What Paul Harris
Said
December 31st 2006
“We are here on earth
and we are here to stay during our respectively allotted periods.
How much of happiness and how much of misery shall be our share
remains with us almost entirely to determine. If we possess a
modicum of reason, it will be apparent to us that it is the part of
wisdom to cheerfully make the best of the situation and to harmonize
our own lives with nature's inexorable laws. We are entitled to the
maximum of happiness; and may we be sane enough to observe that the
route to a life full of happiness does not lie in intemperate
indulgence.
We need and the world needs an optimistic,
rational philosophy of life."
“The
Distance Self” by Paul P Harris – The Rotarian, February 1914
As we move into the
next year of our lives, it is always a time of reflection with the
past and excitement for the future. In today’s uncertain world, let
your own lives be full of happiness for 2007 and based on our simple
but straightforward Rotary way of life.
For many of us, it is
customary to sing the song "Auld Lang Syne" tomorrow. I close by
copying down the first and last verses (in the original) for your
enjoyment.
"Should Auld
Acquaintance be forgot
And never
brought to mind?
Should Auld
Acquaintance be forgot,
And Auld Lang
Syne!
...And there's a
hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a
hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a
right gude-willie-waught,
For Auld Lang
Syne"
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry &
District,
Please Note that
from next week, our mailing features "Why I Am A Rotarian" and
"What Paul Harris Said" will alternate on a weekly basis and be
sent out each Saturday
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What Paul Harris
Said
December 24th 2006
“Rotary,
being invisible, spiritual, is intelligible to the higher order of
things. Diamonds cannot comprehend Rotary, but friendship, sympathy,
integrity, devotion, idealism can."
Paul P Harris' message to the RI Convention at
Salt Lake City, 1919
Paul Harris' message to
the 'Victory Convention' was, in the main, a passionate appeal for a
new world of peace. At this time of year, on behalf of Rotary Global
History Fellowship, I wish you all a peaceful Christmas and New
Year.
Ironically as we
approach another new year, Rotary will meet up again by the great
Salt Lake at the International Convention in June. Rotary Global
History Fellowship will be more than happy to meet you all at our
annual gathering. There, together, we can explore and comprehend our
Rotary movement through friendship and devotion etc. - just as Paul
Harris did so many, many years ago.
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry &
District,
D-1020,
Scotland.
|
What Paul
Harris Said
December 17th 2006
“Rotary must not
content itself with being anything less than a movement
affecting the lives of all men and women; its requirements are
so simple, its doctrines so universally acceptable that its
sponsors are not visionary in thinking of Rotary as an all
pervading influence.”
Paul P Harris,
The Founder of Rotary” 1928
Modesty was
just one characteristic of Paul Harris. For Paul Harris, the
great ‘idea’ of founding our Rotary movement was quite simply an
inevitable step in human nature.
Here, Paul
dismisses himself as a visionary. I think most of us would find
that absurd. To us, it was Paul Harris’ vision that has given us
the movement we love. It is sometimes the most simple of ideas
that are the most profound; the most natural concepts that are
in fact the most far reaching.
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry
& District,
D-1020,
Scotland.
Please Note that
from January 2007, our mailing features "Why I Am A Rotarian"
and "What Paul Harris Said" will alternate on a weekly basis and
be sent out each Saturday
|
What Paul
Harris
(and other Rotary leaders)
Said
December 10th 2006
“Rotary is one
of the best sources of establishing friendship because it offers
an occasion to know people, and once we know people, generally
we learn to like them.”
PRIP
Armando de Arruda Pereira at the
1941 Convention, Denver, USA
December is Family
month in our Rotary calendar. It’s a time to meet and greet our
extended Rotary family. This family doesn’t just include our
Rotary club member’s personal families but also those alumni of
Rotary programs such as RYLA, Rotaract, Interact, Scholars and
GSE. It’s a wonderful and appropriate time to meet up with old
friends and to get to know those who will follow in our
footsteps.
The greater the size
of the Rotary family, the more good we can do in this world.
Please Note that
from January 2007, our mailing features "Why I Am A Rotarian"
and "What Paul Harris Said" will alternate on a weekly basis and
be sent out each Saturday
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry
& District,
D-1020,
Scotland.
|
What Paul
Harris Said
December 3rd 2006
“In the pursuit of
happiness, men most frequently turn to wealth; in it they hope
to find enduring happiness. Some look for it in the possession
of gold, King Midas' sad experience notwithstanding. They hoard
it beyond all possible needs.
Others expect to find it in the things which money can bring
them: influence, power, business, and social prestige, the envy
of those who are less opulent, and endless, interminable things.
…If we heed the guide posts and danger signals which seers
have hung out for the benefit of travelers on life's highway, we
shall not look for happiness in the possession of money, nor in
the possession of things which money will buy."
Paul P Harris message on the
30th
anniversary of Rotary, 1935
This quotation
reminds me of PRIP
Cliff Dochterman’s theme for his Presidential Year –
Real Happiness is Helping Others.
Both of our Past
Presidents are simply stating the most obvious fact in any
Rotarian's life.
Soon many Rotarians
will be celebrating Christmas and looking forward to the New
Year. Whatever plans you might make for 2007, consider Paul
Harris’ words carefully.
Please Note that from January 2007, our
mailing features "Why I Am A Rotarian" and "What Paul Harris
Said" will alternate on a weekly basis and be sent out each
Saturday.
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry
& District,
D-1020,
Scotland.
|
What Paul
Harris Said
November 26th 2006
“Rotary is good for you, my friends. To the ill, it says,
"Take up thy bed and walk." Rotary prolongs the life of hundreds
of thousands of men; Rotary makes for health and happiness.”
Paul P Harris message to the
1946 Convention, Atlantic City
There is nothing so
frightening in this world than Weapons of Mass Destruction. I'm
not talking about bombs and guns but those things that cause
real mass destruction to human life -Hunger, Poverty and
destructive diseases such as HIV/Aids. Such weapons will
not make the front pages of the newspapers yet they destroy more
human lives each day or month or year than any war or conflict.
November is Rotary
Foundation month. It's Mission or What We Do is–
Improving Health, Supporting Education and
Alleviating Poverty.
Rotarians through
their Rotary Foundation can and will continue their fight
against weapons of mass destruction -Every Rotarian, Every Year
- by contributing to The Rotary Foundation.
Please Note that from January 2007, our
mailing features "Why I Am A Rotarian" and "What Paul Harris
Said" will alternate on a weekly basis and be sent out each
Saturday.
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry
& District,
D-1020,
Scotland.
|
What Paul
Harris Said
November 19th 2006
Rotary's supreme purpose is to serve; never (has)
service (been) more appropriate than on the present occasion.
How and where we shall serve remains for you to determine. May
wisdom characterize your deliberations!
"Individual effort when well directed can
accomplish much, but the greatest good must necessarily come
from the combined efforts of many men. Individual effort may be
turned to individual needs, but combined effort should be
dedicated to the service of mankind. The power of combined
effort knows no limitation. This superlative power no man may
appropriate to his own use. This is the world's sub‑conscious
conclusion. We must clearly understand the justice of it and
measure up to its requirements.
Paul P Harris’ message to the
Atlanta Convention 1917
The ‘present
occasion’ Paul Harris was referring to in 1917 was, of course,
the First World War. Yet his sentiment is still so apt today –
never has service been more appropriate than on the present
occasion. I shall let the reader decide which ‘present occasion’
she or he would refer us to today – perhaps a continuing
violent conflict or a world health problem. Whatever the
occasion, Rotary remains to serve.
At the same Atlanta
convention, RI President
Arch Klumph would announce his idea of an endowment fund –
today it’s better known as
Our Foundation. Yet, little known to Paul Harris or Arch
Klumph at the time, this endowment fund would realize Paul’s
prophetic observation. The power of combined effort
knows no limitation – that’s the secret of our
Foundation’s success.
Celebrate Rotary
Foundation month.
Calum Thomson
RGHF
President
RC Longniddry
& District,
D-1020,
Scotland.
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What Paul Harris Said
November 12th 2006
"War cannot go on forever. Peace must and shall come. The years
ahead reserve for Rotary a most difficult and arduous task. To heal
the wounds of a war-ravished world; to substitute for hate, mutual
understanding and tolerance; to create affection where rancour
exists; to change enemies into friends and replace excited passion
and armed struggle by goodwill and international peace.”
Paul P Harris, "The Rotarian" 1942
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh month in 1918 the armistice was
declared ending the Great War or, as it was known then, “The war to
end all wars”. Sadly that was not the case and still, nearly 90
years on, our world still sees warfare and conflict.
Rotary’s weapons against warfare are all contained within The Rotary
Foundation: - Peace Scholarships; Local and International Service
Projects; Educational and Cultural Exchanges.
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry & District,
D-1020, Scotland
|
What Paul Harris Said
November 5th 2006
"The foundation upon which Rotary is built is friendship; on no less
firm foundation could it have stood."
Paul P Harris, 1935, "This Rotarian Age "
November is Rotary Foundation month.
Our Foundation has stood the test of time and is stronger today than
ever before. It's programs are firmly built around Paul Harris’
vision of friendship. Together, as friends we participate in
matching grant projects or select scholars and GSE teams to spread
our fundamental belief in international peace and understanding.
http://www.rotaryfirst100.org/historians/blender.htm
It is also heart-warming to read about RGHF Vice-Chairman Eddie
Blender who recently was inducted into the Arch Klumph Society at
Evanston.
PRIP RATTAKUL, PRIP MAJIYAGBE, RIP WILKINSON, RIP BOYD, EDDIE &
PATTI BLENDER, PRIP GIAY AND PRIP ESTESS.
Eddie was also recently appointed chair of the Rotary
Centers Major Gifts Initiative and has endowed a Rotary World Peace
Fellowship.
It’s truly wonderful to see friends like Eddie (and Patti) building
our Foundation into a remarkable institution for doing good in the
world. With friends like these, The Rotary Foundation can realize
its full potential.
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry & District,
D-1020, Scotland.
|
What Paul Harris
(and other Rotary leaders) Said
October 29 2006
"Only if in each nation an informed public opinion actively works
for peace can we avoid the international anarchy that would spell
the end of civilization as we know it."
PRIP (1946-47) Richard C Hedke 'Let Rotary Speed the Action', The
Rotarian July 1946
Past President Hedke wrote this just after the second world war.
Hedke, from Detroit, Michigan, was born in Germany 61 years earlier
and the great conflicts of the first half of the 20th century
influenced him greatly.
As you will all know, the next year saw the death of our founder
Paul Harris and the establishment of the Ambassadorial Scholarship
program of the Foundation. But did you know that there is an earlier
Rotary scholarship program?. The Georgia Rotary Scholarship Program
was established in 1946 by Rotarians in that American state.
The scholarship program can be viewed at
www.grsp.org and its aims and objectives are quoted below:
"Since 1946, Rotarians in Georgia, USA, have promoted world peace
through understanding by offering scholarships to international
students for one year of study in Georgia colleges and universities.
Georgia Rotary Clubs sponsor students recommended by a Rotary Club
in their home country. The students become adopted members of a
Georgia "host family," but live on-campus at the school they attend.
This is a scholarship program, not an exchange! Each year, about 80
students from all over the world make friends in the United States
and other nations and learn about differing cultures and life
styles. Georgia Rotarians believe "Peace is Possible" and through
GRSP promote international goodwill through the bonds of friendship
and understanding."
This program has benefited students from many, many countries and is
fully funded by Georgia Rotarians and their clubs. What generosity
of spirit! Although not open to American students it is actually
available to children and grandchildren of Rotarians throughout the
world. As you can see, the program reflects our fundamental belief
in through education, we can create a friendly and peaceful world.
Calum Thomson, Chairman 2006-2007
Rotary Global History Fellowship
www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org
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What Paul
Harris Said
“What is Rotary? Thousands have made
answer each in his own way. It is easier to note what Rotary does
than what it is. One recently has said, “If Rotary has encouraged us
to take a more kindly outlook on life and men; if Rotary has taught
us greater tolerance and the desire to see the best in others; if
Rotary has brought us pleasant and helpful contacts with others who
also are trying to capture and radiate the joy and beauty of life,
then Rotary has brought us all that we can expect.”
Chicago, October, 1945
Paul P. Harris.From the forward to “My Road To Rotary”, Paul Harris,
1947
www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/library/myroad/
Harris wrote several articles in the month of October, including
“Here comes the Enemy” an essay about the enemy “fear” for a
conference in Japan in October of 1928. His October 1945 comment on
tolerance and seeing “the best in others” is echoed in all of his
writings. All of which may be read at
www.whatpaulharriswrote.org.
Jack Selway
Founder, RGHF
|
What Paul
Harris Said
October 15
2006
Dear RGHF Subscribers,
This past Wednesday, 11 October was the sixth anniversary of
RGHF. It began with one page, listing the first 50 clubs of
Rotary, on the website of Rotary Club of Pueblo #43.
Today, in observation of this week’s anniversary we extend an
invitation to all of our readers. When we started “What Paul
Harris Said” in the winter of 2001, it was an idea from past
Rotary International Director Lynn Hammond. In a conversation
with RGHF Founder Jack Selway, Director Hammond suggested
“Let Paul Harris do the talking” when it came to Rotary values.
Selway started the feature with this first mailing, shown below,
to a list of about 100 individuals. That list has grown to over
7,000.
Here is that first issue of WPHS:
“What Paul Harris Said
30 December 2001
"Since the beginning of
civilization, there has been a surplus of sayers of things. If
there is any one particular in which I would have Rotary
distinguished from other organizations, it is in the quality of
character which results in the doing of things."
Paul Harris, Message to the 1921 RI Convention in Edinburgh,
Scotland.
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/rotarian/1921message.htm
This is the first in a weekly series of "What Paul Harris
Said," from The "History" Project, at Rotary Global History
Fellowship.
Certainly Paul Harris would have pride and admiration for what
Rotarians have done to eliminate Polio, through PolioPlus, just
these past two decades or so.
But, as kind and loving, toward Rotary, as Paul always was,
he would also ask if each of us had truly done a part of this.
And that's a Rotary minute from Rotary Global History
Fellowship.”
Jack Selway, Founder, Rotary Global History Fellowship.
Today, as we celebrated the 6th anniversary of RGHF
and with the growth of RGHF, virtually everything Paul Harris
every “wrote” is preserved at
www.whatpaulharriswrote.org. By visiting this section and
reading what he and other Rotary leaders had to say about such
values as tolerance, peace, neighborliness, and understanding…
you can find a quote that speaks to you and create your own
“What Paul Harris Said.” From the beginning our intent was to
bring these words to life with your comments of today’s
relevance. You may also read comments bout our features at
www.rghfforum.org and if you register for an RGHF
membership, you can post your own comments there.
www.joinrghf.org
We’ll look forward finding out what you learn from our history
along with your own wisdom.
Yours for Rotary History,
Calum Thomson, Chairman 2006-2007
Rotary Global History Fellowship
www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org
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What Paul
Harris
(and other Rotary leaders)
Said
October 8 2006
“I
believe that the great opportunity and the great responsibility
of Rotary rests in the field of building character, in the
building of men. In fact, I think this is the great task of all
Rotary Clubs, building men who will be available for service in
the various walks of life; in politics, in business, in
community affairs, and in their homes as fathers and husbands.
There is such a great need for good citizenship and leadership.
There are many fields in which the real leader is welcome -and
needed. There is the problem of corruption and waste in local
government. There is the problem of strife between employer and
employee. There is the problem of crime in the streets. There is
the problem of international peace and understanding.
But
I think the greatest opportunity for Rotary is in developing
leaders who will take their religious faith, and the ideals that
come from it, and put them into practice in everyday life, in
the home, in business, and in the community activities. If we
take the ideals of truth, justice and love of our fellow men,
and put them into constant practice, Rotarians can work wonders.
And this means that Rotary can work wonders because the measure
of Rotary lies in the life of the average Rotarian. It is the
way of life he leads and the way he treats his fellow men.”
Herbert J Taylor, President of ROTARY/One 1940
This October, we celebrate Vocational Service – a cornerstone of
the Rotary movement. PRIP Taylor, who gave us that most
essential of ethical codes, the 4 Way Test, would surely approve
of our 2006/07 theme- “Lead The Way”.
In programs such as RYLA, Rotarians also lead the way in
developing young men and women for adulthood – building
character by building men (and women).
No matter how much the RYLA course costs each club and district
– from $10 to many hundreds of dollars – the outcome is the same
the world over. Wherever there is RYLA, there is an atmosphere
of achievement, fun and laughter as youngsters learn the joys of
working together as a team and of taking responsibility for
themselves. They see the Rotary movement for what it is – a
movement that can work wonders.
Calum Thomson
Chairman RGHF
RC, Longniddry
& District,
District 1020, Scotland
|
What Paul
Harris Said
October 1,
2006
"But, we ask, must the best genius of men be devoted to the
science of war and none to the science of averting it?" Paul P.
Harris – Guest Editorial in the February issue of The Rotarian “We
Must Plan for Peace.”
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/rotarian/1940peace.htm
As with all of Paul Harris’ quote, reading the entire article, in
this case
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/rotarian/1940peace.htm is
essential to understanding his thoughts and the context of the
quote. Our continued gratitude to RGHF senior historian Dr.
Wolfgang Ziegler for acquiring a vast collection of Rotary
history and making this and other articles of Harris available at
www.whatpaulharriswrote.org
This article, a guest editorial in the February 1940 issue of The
Rotarian is a warning of pending, and ongoing war and inquires why
we don’t plan for peace.
Jack Selway
Founder & Secretary/Webmaster
RGHF
Member: Rotary eClub of the South West USA
|
What Paul
Harris Said
September 24
2006
"Faith, hope, charity and clean business, these four and the
greatest of these is clean business. Charity sometimes destroys
initiative and demoralizes character; clean business never does.
If business is clean, there will be much less need of charity
because clean business means not only a fair deal to the buyer,
but also a living wage to the employee. Rotary will continue to
be charitable but it can do more than that; let it remove the
cause of that which makes charity necessary.”
Paul P. Harris in his message to the 1916 Convention in
Cincinnati. http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/library/conventions/1916convmessage.htm
This message from Rotary founder Paul Harris is worth
considering, but read the entire article to get the full focus
of his intent. If we “clean our own front porch” as the poet
Goethe wrote, then many of the world’s ills will be resolved. We
can’t do it all, but we can do something worthwhile in our own
enterprises.
Jack Selway
Founder & Secretary/Webmaster
Rotary Global History Fellowship
Member: Rotary eClub of The Southwest, USA
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What Paul
Harris (and other Rotary leaders) Said
September 17 2006
“I believe we can change the world, one life at a time. No
project is too small or insignificant, especially to those who
benefit. My hope is that these seeds of service will blossom and
live on for countless generations to come”.
RI
President 2002-03
Bhichai Rattakul
Most men and women
become Rotarians because they care. They care about each other.
They care about their communities. They care about the world
they live in. Wherever Rotarians meet they are united by their
concern for their communities and their neighbors, whether these
communities and neighbors are local or in another part of the
world. They care about their fellow members of the human family
struggling to survive and succeed in today’s world, many of whom
are beset by daunting problems; poverty, poor health care, poor
nutrition, lack of sanitation and shelter, lack of good drinking
water. Others lack the education and training that is needed to
find jobs. Still others live in communities fraught with
conflict, plagued by crime and violence stemming from drugs and
alcohol abuse and other causes.
Rotarians also
love and care about the world’s children, too many of whom are
exploited, abandoned or ignored. They care about the elderly,
many of whom are pushed into the corners of society. They also
dream of a world free from hunger and sickness, without warfare
or violence where children are loved and not abused and where
the elderly live with dignity.
Remember those
words (from PRIP Rattakul) and apply them to everything you do.
Amanda Young,
District RYLA Officer 2005/06,
Rotary Club of Livingston
D -1020
September is New Generations Month.
It was on September 12th 1872, that our first RI Secretary Ches
Perry was born. For more monthly events in the Rotary calendar -
visit
www.historycalendar.org
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What Paul
Harris Said
September 10
2006
THEN
CAME THE ENEMY
“The enemy is patient and farseeing; he bides his
time. There's a time to wait and a time to strike. The time to
strike has frequently been called the "zero hour," sometimes the
"psychological moment."
He came, not noisily, boisterously, because to
have done so would have been to defeat his cause. The enemy was
clothed in the wisdom of years, possessed of the cunning of the
fox. He was no mean enemy.
He crept stealthily into the homes of men of all
walks of life, the homes of poets, ministers, law makers,
historians and philosophers and also into the homes of peasants,
seamen, bricklayers and draymen; he even managed to elude the
guards and to slip through the doors of penitentiaries and alms
houses. The enemy was in fact almost omnipresent; almost
omnipotent; the only place he dared not go was into the graves
of dead men.
The wisdom of waiting for the psychological hour
is manifest when one remembers it takes time to fill granaries,
erect factories, grow trees, build churches, colleges and
universities. When the psychological hour arrives, the product
of all of these institutions will be needed, sorely needed.
Intolerance may be vice or virtue, dependent upon what it is
directed against. Intolerance of intolerance is a virtue. War
may be either vice or virtue; the most virtuous war is the war
against war.”
Then Came the Enemy [October
1928] Message to the Pacific Rotary Conference at Tokyo, By Paul
P. Harris
Learn who Harris felt was the real enemy.
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/rotarian/1928tokyo.htm
I felt that this piece of Harris’ might provoke some thought.
Our readers should read the entire commentary of Harris at: http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/rotarian/1928tokyo.htm
It’s interesting that, in all his years of writing, from about
1911 to just before his death in 1947, Paul Harris seldom wrote
about “war” or its devastation, but wrote mostly about how we
might bring about peace. So, this week’s feature is not related
to the events, five years ago, in New York, Washington and
Pennsylvania, but in the tradition of Rotary’s founder and other
Rotary leaders since, offers thoughts on good will and
understanding. Please visit
www.peacehistory.org for more from Rotary’s leaders
and other writers on “peace.”
In tribute to the awful events of 2001, RGHF has a complete
section dedicated to 9/11 at
http://www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org/clubs/ny/index.htm
There you will find emails from around the world, eyewitness
reports, essays, and a retrospective from our RGHF eyewitness,
past RGHF chairman Matts Ingemanson.
From the numerous comments sent by you, our readers, we are
looking into creating a “discussion board” or “BLOG” for RGHF
members. I’d be interested in your thoughts on this. Our
thinking about “members’ only” is primarily to prevent postings
from the “scavengers of the internet” who find ways to
automatically post to open bulletin boards and try to sell
unwanted materials and worse.
Jack Selway
Founder, Secretary, and Managing Webmaster RGHF
Member: Rotary eClub of The Southwest, USA
|
What Paul
Harris Said
September 3
2006
"I
think that Rotary's fundamental purpose will be with business;
that civic and charitable activities should not be discouraged,
but should be given secondary consideration, not because of any
lack of importance, but because there are specialized
organizations to take care of their needs. Civic and charitable
activities seem to me by‑products."
Paul P. Harris in a message to a business round table at the
1916 convention in Cincinnati.
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/library/conventions/1916cincinatti.htm
It is my opinion
that Harris makes a very important statement here. Rotary is
primarily “business people” and if we focus our energies on
ethics, productivity, ingenuity in business, then as he
suggests, we would do great good. There were then and are now
other organizations that specialize in civic and charitable
enterprises. His suggestion is that these be a by product of our
focus on business, and might I add world peace as a by-product
of the highest standards of good business.
Jack Selway
Founder & Secretary/Webmaster
Rotary Global History Fellowship
Member: Rotary eClub of the South West USA
|
What Paul Harris
(and other Rotary leaders) Said
- August 26 2006
"Each club is a link in the great chain of Rotary. When one club
does a service for its community, every club glows with the
reflected radiance"
Chesley R Perry 1957 (extract from The Rotary Life of Chesley
Reynolds Perry, ROTARY/One Foundation 2006)
The Rotary Foundation's Matching Grants Program has firmly
established itself as the "jewel in the crown" of our humanitarian
programs. The Program is often misunderstood. It is designed to
provide funds for long-term, sustainable projects in areas of need.
Such projects operate in regions hit hard by natural disasters such
as the Tsunami disaster. Rotary Foundation resources are being used
by Rotary Clubs around the world to help the victims in South East
Asia to this day, long after the TV cameras have packed up and gone
away.
By working with your district Rotary Foundation Grants sub-committee
and our dedicated staff at Evanston, our hopes and dreams can come
reality. Never give up on your humanitarian vision; there is a
massive amount of resources and help for clubs wishing to embark on
Matching Grant missions.
Changes in the Matching Grant rules in 2005 makes it vital that
clubs work together to finance larger projects that will qualify for
the minimum grant of $5,000. If your club, alone, cannot finance a
suitably sized project, why not ask a neighboring club(s) or your
mother/daughter club for help? The Rotary Foundation welcomes joint
initiatives in the pursuit of world peace and understanding -this is
what Ches Perry meant when he talked of the "great chain of Rotary."
Read about these humanitarian programs in your copy of The
Rotarian or on the RI website.
Calum Thomson
Chairman RGHF
RC, Longniddry & District,
District 1020, Scotland
|
What Paul Harris Said
-
August 20 2006
“Remember
that great missions are serious undertakings. Do not expect to
perform great missions in a day.”
Paul Harris,
The
Rotarian September 1912
The greatest ‘mission’ of Rotary International lies within its
Fourth Object of Rotary: “World Understanding, Goodwill and
Peace”.
With violence flaring up once again in the middle east between
Israel and Hezbollah and gruesome terrorist threats uncovered
last week in the UK, such a mission seems many, many years away.
Thank goodness that we have initiated our Rotary World Peace
Scholarships.
Should we have initiated such a program? Absolutely.
Does the world need a cadre of professional experts dedicated to
educating the world in ‘world peace and understanding’? More
than ever.
It may take some years for the world to recognize Rotary’s
commitment to conflict resolution, but already graduates of
Rotary’s Peace Program are making an impact and one day humanity
will say: "Thank you Rotary."
Calum Thomson
Chairman RGHF
RC, Longniddry & District,
District 1020, Scotland
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What Paul Harris Said
-
August 13 2006
"The old catalogue listed goods which were considered
sacred. Men, women and children bowed before them in abject
humility. Whether in church, on the golf course or at a Rotary
club luncheon, their thoughts were upon them. They were listed
in the catalogue as possessions. Whatever the spoken prayer may
have been, too oft the inner prayer was: "God grant us abundant
possessions." The hunger for possessions obscured the desire for
the wholesome things of life; it was pervasive of morals,
inimical to higher concepts, destructive of real happiness,
devastating."
Paul P. Harris in his message to the 1934 Convention in Detroit
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/library/conventions/1934detroit.htm
It was a frequent
theme of founder Paul Harris to bring our attention to the great
values of life. “Things” are just not important. He had a vision
of a new order where fellowship would be the “order” of the new
world. He saw it happening. Can we see that today and can we be
inspired by Harris’ writing to make that world grow in our time?
All of Harris’ inspired writing is found at
www.whatpaulharriswrote.org
Jack Selway
Founder & Secretary/Webmaster
www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org
Member: Rotary eClub of the South West USA
|
What
Paul Harris Said
-
August 6 2006
“The world is not so much
in need of great production as it is in need of a right about faith
in its view of life. The glorification of the material has been
tried and found wanting. If it may become the purpose of men, each
in his own way, to achieve spiritual instead of material results,
the storms of adversity need never be feared and prosperity will
have a new and abiding meaning.
Rotary is one of the
means to that end. The Golden Rule is universal. Its spirit found
expression both among Oriental and Occidental peoples in the early
days of history. Rotary seeks to stimulate men of this modern age to
make the Golden Rule operative in the activities of each day, in
business life, in the community, in the nation, and in international
relations.
Friendship constitutes an enrichment of life. Without it life would
be barren indeed. Understanding is the handmaid of friendship.
Without it friendship cannot exist, With the growth of
understanding, concepts of superiority and inferiority vanish. We
are all God's children. As one member of a family is essential to
the others, so is each nation in the family of nations essential to
all other nations.”
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/rotarian/1931viennaconvention.htm
Paul P. Harris in his
message to the 1931
convention of Rotary
International at Vienna.
Clearly Rotary Founder
Paul Harris hoped for all Rotarians to return to spiritual roots,
however they understand that. Clearly Harris understood the greater
life that we live beyond the physical and often self-serving world.
He was not preaching religion; he was stating facts about a way of
life that we espouse in the “Four Way Test”, “Service above Self”
and the Object of Rotary. For Rotary to fill the needs of this
troubled world, we must listen to Harris and yearn for something
greater that can heal us and those around us. Harris hoped that all
Rotarians would understand the value of friendship, of
neighborliness as the way to world peace.
In the February issue
of The Rotarian, Harris wrote an
essay to celebrate
the 27th birthday of Rotary,
and to put in perspective the losses and gains of the Great
Depression. However, his essay is vital reading today for anyone who
finds themselves a prisoner of their own possessions. It is valuable
philosophy for those who wish to build their lives and Rotary to the
power for world peace so much needed in today’s world. Our thanks to
the work of RGHF senior historian Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler who is
preserving everything every written by Rotary Founder Paul Harris.
www.whatpaulharriswrote.org
Jack Selway, Founder & Secretary/Webmaster
Rotary Global History Fellowship
Member: Rotary eClub of The Southwest, USA
|
What Paul Harris Said
-
July 30 2006
“The sailing of a boat in fair weather is not the best test of
seamanship; the maintenance of good cheer when everything is
coming one's way is not the best test of disposition; the
pursuit of an enemy who is on the run, is not the best test of
courage.”
Paul P. Harris, in
The Rotarian, February 1932
In the February
issue of The Rotarian, Harris wrote an
essay to celebrate the 27th
birthday of Rotary, and to put in perspective the
losses and gains of the Great Depression. However, his essay is
vital reading today for anyone who finds themselves a prisoner
of their own possessions. It is valuable philosophy for those
who wish to build their lives and Rotary to the power for world
peace so much needed in today’s world.
Our thanks to the
work of RGHF senior historian
Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler who is preserving everything every
written by Rotary Founder Paul Harris.
www.whatpaulharriswrote.org
Jack Selway, Founder & Secretary/Webmaster
Rotary Global History Fellowship
Member: Rotary eClub of The Southwest, USA
|
What
Paul Harris (and
other Rotary leaders)
Said
-
July
23 2006
" God has made us Guardians
of the Earth. This planet is our heritage as well as our legacy.
Let's keep it in Peace, fill it with Love, honor it with Service.
Let's preserve it. "
Paulo VC Costa, President RI 1990-91
We must take the first steps in the colossal undertaking of
mobilizing our fellow Rotarians and their clubs in this vital
mission to preserve our planet from the aggressions it has suffered
in the name of progress and development.
PRIP Paulo Costa very often quoted the words of the American
Suquamish Indian Chief Seattle stressing:
"
All things are interconnected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls
the people of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is
merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to
himself."
At the Rotary International Environmental Seminar on Air Pollution
in Chicago on August 13th 1990, PRIP Paulo Costa insisted that:
"Rotarians, as citizens of the world, must take the lead in facing
the greatest challenge in human history, the survival of our
planet."
"We must not leave solutions to Governments alone. We must all
help. We must change the mindsets that have permitted, even
encouraged, waste and extravagance. We must change our habits and
actions, personally, in our communities, in our businesses. Ecology
is a question for the whole world to address, not just developing
countries."
At
Rotary International's Environmental Conference in Manaus/Brazil,
amid the splendor of the Amazon Rain Forest, PRIP Paulo Costa
continued:
"If every nation on this earth, developed or still developing, does
not make responsible choices for our future, the entire planet will
suffer the consequences. Fewer trees means less rainfall. The rain
that does fall washes topsoil away. And burning the trees sends
carbon into the air, where it can contribute to the greenhouse
effect. It is no longer a question of the beauty and integrity of
nature. The future of humankind - and every other species is at
stake."
"There are very few organizations with Rotary's potential to
communicate good ideas. It is not our own good we seek, but it is
the good of the Earth and those who inhabit it."
Marco Kappenberger
Rotary E-Club of
Latinoamérica, President 2006-07,
President,
Environment Fellowship of Rotarians
|
What Paul Harris Said
-
July 16 2006
“Shall we ever understand that the other fellow’s necessities
should have precedence over our luxuries, our absurdities? If
so, then we shall attain the estate of the brotherhood of man.”
Paul P. Harris –
The Rotarian – February 1917, on the occasion of
Rotary’s 12th Anniversary
Congratulations to our new Rotary History
Fellowship Chair, Calum Thomson, who recently became a Major
Donor of The Rotary Foundation. The 2006-2007 Annual Programs
Fund giving goal is $120 million – a goal that would easily be
surpassed if every Rotarian took the above words of our founder
to heart (and pocketbook).
If we are to SERVE in Rotary, we must each do
our part to ensure that adequate funds are available, “Enabling
Rotarians to Advance World Understanding, Goodwill and Peace”
with programs that “Improve Health, Support Education and
Alleviate Poverty.” Or, as our TRF Mission states, “Doing Good
in the World.”
PDG Geri Appel
Rotary Club of Wichita, Ks
RGHF Treasurer
Rotary Foundation Annual Programs Fund Advisor for USA and
Canada
|
What Paul Harris Said
-
July 9 2006
“Watchman,
what of the night? The morning Cometh -Let the morning come
soon".
(quote from Isaiah 21: 11, 12)
Paul P Harris’ final words to the
1941 Convention in Denver
It
is now one year since the G8 summit held in my native Scotland.
I am reminded of the promises the richest nations of the world
made to the world twelve months ago. In the UK, our media –just
for a brief moment – concentrated on real stories that affect
the majority of the world’s population. These stories focused on
poverty, hunger and disease.
I
am also reminded of those few days last July each time I hear
the song ‘Comfortably Numb’ by the English Rock group Pink Floyd
who re-united after 22 years of bickering and litigation to
perform at the Live 8 concert in London’s Hyde Park.
I
pray you never 'become comfortably numb' to the suffering of
mankind or to our duties as Rotarians to humanitarian service.
Amongst the various promises (the G8 made) to help some of the
poorest countries in the world was this obligation –
“Supporting the polio eradication initiative for
the post eradication period in 2006-08 through continuing or
increasing our own contribution towards the $829 million target
and mobilizing the support of others. We are pleased that
the funding gap of 2005 has been met".
Through recent initiatives like the PolioPlus
Partners Program, the morning will come soon, a bright new dawn
where polio is consigned to medical history.
Calum Thomson
Chairman RGHF
RC,
Longniddry & District,
District 1020, Scotland
|
What Paul Harris (and
other Rotary leaders)
Said
-
July 2 2006
 “As
Rotarians, we are not content to let matters stay the way they
have always been in our clubs or in our communities. We are not
content with the status quo, and we do not look at a problem
only to say someone else will solve it. We are the ones who ask,
'Why not us?' We are the ones with the skills and the desire to
build a better future. And we are the ones who must
Lead the Way."
RI
President 2006/07
Bill Boyd
 At
the International Assembly in San Diego, it was reported that
“Boyd doesn't remember the moment "Lead the Way" popped into his
head. All he knows is that "it just felt right." “
Where did RI President elect Bill get his
inspiration and this theme?
-
consider the "What
Paul Harris Said" minute for July 10th 2005.
-
"Rotary must make haste even to keep up; but
we must do more, we must lead."
Paul Harris' message to
RI Convention, Atlanta, GA, 1917
President Bill believes that Rotarians can change this world and
all of us must be willing to accept their responsibility as
community leaders in moving the organization forward. This
affirmation is put neatly in his theme: Lead The Way –a
theme for all Rotarians.
Calum Thomson
Chairman RGHF
RC,
Longniddry & District,
District 1020, Scotland
|
What Paul Harris
Said - June 25 2006
“The doctrine
of “Service Not Self” has at times been said to be too idealistic
to be practicable. Very well, for the sake of argument, concede that
to be the case, it cannot be too idealistic to constitute our ideal.
If we aim at the high mark we may acquit ourselves credibly even if
we fall short of our full expectation.”
Paul Harris The Rotarian,
September 1912
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/rotarian/1912annualreport.htm
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