Celebrating 100 years of service

At A Glance

Welcome to Columbus Rotary

Thank you very much for considering membership in Columbus Rotary. If you become a Columbus Rotarian, you will help carry on a 100+ year tradition of organizing and conducting service activities – all designed to enhance lives and communities.

Our proud and successful past, and our exciting future as an organization, depends on the time and talents of our increasingly diverse membership. As each member brings unique gifts to serving our mission, our strength and success builds on those gifts as we implement our collective vision, leadership and collaboration, both within Rotary and with community partners.

We encourage you to review the information in this packet and talk with current Rotarians about the benefits of membership and how Rotary and those we serve will benefit from your participation.

“Service Above Self” is our driving force and unifies our members around a common purpose. If this resonates with you, join us and contribute your gifts.

Tricia Strahler Jack Graf

President President Elect

Columbus RotaryAt A Glance

Columbus Rotary is an energetic group of business and professional leaders from a variety of backgrounds providing humanitarian service and encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations. Chartered in 1912 as the 38th Rotary International club, Columbus Rotary’s 300+ members are committed to affecting positive and enduring change in the lives of others – in Columbus as well as around the world.

Columbus Rotarians leverage their leadership, spirit of collaboration and resources as part of a global network of 1.2 million Rotarians in 38,000 clubs around the world. Columbus Rotary is passionate about our commitment to "Service Above Self.

JOIN US – SERVE OTHERS – SERVE YOURSELFRecent college grad/early career aspirations. Millennial. Entrepreneur. Mid-career/mid-life. Seasoned/veteran worker – business or not-for-profit. Retired but still committed to service.

Wherever you are on life’s journey, join us and help us as we enhance lives in Columbus and around the world. The more diverse our membership, the more exciting are the possibilities. Don’t want an “old fashioned” service club? Let’s build on Columbus Rotary’s successful past, incorporate new, results-driven approaches and make a positive difference. The needs are great. Let’s meet as many as we can.

Columbus Rotary Benefits MembersOpportunities to use skills and resources to serve others

Timely/informative speakers at our weekly luncheons

Business and personal networking

Positive outlet for leadership: Board, Committees, Foundation

Social events designed for fun and camaraderie

Members Benefit Columbus RotaryStrengthen our ability to conduct results-producing service projects.

Enhance Columbus Rotary’s positive brand as a leading organization for enhancing our community and individual lives.

Reinforce Rotary International’s positive brand as a leader in polio eradication and other human service activities.

Promote a culture and legacy of “service above self

Our Purpose/Mission

Columbus Rotary’s Mission is affecting and enduring positive change in the lives of others. Service Above Self is Rotary’s foremost guiding principle and is implemented through our Five Avenues of Service

Community Service – Creating and carrying out club projects and activities that improve lives in Columbus and the community overall.

Adopt-a-School o Columbus Rotary adopted Kipp, an inner city elementary school, and provides a wide

array of resources including tutors, books, teacher recognition, field trips and student meals.

Colerain Elementary o Every year around Christmas, we assemble, wrap and present gifts for students at

Colerain Elementary School – a school that integrates students with orthopedic disabilities and health impairments with the general education population. 

Homeless Family Foundationo Our partnership with The Homeless Families Foundation, a private nonprofit

organization, involves Rotarians working to improve outdoor areas at the HFF and YWCA Family Center.

Student Service Above Self Projecto Columbus Rotary partners with the Columbus City Schools and HandsOn Central

Ohio to coordinate community service projects conducted by teams of students in Columbus high schools and middle schools. Since 2003, thousands of Columbus students have positively enhanced individual lives and communities, locally and around the world. Annually, Columbus Rotary sponsors a High School Fair and a Middle School Fair to recognize and celebrate students’ community service work.

Kids N Kampo We support Kids 'n Kamp, an independent non-profit organization devoted to the

social, educational and emotional needs of children with cancer, in a variety of ways including volunteer and financial support for the KNK Annual Holiday Party, donating holiday gifts for families in financial need and providing volunteers for the annual KDK festivities.

Scholarships:o Columbus Rotary Scholarship Committee effects enduring and positive change in the

lives of others – one scholarship at a time. For example, in 2013-2014, through investment by Columbus Rotary along with Partners & Patrons, in the amount of $132,298 were awarded to109 students in six categories. Our follow up research about student success, shows that Rotary scholarship awardees are completing degrees at a rate significantly higher than the national average, and especially higher than students from urban high schools.

Youth Service Avenue – Supporting youth-oriented programming consistent with Rotary’s mission and commitment to developing future leaders.

o Rotaract Clubso Rotaract, a club for adults ages 18-30, meets twice a month to exchange ideas, plan

activities and projects, and socialize. We sponsor Rotaract Clubs at OSU and Chamberlain College of Nursing.

o Youth Exchange o This Rotary committee facilitates the experience of high school exchange students

from other countries through various activities and host families. And we prepare outbound exchange students for their experiences in foreign countries.

International Service Avenue - Advancing international understanding, good will, and peace through international service. Rotarians do this through personal contact in their own community, by attending Rotary meetings in other countries and through international humanitarian projects. Columbus Rotary supports these international efforts:

o Operation Smileo Operation Smile is an international children's medical charity that performs safe,

effective cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.o Rafiki Orphanage, Nairobi, Kenya

o The mission of The Rafiki Foundation is to help Africans know God and raise their standard of living. Columbus Rotary, along with other organizations around Central Ohio, joined together for the Farm Project, a mission to bring fresh water wells to the Rafiki Farm.

o Polio Pluso Rotary, along with our partners, has reduced polio cases by 99 percent worldwide

since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. We are close to eradicating polio through giving, advocating and building awareness about the disease.

Vocational Service Avenue – Promoting the ideal of service in all business and personal relationships.

o Enterprise Academyo Columbus Rotary partners with Ohio Dominican University to introduce selected

high school students to the challenges and opportunities of our free enterprise system. Enterprise Academy provides students with opportunities to explore the business world overall, interact with current entrepreneurs and earn college credit.

o Young Inventor Bridge the Gap Programo This project invites 10 youth to partner with 10 adult mentors (inventors &

entrepreneurs) to refine their invention ideas and prepare them for national award submission. Some invention ideas may also find an entrepreneurial niche where Winners’ League would help the youth market his/her invention.

Club Service Avenue – Enhancing Columbus Rotary’s value to members and those we serve by strengthening member relationships through recognitions and social activities.

o Weekly Rotary luncheon. o Every Monday, Rotarians meet for lunch to hear excellent speakers present speeches

on timely topics, current events and updates on Rotary projects. Everyone enjoys business and personal networking.

o Membership Developmento Recruitment and orientation of new members with emphasis on matching member

talents and interests with club service projects.o Woods & Water & Euchre

o Purely social events including fishing trips, hiking, bicycle rides, golf and cards. o Leadership Development

o Opportunities to exhibit and refine leadership skills through service on committees and various project teams.

o Vocational Lunches.o Periodic opportunities for members to host fellow Rotarians at their companies for

sharing company information and to foster networking.o Rotarian of the Year

o Annual recognition of the Rotarian who demonstrates exemplary commitment and representation of “Service above Self.”

o Veterans o The Rotary Veteran-Student Coaching program is offered in cooperation with The

Ohio State Veterans Affairs Office (VAO) and pairs students applying through the VAO with Rotarians for one-to-one coaching/mentoring. Rotarians with similar interests are often paired with the students and help the veteran-student with career plans/aspirations.

The Four-Way Test

The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use in their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages.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

FRIENDSHIPS?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?