Richmond Rotary Names 14 to The Paul Harris Societ

Posted by Mary Doetterl 
 

Richmond Rotary Names 14 to The Paul Harris Society

 

At Tuesday's Rotary luncheon District Governor 5890 Rhonda Kennedy was on hand to welcome fourteen Rotarians who joined the ranks of The Paul Harris Society.

 

Pictured from left to right

Rhonda Kennedy, District Governor 5890, Lisa Regan, President Richmond Rotary, Carol Whileyman, President Elect Richmond Rotary, Dr. May Tape, Bob Sunday, Steven Onstad, Mark Magee, Don Dulin, Mary Doetterl, Bob Crosser and Jim Tucker.

 

Rotarians Not Pictured

Orin Covell, Mike, Lytle, Malcolm Smith and Ivora Thompson.

 

The Paul Harris Society is named after Paul P. Harris, founder of Rotary International.  Paul Harris formed the world's first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, on 23 February 1905.  His intention was to recapture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth.

 

The Paul Harris Society is a special district recognition program designed for Rotarians who wish to support The Rotary Foundation in a more substantial way each year.  The Paul Harris Society recognizes Rotarians and friends of The Rotary Foundation who annually contribute $1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, and PolioPlus Partners, or the Humanitarian Grants Program.

 

The first Paul Harris Society was established in 1998 in District 5340 (California, USA) by District Governor Wayne C. Cusick. The idea gained momentum and quickly spread to other districts throughout the world. The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation officially approved the Paul Harris Society as a district-administered recognition program effective 1 July 2006.

 

Contributions to The Rotary Foundation support our goal of advancing international understanding, goodwill, and peace.  Participation in the Paul Harris Society is an especially meaningful and significant commitment.  Annual contribution of $1,000 can help provide:

 

  • A well for clean water to a community in India
  • Equipment for a children's library in Ecuador 
  • Polio vaccine for numerous children
  • Playground equipment, musical instruments, and therapeutic toys for rehabilitating orphans and other children in the Czech Republic
  • Eyeglasses for needy adults in the Philippines
  • Funding for a portion of a Group Study Exchange