05 LC 98
0443
House
Resolution 373
By:
Representatives Maxwell of the
17th,
Murphy of the
23rd,
Bridges of the
10th,
Dean of the
59th,
Talton of the
145th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Commending
Rotary International on the 100th Anniversary of its founding; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, the world's first service club, was
founded on February 23, 1905, by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wanted to
recapture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the
small towns of his youth; and
WHEREAS,
Rotary's popularity spread throughout the United States as clubs were chartered
from San Francisco to New York over the next decade, and by 1921, Rotary clubs
had been formed on six continents, prompting the organization to adopt the name
Rotary International a year later; and
WHEREAS,
the Rotary motto "Service Above Self" inspires members to provide humanitarian
service, encourage high ethical standards, and promote good will and peace in
the world; and
WHEREAS,
after World War II, Rotarians became increasingly involved in promoting
international understanding, and their relationship with the United Nations
dates back to 1945 when 49 Rotary members served in 29 delegations to the United
Nations Charter Conference; and
WHEREAS,
the 1943 London Rotary conference attended by ministers of education and
observers from around the world was an impetus to the establishment of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
and
WHEREAS,
Rotary funds club projects and sponsors volunteers with community expertise to
provide medical supplies, health care, clean water, food production, job
training, and education to millions in need, particularly in developing
countries; and
WHEREAS,
in 1985, Rotary launched Polio Plus and spearheaded efforts with the World
Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF
to immunize the children of the world against polio; and
WHEREAS,
polio cases have dropped by 99 percent since 1988 and the world stands on the
threshold of eradicating the disease; and
WHEREAS,
Rotary is the world's largest privately funded source of international
scholarships and promotes international understanding through scholarships,
exchange programs, and humanitarian grants; and
WHEREAS,
more than 35,000 students from 110 countries have studied abroad since 1947 as
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars; and
WHEREAS,
there are over 387,000 Rotary club members in more than 7,700 clubs throughout
the United States sponsoring service projects to address such critical issues as
poverty, health, hunger, illiteracy, and the environment in their local
communities and abroad.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body commend Rotary International and Georgia Rotarians in particular for
their service to communities worldwide.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Rotary
International.