vice Chairman Cal Thompson, Directors Helen Reisler and Don Murphy, Treasurer Geri Apple, Chairman Matts Ingemanson and Director Dick McKay.

 

 

Additionally, I want to thank the following Rotarians for their valuable Rotary Service:

 

• Jack Selway for his energetic and tireless service. I am very impressed with his knowledge about Rotary Global History.

• Attorney and Chicago Rotarian Angelo Loumbas, who volunteered his services to help us create our new by-laws that have been approved by Rotary International.

• Swedish Rotarian Tord Elfwendahl for his design of our new RGHF logo, which is being made into an RGHF lapel pin. This Pin will sell for $10, but will be given to all our members free of charge:

 

 

It is now time for the leadership in Rotary Global History Fellowship to rotate in good Rotary tradition. I wish our incoming Chairman Calum “Cal” Thomson good luck with his leadership during the next Rotary Year.

 

My job as Chairman is now complete. As I move forward to other things, I will always look back to these two Rotary years with a lot of satisfaction and great memories.

 

In my last official act as Chairman of Rotary Global History Fellowship I hereby induct the following members of the Board:

 

·        Calum “Cal” Thomson, Chairman

·        Rajinder Singh Bedi

·        Eddie Blender, 2nd Chairman

·        Jack Selway, Secretary

·        Geri Appel, Treasurer

·        Carlos Garcia Calzada, Director

·        Maureen Yvonne Bond, Director

·        Ramon H. MacFarlane, Director

·        Albert W. K. Wong, Director

·        Richard M. McKay, Director

·        Vijay S Makhija, Director

·        Judy Magub, Director

 

Their term will start on July 1, 2006 and end on June 30, 2007. I wish them all good luck during their term of service. May their decisions be guided by 4-Way Test:

 

·        Is it the truth?

·        Is it fair to all concerned?

·        Will it build good will and better friendships?

·        Will if be beneficial to all concerned? 

 

I have mentioned that our website has a lot of very interesting information about Rotary Global History:

 

·        We have created a website to call attention to our many features at www.rghf.org

·        There is a “History Learning Center” at www.historylearningcenter.org  

·        Senior Historian Basil Lewis has created the “History of Every Region of the World” at www.regionalhistory.org

·        There are District histories at www.districthistory.org

·        We created a special page to help visitors at www.howdoifindit.org

·        We have expanded our timeline of history at www.historytour.org

·        We have a page to call attention to “What’s New” at www.recentposts.org

·        We also started a section to list comments from visitors at www.rotaryfirst100.org/clubs/comment/helped.htm

·        We have a new section about the history of all Rotary International Fellowships at www.fellowshiphistory.org

·        There is a section highlighting all Rotary Global History Fellowship activities at www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org/rghf/activities/

·        We have “Peace and Friendship Monuments” at www.worldpeaceandunderstanding.org under the leadership of Ted Lollis.

·        The story of Rotary’s efforts for peace, past and present at www.peacehistory.org under the leadership of Joe Kagle.

·        We also have a website in Spanish, managed by Carlos Garcia Calzada www.archivohistoricoderotary.org/

·        Visitors can send messages to us at www.historycomment.org  

·        We created www.whatpaulharriswrote.org under the leadership of senior historian Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler, who is close to preserving everything that Paul Harris ever wrote.

 

The best of it all is that we accomplished everything during these two years with a balanced budget. Our fellowship is economically sound with money in the bank. I want to thank our Treasurer Geri Appel for her diligent job with our finances. Our members can see the financial statements on our website through a confidential link (only available to members).

 

If you are not already a member, you can become a member and an insider of Rotary Global History Fellowship for only $25.00 per year or $100 for five years.

 

 

Two RGHF members together during the Rotary Convention of 2006 in Copenhagen, RGHF Chairman 2004-06 Matts Ingemanson (left) and Rotary International President Wilfred Wilkinson.

 

Rotary International President Wilf Wilkinson and I each signed up for five year memberships. It is easy to sign up for membership online at www.joinrghf.org.

 

It is important to understand Rotary Global History

when we Lead the Way into the Future.

 

Matts Ingemanson

Chairman 2004-2006

Centennial Chairman 2004-2005

RGHF Ambassador

Rotary Global History Fellowship