ABOUT US
Rotary is a world-wide organization whose purpose is development of fellowship and understanding among the business and professional men and women in a community, the promotion of community betterment, high standards in business and professional practices, and the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace. Rotary has one basic ideal"Service Above Self', which all Rotarians try to emulate.
For those new to Rotary, it may be helpful to share a brief history. The world's first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA, was formed on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to recapture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The name "Rotary" derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.
Rotary's popularity spread throughout the United States in the decade that followed; clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents, and the organization adopted the name Rotary International a year later.
As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving the professional and social interests of club members. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its principal motto: Service Above Self. Rotary also later embraced a code of ethics, called The 4-Way Test (see below) has been translated into hundreds of languages.
OBJECT OF ROTARY
The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprises and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
1st: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
2nd: High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations as an opdportunity to serve society;
3rd: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
4th: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world of fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
THE ROTARY CLUB OF GEORGETOWN/MILLSBORO
The Club is composed of business and professional men and women of these communities and the surrounding area. The club supports The Rotary Foundation, which is the world's largest philanthropic organization. The Rotary Foundation has greatly influenced worldwide understanding and peace through its international. fellowship and charitable support programs. Rotary worldwide now has 1.2 million members in more than 30,000 Rotary Clubs in 166 countries.COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT
The Georgetown/Millsboro Rotary Club supports a variety of programs including Bernie's Baskets (Holiday Food Baskets), a Golf Event that benefits the American Red Cross and a Winter Wine Fest that helps finance our numerous other projects including college scholarships and a variety of projects that support youth and community organizations.INTERNATIONAL INVOLVEMENT
The Georgetown/Millsboro Rotary Club participates in the district's Group Study Exchange program. Our Rotary District welcomes teams from abroad to study here. Georgetown/Millsboro Rotarian's also support the Rotary Foundation world programs through personal contributions. Members can become Paul Harris Fellows by contributing $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation, or by becoming Benefactors to The Permanent Fund of the Foundation (also a $1,000 contribution.FUND RAISING
The Georgetown/Millsboro Rotary Club has two main fundraisers annually, our Summer Golf Outing and Winter Wine and Cheese Gala. The club also raises money internally with a weekly 50/50 drawing and good-natured "fines" collected by Sheriff Hank for arriving late, cell phones ringing, announcements, wearing socks (or not wearing socks) and anything else he can think of. Plan on having a couple of dollar bills available at each meeting.BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF GEORGETOWN/MILLSBORO
The club was first organized on May 26, 1926 at the Brick Hotel and was called the Georgetown Rotary Club. The club began with 15 members with Dr. J. Roscoe Elliott and the Laurel Rotary sponsoring the new club. In 1935, after several members had joined from the Millsboro area, the name was changed to the Georgetown-Millsboro Rotary Club. Rotary has sponsored and brought to the community many outstanding speakers. 1933, more than 400 persons from all over the Delmarva Peninsula, were present to hear Lowell Thomas, world traveler, lecturer and radio commentator, at a meeting in the Jones Memorial Hall. The following year, Dr. Joseph E. Waples arranged to have his friend Admiral Richard Byrd give a talk at the Georgetown High School. Georgetown-Millsboro Rotary also hosted an innercity meeting at the High School where Helen Keller and her Seeing Eye dog were featured.
ROTARY'S FOUR WAY TEST
Rotarians try to live by the Four Way Test, developed by a Rotarian leader back in 1954-55, which guides what we think, say and do, as follows:
First: Is it the Truth?
Second: Is it Fair to All Concerned?
Third: Will it Build Goodwill and Better Friendship?
Fourth: Will it Be Beneficial to All Concerned?
THE ROTARY MOTTOS ARE
"Service Above Self' (and) "He profits most who serves the best"!Club Membership
Those considered for membership are persons of good character, trustworthy, and fair in all public dealings. He or she is a managing representative of a worthy enterprise and a person who knows the meaning of, and practices the quality of our motto. "Service Above Self'. Membership is by invitation.
GOVERNING BODY
The Officers and Board of Directors meet the third Thursday of each month at 8am to discuss club goals and plans. Board meetings are open to all members and new members are encouraged to attend to get a better understanding of how the club operates. Attending a Board Meeting counts as a "make up" meeting.ROTARIANS WORK FOR WORLD PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING ON A DAILY BASIS! WON'T YOU COME HELP US ACHIEVE THIS NOBLE GOAL?
