Rotary International

And

Rotary Club of Slidell

Northshore

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WELCOME

The purpose of this booklet is to briefly provide you with information on Rotary

International and the Rotary Club of Slidell Northshore.

The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy

enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the

worthiness of all useful occupations and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s

occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

The application of the ideal of service in Rotarian’s personal, business and

community life;

The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a

world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of

service.

From the earliest days of Rotary, Rotarians were concerned with promoting high

ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world’s most widely printed

and quoted statements of business ethics is the 4-Way Test, which was created in 1932

by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor when he was asked to take charge of a company that

was facing bankruptcy. This 24-word code of ethics for employees to follow in their

business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising and

relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to

this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, the 4-Way Test asks the following

four questions:

Of the things we think, say or do:

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIP?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

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About Rotary

Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides

humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build

goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than

32,000 Rotary Clubs located in 170 countries.

Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community’s business and

professional men and women. The world’s Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical,

nonreligious and open to all cultures, races and creeds.

The main objective of Rotary is service – in the community, in the workplace and

throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of

today’s most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment,

illiteracy and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and

international exchange for students, teachers and other professionals and vocational and

career development. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.

Although Rotary clubs develop autonomous service programs, all Rotarians worldwide are

united in a campaign for the global eradication of polio. In the 1980’s, Rotarians raised

US$240 million to immunize the children of the world; by 2005, Rotary’s centenary year

and the target date for the certification of a polio-free world, the PolioPlus program will

have contributed US$600million to this cause. In addition, Rotary has provided an army of

volunteers to promote and assist at national immunization days in polio-endemic countries

around the world.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes

world understanding through international humanitarian service programs and educational

and educational exchanges. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians

and others who share its vision of a better world. Since 1947, the Foundation has awarded

more than US$1.25 billion in humanitarian and educational grants, which are initiated and

administrated by local Rotary clubs and districts.

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A Brief History of Rotary

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” that has been translated into hundreds of languages.

During and after World War II, Rotarians became increasingly involved in promoting

international understanding. A Rotary conference held in London in 1942 planted the seeds

for the development of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO), and numerous Rotarians have served as consultants to the United Nations.

An endowment fund, set up by Rotarians in 1917 “for doing good in the world,” became a

not-for-profit corporation known as The Rotary Foundation in 1928. Upon the death of Paul

Harris in 1947, an outpouring of Rotarian donations made in his honor, totaling US$2

million launched the Foundation’s first program – graduate fellowships, now called

Ambassadorial Scholarships. Today, contributions to The Rotary Foundation total more

than US$80 million annually and support a wide range of humanitarian grants and

educational programs that enable Rotarians to bring hope and promote international

understanding throughout the world.

In 1985, Rotary made a historic commitment to immunize all of the world’s children against

polio. Working in partnership with nongovernmental organizations and national

governments through its PolioPlus program, Rotary is the largest private-sector

contributor to the global polio eradication campaign. Rotarians have mobilized hundreds of

thousands of PolioPlus volunteers and have immunized more than one billion children

Brief History of Rotary Continued

worldwide. By the 2005 target date for certification of a polio-free world, Rotary will have

contributed half a billion dollars to the cause.

As it approached the dawn of the 21st century, Rotary worked to meet the changing needs of

society, expanding its service effort to address such pressing issues as environmental

degradation, illiteracy, world hunger and children at risk. The organization admitted women

for the first time in 1989 and claims more than 90,000 women in its ranks today. Following

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the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Rotary clubs were

formed or re-established throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Nearly 100 years after Paul Harris and his colleagues chartered the club that would become

Rotary International; Rotarians continue to take pride in their history. In honor of the club

that first gathered in Room 711, Rotarians have preserved the room in an extensive re-

creation of the office as it existed in 1905.

Facts about Rotary What do Rotary Clubs do? What is the purpose of Rotary?

Rotary is made up of business and professional leaders who work to better their community

and build understanding and peace in the world. Rotary is a non-political, non-religious

humanitarian organization.

There are approximately 1.2 million Rotary club members of more than 32,000 Rotary clubs

in 170 countries.

Since 1947, the Rotary Foundation has awarded more than US$1.25 billion in humanitarian

and educational grants.

What do Rotary clubs do?

Rotary projects address critical issues in communities around the world. Here are some of

Rotary’s focus areas:

Polio Eradication – In 1985, Rotary’s members vowed to make the world polio-

free. This 20-year commitment to end polio represents the largest private-sector

support of a global health initiative.

International Education – Rotary is the world’s largest privately funded source of

international scholarships. Each year, nearly 1,000 university students receive

Rotary scholarships to study in another country. Rotary clubs also coordinate a high

school-age student exchange program that sends nearly 8,000 students abroad for 3

months to a year.

Peace – In an effort to educate tomorrow’s peacemakers and ambassadors, Rotary

recently launched the Rotary Centers for International Studies for peace and conflict

studies at eight prestigious universities worldwide. The program provides master’s

levels degree in education in conflict resolution to a group of 70 Rotary World Peace

Scholars chosen annually in a world-competitive process.

Literacy – Rotary clubs are engaged in the fight against illiteracy worldwide. One

example is a Rotary literacy program in Thailand that dramatically reduced school

failure and was adopted by the Thai government for all the nation’s schools.

What is the purpose of Rotary?

Rotary clubs exist to improve communities locally and around the world. Rotary also

encourages high ethical standards in business and professions. Rotary clubs work to

advance international understanding by partnering with clubs in other countries.

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Rotary International

Milestones

February 23, 2005 - 100th Anniversary of Rotary

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Rotary International Photos & Images

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Rotary Club of Slidell Northshore

Our Club was formed in 1984. It has grown steadily since that time both in

membership and the quality and quantity of service support to Slidell and East St.

Tammany residents and to Rotary International. A copy of a Club brochure included

in this booklet is a brief listing of what the Club has been doing in recent years.

The Rotary Club of Slidell Northshore is a member of Rotary District 6840. The other

Rotary Clubs in our District are listed on a following page in this booklet.

We meet every Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM at the Pinewood Country Club.

Our US mail address is P.O. Box 4158, Slidell, Louisiana 70459.

The club website is: www.slidellnorthshorerotary.org. Please visit it for additional

information on Club activities.

The Officers and Directors of Club are:

President: BJ Petersen

President Elect: Wynn Williams

Vice President: Lisa Simms-Hayles

Secretary: Mike Rich

Treasurer: David Brignac

Past President: Steve Kernahan

Director: Kendra Maness

Director: Suzanne Parsons-Stymiest

Director: Ron Newson

How to become a Rotarian:

To become a Rotarian you must be sponsored by a Rotarian. If you are interested in

joining our Club, discuss it with the Rotarian who invited you to the meeting. He/She

will explain the procedure and what is involved and along with you fill out the New

Member Proposal Form contained in this booklet.

As with any organization there is a monetary cost for membership. The costs generally

breakouts as follows: Members are billed quarterly.

Initiation Fee - $50.00

Quarterly Members Fee - $65/quarter

Costs of Breakfasts for Weekly Meeting - Costs/week is $10 X 13

weeks/quarters = $130/quarter

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Rotary Club of Slidell Northshore

NEW MEMBER PROPOSAL FORM

Please return this form to the Club Secretary. The proposal will be submitted to the

Board of Directors as soon as possible. However, it may take several days or longer to

submit this matter to the Board for consideration, depending on the proposal or the

timing of the proposal.

As with any organization there is a monetary cost for membership. The costs generally

breakouts as follows: Members are billed quarterly.

Initiation Fee - $50.00

Quarterly Members Fee - $65/quarter

Costs of Breakfasts for Weekly Meeting - Costs/week is $10 X 13

weeks/quarters = $130/quarter

Name of proposed new member:

Personal Information:

Date of Birth:

Address:

E-mail address:

Home Telephone Number:

Married Yes No If so, Spouse’s Name

Former Rotarian: ______ Yes ______ No Former Club:

Business Information:

Name of employer:

Occupation/Job Title:___________________________ __________

Telephone Number:

Previous Employer:

Employment dates:

Club Information

Proposed Classification: ______________________________________________

Member Type: _____ Active _____Additional Active _____Sr. Active ____Past

Service

Sponsor’s Name:

How long has the Sponsor known the proposed member?

Hobbies and Interests:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Activities which would enhance consideration as a Rotarian:

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

By sponsoring a member you are vouching to the club membership that the proposed

member is of good character and good business or professional reputation.

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Rotary International District 6840

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Rotary International District 6840

continued