Archive by date

ShelterBox was among the first charities to reach cyclone victims.

Rajashree Birla continues the family legacy of giving back to society.

Rajashree Birla, one of seven new members of the Arch C. Klumph Society, speaks during her induction ceremony.

Watch a short video to the survival documentary, "People Like You."

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland

The 2007-08 Rotary peace train makes its last stop in the border city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Regional magazine in India, Rotary News/Rotary Samachar, highlights international effort.

If organizers reach their goal, more than US$50,000 will go toward polio eradication.

Delegates observed health fairs; shared ideas with U.S. business and political leaders.

The Rotary Club of JFK International Airport raises thousands of dollars through a 5-kilometer race on the tarmac.

Earth Day is 22 April. Share your club's environmental projects.

Joseph Hongo envisions “a new world order."

The thematic work depicts the many facets of Rotary’s humanitarian service.

Australian Rotarians donate funds for early-childhood educational programs.

If current trends continue, India’s most populous state will no longer qualify as the 'poliovirus capital of the world.'

Michigan Rotarians help bridge gap between U.S. soldiers and Iraqi children.

The new 30,000 square-foot recreation center doubles as an emergency shelter.

The project provides residents of Cairo, Egypt, with vocational training and other educational opportunities.

This month in Rotary, first non-english speaking Rotary club in Havana, Cuba.

April is Magazine Month, a time to celebrate the global network of Rotary’s official magazines.

Innovative approaches tailored to conflict areas were pivotal in conquering polio in Somalia.

Rotary clubs in three countries increase their support for projects that help orphaned children.

Rotarians, including Past District Governor Stephen Brown, helped immunize about 6.9 million children in March.

The Rancho Bernardo neighborhood in San Diego was hit hard by the disaster, with 261 homes burned to the ground.

Rotarian Carolyn Crowley Meub gives tips on how to plan a clean water project.

While the United Nations designates 22 March as World Water Day, Rotarians worldwide are focused on the issue throughout the year.

From inspiration to dedication, Rotarian Razia Jan travels home to build a school.

Rotaract Life Skills Event

Nine countries and two World Health Organization regions receive first distribution.

Nairobi club honors three for promoting peace and helping others during postelection violence.

Rotary and the UN develop a new, specialized speakers bureau.

During World Rotaract Week, 10-16 March, Rotaractors and their Rotarian sponsors can conduct joint activities.

Australian Rotaractors will travel to India and Mongolia in July to help needy people build new homes.

California club helps beautify the 57-mile long San Dieguito River Park.

The name Rotaract (Rotary in Action) was selected to show the program's close affiliation with both Rotary and Interact clubs.

John Corcoran works to end illiteracy in North America, a learning disability he suffered from most of his life.

Major Donor Virgilio and Nina Pina are the first Brazilian members of the Arch C. Klumph Society.

Rotarian Myung-bak Lee won a landslide victory to become the country’s 17th president.

Increasing membership, especially among younger generations, was the focus of the RRIMC Training Seminar.

Since RI’s beginning, Rotarians everywhere have celebrated Rotary’s anniversary on 23 February, also known as World Understanding and Peace Day.

According to United Nations estimates, some 2,000 people are killed or maimed by land mine explosions each month.

New York Rotarians, dubbed the “Polar Bears,” plunged into the frigid waters to raise $25,000 in support of Rotary’s challenge.

The four Avenues of Service just grew by one for the Rotary Club of Dublin, Texas, USA, which can add extraterrestrial to the list.

The new facility is the only ICU for children with cancer in southern Vietnam.

Highlights of Rotary's effort to match the Gates Foundation challenge grant.

Rotary International has received a US$3.5 million challenge grant from the Google Foundation

Scholars deliver computer software and books to the Aguada de Guerra school as part of Project Patagonia.

A new feature on the redesigned RI Web site allows Rotarians to search and access thousands of photographs that bring Rotary’s stories to life.

When Rotarians participate in a Rotary Friendship Exchange, they return with more than souvenirs.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon received an award from Rotary leaders during a visit to Chicago.

RI President-elect Dong Kurn Lee talks about some of his plans during his upcoming year in office.

Photo essay: Vocational Service Electrical Training in Betim, Brazil.

During the first Rotary club meeting Paul Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Hiram Shorey, and Silvester Schiele met to talk about their personal experiences. Harris then unfolded his general plan for their club meetings.

Rotarian Al Jubitz pledges US$300,000 to fund five Rotary World Peace Fellowships.

A Rotarian literacy initiative supported by a Rotary Foundation 3-H grant has helped thousands of Brazilian children learn to read and write.

Harshad Mehta pledges to donate the money over the next three years.

Heartbeat International provided nearly 9,000 heart devices for low-income individuals.

See what district governors-elect and other attendees were doing at the assembly.

PR can help with finding and keeping members.

More than 650 people were killed, and more than 250,000 are displaced.

View a gallery of photos from 18 January 2008.

Read the International Assembly wrap-up.

A Rotarian's fight against poverty

To physician and polio survivor Urs Herzog, polio is personal.

View a gallery of photos from January 17, 2008.

As the International Assembly, we asked incoming district governors to share their thoughts on the challenges given to them.

Rotary’s leaders will impact the future success of The Rotary Foundation.

View a gallery of photos from January 17, 2008.

Foundation Trustee Chair Robert S. Scott tells the future district leaders that Rotary must make PolioPlus fundraising a priority.

International Assembly photo gallery from January 16, 2008.

Foundation Trustee Chair Robert S. Scott discusses the 2007-08 Foundation goals.

Strong clubs are needed for Rotary's future.

Watch as Rotary International President-elect Dong Kurn Lee announces the 2008-09 RI theme.

We asked district governors-elect, “What does the 2008-09 RI theme, Make Dreams Real, mean to you and your district?”

Districts asked to help Make Dreams Real.

Guided by Lee's emphases, Rotarians can help prevent needless deaths of children.

International Assembly photo gallery from January 15, 2008.

The theme for the 2008-09 Rotary year reminds Rotarians about the importance of keeping children healthy.

The new Humanity in Motion emphasizes Rotarians' positive contributions.

Need gadgets or gizmos? Check out the 58th annual benefit auction sponsored by a Kentucky Rotary club.

Rotaractors use technology to improve sanitation and school conditions for communities in Nicaragua.

The Rotary Club of Røa donated funds to construct a maternity ward at the Diani Dispensary in Ukunda.

A California Rotary club paints and landscapes the home of someone in need.

Kingsley Holgate teams up with U.S. and South African Rotary clubs on a humanitarian mission.

North Korea opens its doors for help after the country was hit by heavy rains that left around 300,000 homeless.

Marie-Irène Richmond-Ahoua receives a high honor for her work in helping protect children against polio.

Ryan Hreljac, a 16-year-old Paul Harris Fellow, runs his own nonprofit organization to raise funds for water projects.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr’s destruction in Bangladesh, Rotarians in District 3280 are seeking aid for victims.

Three schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are using instruments purchased with a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Rio de Janeiro-Guanabara and Lohr Marktheidenfeld, Germany.

Majla Custo: A Rotary Youth Exchange story

According to survey results, district trainers and governors believe the amount of training Rotary recommends is sufficient.

After 75 years, the Rotary Club of Garrettsville-Hiram faced a declining membership and dwindling enthusiasm.

To graduate from South Tahoe High School, students are required to master a new skill. So, Brittney Cummings talked her way onto a polio immunization trip.

Past RI Director Archimedes Theodoro, of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, died 5 December.

RI President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson has named eight Rotarians who will serve on the RI Board of Directors in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

When Zaheer "Zak" Ahmed returned to Pakistan after being diagnosed with polio, one of the first things he did was sign up for a National Immunization Day.

An interview with ShelterBox photographer Mark Pearson.

What would you do if you won US$30,000? For Marc Jacobson, the answer was easy: Give it back.

Nearly 40 Rotarians and other volunteers delivered school supplies to Cuba.

Rotarian musicians find a way to keep big-band tunes alive – and make money for The Rotary Foundation.

Rotarians in District 5150 (California) put Rotary on display.

The news that Rotary accepted a US$100 million challenge grant from the Gates Foundation continues to receive media attention.

Watch an interview with Ann Veneman of UNICEF, one of the partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Rotarians are encouraged to share the news of the grant with their local media.

Find out how your Rotary club can help work for clean water during a summit in Petion-Ville Haiti.

In the north of India, large numbers of polio survivors require surgery and rehabilitation. Follow the journey of Asif, a 12-year-old boy who contracted polio as an infant.

Thousands of people were left homeless after Tropical Storm Noel caused widespread flooding.

Send in your best shot from 2007-08 that illustrates Service Above Self.

The fair will be held 24-26 January in San José, Costa Rica, and feature as many as 300 projects.

Three couples were inducted into the Arch C. Klumph Society, which honors people who give at least US$250,000 to The Rotary Foundation.

The partnership will help with the global effort to eradicate polio.

RI has announced a partnership with the Gates Foundation that will inject US$200 million into the effort to eradicate polio.

At its October/November meeting, the RI Board agreed to establish a timeline for clubs to report their new members

Dr. Julie Gerberding recently thanked Rotarians for their tireless work to eradicate polio.

Read a message from Rotary leaders about RI's partnership with the Gates Foundation.

The Rotary Club of Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, puts its Rotary Foundation matching grant into motion teaching schoolchildren math and science in an unconventional way.

Club Trainer Jean Constant uses the Rotary Calendar to empower club members.

The Rotary Foundation has selected its fourth group of professionals to study peace-building and conflict resolution.

To ensure that the new models for developing and funding grants meet the Future Vision Plan objectives, a three-year pilot program that begins 1 July 2009 was approved.

To ensure that the new models for developing and funding grants meet the Future Vision Plan objectives, a three-year pilot program that begins 1 July 2009 was approved.

In response to the new Rotary Foundation grant structure, the Future Vision Committee recommended a preliminary distributable funds model.

Held annually, Rotary-UN day celebrated the organizations’ 62-year partnership.

A key feature of The Rotary Foundation's Future Vision Plan involves forming strategic cooperative relationships (SCR) with organizations that can help the Foundation accomplish its mission and the goals of each area of focus.

Under the new grant structure model for The Rotary Foundation, all grants will fall into one of two categories and consolidate educational and humanitarian programs.

At their October/November meetings, The Rotary Foundation Trustees and the RI Board approved the core of the Foundation’s Future Vision Plan.

Every November, Rotary International honors Interactors during World Interact Week.

Thousands of people in Uganda were left homeless after weeks of summer rain caused widespread flooding.

RI encourages Rotarians to avoid becoming victims by deleting any e-mail that appears suspicious.

More than 1,700 Public Relations Grants were awarded in 2006-07 to help clubs and districts promote their projects to the media and the general public.

Rotarians taking part in the immunization campaign recently enjoyed a boost of star power.

More than 700 biotech college students attend career seminar hosted by local Rotary club.

Nearly 1,000 Rotarians gathered recently for three Rotary Presidential Peace Forums.

Wildfires in California have displaced thousands of families, including Rotarians.

In her work providing artificial limbs to people in Iraq, Rotarian Linda Smythe has worked closely with Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States

RSS is a basic form of Web page that sends news headlines and other Web content to subscribers.

In the western highlands of Guatemala, residents can obtain water only by walking miles to fill buckets from sparse wells.

District governors from zones 11-14 will join RI directors for a Rotary institute in Italy, 7-11 November.

Rotarians who bring a book to the 2008 RI Convention in Los Angeles will help boost literacy.

President Wilkinson will accept the award on 25 October for clean water efforts.

More than 70 Rotarians from the U.S. and Canada are taking part in a nationwide campaign.

Rotarians and their guests are invited to attend Rotary Day at the UN on 3 November in New York.

Learn how several clubs are making sure children have access to nourishing meals through "PowerFlour."

Embark on a virtual tour of “Whatever Happened to Polio?” an exhibit of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History that chronicles the history of the disease and efforts to eradicate it.

Two billion children under the age of five have received the oral polio vaccine, sparing an estimated 5 million from a lifetime of paralysis and preventing 500,000 new cases each year.

View photos about Rotary Awareness Month.

Zone committees have nominated eight Rotarians from six countries to serve on the RI Board of Directors.

Jim and Mary Kay Patmos were inducted into the Arch C. Klumph Society on 1 October.

At its first meeting of 2007-08, the RI Board approved President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson’s choices for RI officers.

Rotary and its partners remain committed to reaching all children with the oral polio vaccine (OPV).

At the seven Share the Magic of Rotary Presidential Conferences, held in July and August, RI President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson called on Rotarians to recruit and retain new members.

Past RI Director and Treasurer Luther Ford, of Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, died on 8 October at the age of 96.

Classmates make amends through the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies program.

In 1995, the Rotary Club of Parole (Annapolis), Maryland, USA, provided a South African Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar with books to help promote literacy in South Africa.

Several news organizations have reported cases of vaccine-derived polio in northern Nigeria.

RI President-elect Dong Kurn Lee visits children recovering from heart surgery funded by Rotarians.

A Rotary club-sponsored oasis in the middle of the troubled Praça Mauá neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is giving teenagers there a foothold into a promising future.

Cowley and four emergency management professionals from England traveled as a Group Study Exchange team to Chicago to learn how other cities prepare for and respond to crises.

Welcome to the new RI Web site. Over the past year, we’ve worked to streamline your Web experience while building a site that can accommodate future growth.

Several Illinois Rotaract clubs are raising money to provide medical assistance for flood victims in North Korea.

Rotarians make history delivering the ShelterBox that marked 500,000 disaster victims aided by the nonprofit.

John Kenny of Scotland is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in 2009-10.

Advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace is a part of Rotary’s mission, but to accomplish this in a world strewn with conflict takes commitment.

The third group of students studying peace and conflict resolution graduated from their intensive, three-month program.

Moral codes and ethics give us tools but also raise questions to be answered.

Rotarians take action after a powerful earthquake rocked Peru on 15 August.

Do you have questions about Foundation programs such as Ambassadorial Scholarships or Group Study Exchange?

On 24 July, Rotary International recognized Côte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo with its Polio Eradication Champion Award in honor of his commitment to eradicating polio worldwide.

As the humanitarian crisis worsened in Myanmar’s delta region after a powerful cyclone hit on 3 May,

Arch C. Klumph Society inductee Rajashree Birla continues the family legacy of giving back to society.

Rajashree Birla, one of seven new members of the Arch C. Klumph Society, speaks during her induction ceremony.

The Rotary Club of Ojai West in California, USA, enrolls in a disaster preparedness course.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland

The 2007-08 Rotary peace train makes its last stop in the border city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

The Rotary Club of Coimbatore Central, Tamil Nadu, India, is at the center of an international effort that has helped prevent avoidable blindness throughout the country for nearly 20 years.

If organizers reach their goal of 624 golfers, they will generate more than $50,000 for the polio eradication effort.

Delegates observed several 9Health fair’s in and around Denver.

The Rotary Club of JFK International Airport raises thousands of dollars through a 5-kilometer race on the tarmac.

For five years, Korean Rotarians have been working to build a green spot on one of the driest places on earth.

Joseph Hongo has long envisioned “a new world order where issues of human security and development take center stage.

The thematic painting depicts the many facets of the humanitarian work carried out by Rotary around the globe.

According to developmental scientists and early childhood educators, the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children begins at birth

If current trends continue, India’s most populous state will no longer qualify as the 'poliovirus capital of the world.'

Rotarians help bridge gap between U.S. soldiers and children in Iraq.

Dedication and years of planning by U.S. Rotarians are why senior residents of Long Beach, Mississippi, will soon hold activities in a new 30,000-square-foot recreation center.

The project provides residents vocational training and other educational opportunities.

Rotary in Cuba

April is Magazine Month, a time to celebrate the global network of Rotary’s official magazines.

Innovative approaches tailored to conflict areas were pivotal in conquering polio in Somalia.

Rotary clubs in three countries increase their support for projects that help orphaned children.

Afghanistan’s March NIDs reached about 6.9 million children.

The Rancho Bernardo neighborhood in San Diego was hit hard by the disaster, with 261 homes burned to the ground.

Carolyn Crowley Meub, executive committee member for the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group responds.

While the United Nations designates 22 March as World Water Day, Rotarians worldwide are focused on the issue throughout the year

Rotarian Razia Jan spearheads plan to build a school for girls that also will serve as an adult education center for women.

Partnering with Toussaint Academy, a residential program for homeless youth, the Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego promotes professional development and leadership through the annual Life Skills Event.

Nine countries and two World Health Organization regions receive first distribution.

Nairobi club honors three for promoting peace and helping others during postelection violence.

Rotary and the United Nations develop a new, specialized speakers bureau.

During World Rotaract Week, 10-16 March, Rotaractors and their Rotarian sponsors can conduct joint activities.

Rotaractors from the University of New South Wales in Australia will travel to India and Mongolia in July as part of Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village Youth Program

The Rotary Club of Del Mar, California, USA, started a community service project in 2005 that will leave a lasting impact on the San Dieguito River Park and the Del Mar community.

In March 1968, the Rotaract Club of the University of North Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, received the first Rotaract charter. To commemorate the event, the new club planted a tree on its campus.

John Corcoran prayed a lot when he was in Catholic grade school: “I used to pray, ‘Dear, God, when it comes my turn, please let me be able to read the words.”

Sometimes it takes a Herculean effort to turn a dream into reality. Past District Governor Helmut Keitel says that’s not a problem for Rotary Foundation donor Virgilio Pina of Brazil, who takes on every challenge in overdrive.

Myung-bak Lee, of the Rotary Club of Seoul Samchung, Seoul, won a landslide victory to become the country’s 17th president.

Increasing membership, especially among younger generations, was the focus of the RRIMC Training Seminar.

Since RI’s beginning, Rotarians everywhere have celebrated Rotary’s anniversary on 23 February, also known as World Understanding and Peace Day.

According to United Nations estimates, some 2,000 people are killed or maimed by land mine explosions each month.

In the push to finish polio, Rotarians are pressing ahead with Rotary’s US$100 Million Challenge to match the $100 million grant received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The four Avenues of Service just grew by one for the Rotary Club of Dublin, Texas, USA, which can add extraterrestrial to the list.

The new facility is the only ICU for children with cancer in southern Vietnam.

When the conversation turns to polio, Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Robert S. Scott is passionate about putting an end to the disease, and he believes Rotary’s US$100 Million Challenge will play a key role.

Rotary International has received a US$3.5 million challenge grant from the Google Foundation, a nonprofit managed by Google.org, in support of Rotary’s top goal to eradicate polio worldwide.

Scholars deliver computer software, children’s books, and other materials to the Aguada de Guerra school as part of Project Patagonia.

A new feature on the redesigned RI Web site allows Rotarians to search and access thousands of photographs that bring Rotary’s stories to life.

When Rotarians participate in a Rotary Friendship Exchange, they return with more than souvenirs and laundry.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Rotarians for their commitment to polio eradication during a recent visit to Chicago.

RI President-elect Dong Kurn Lee sat down with Vince Aversano, editor in chief of The Rotarian, to talk about how he plans to tackle his year in office as RI’s first Korean president.

Photo essay: Vocational Service Electrical Training in Betim, Brazil.

During the first Rotary club meeting Paul Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Hiram Shorey, and Silvester Schiele met to talk about their personal experiences. Harris then unfolded his general plan for their club meetings.

Rotarian Al Jubitz pledges US$300,000 to endow five Rotary World Peace Fellowships.

A Rotarian literacy initiative supported by a Rotary Foundation 3-H grant has helped thousands of Brazilian children learn to read and write.

Harshad Mehta pledges to donate the money to Rotary’s polio eradication efforts over the next three years.

Heartbeat International provided nearly 9,000 heart devices for low-income individuals.

See what district governors-elect and other attendees were doing at the assembly.

About half the respondents said PR helps with retention.

More than 650 people were killed, and more than 250,000 are displaced.

View a gallery of photos from 18 January 2008.

District governors-elect learn how to meet upcoming challenges.

A Rotarian's fight against poverty.

To physician and polio survivor Urs Herzog, polio is personal.

View a gallery of photos from January 17, 2008.

As the 2008 International Assembly winds down, we asked incoming district governors to share their thoughts on the challenges given to them ...

Rotary’s leaders will impact the future success of The Rotary Foundation, keynote speakers Past RI Director Ray Klinginsmith and Foundation Trustee Vice Chair Mark Daniel Maloney tells incoming district governors at the International Assembly.

View a gallery of photos from January 16, 2008.

Foundation Trustee Chair Robert S. Scott tells the future district leaders that Rotary US$100 Million Challenge is a priority.

View a gallery of photos from January 15, 2008.

Foundation Trustee Chair Robert S. Scott discusses the 2007-08 Foundation goals.

At the International Assembly, incoming district governors are asked to make membership growth a focal point in the upcoming year.

Watch as Rotary International President-elect Dong Kurn Lee announces the 2008-09 RI theme at Rotary International Assembly.

We asked district governors-elect, “What does the 2008-09 RI theme, Make Dreams Real, mean to you and your district?”

Enhancing Rotary’s public image and asking clubs and districts to partner more with The Rotary Foundation are just two of the new 2008-09 Foundation goals.

President-elect Dong Kurn Lee urges Rotarians to reduce the world’s child mortality rate.

View a gallery of photos from January 14, 2008.

RI President-elect Dong Kurn Lee spoke to incoming district governors at the 2008 International Assembly, urging them to use their resources to help curb the children mortality rate.

The fourth edition of Humanity in Motion will by sent to all clubs for use in promoting Rotary locally.

Need a bowling ball? Maybe some country hams? How about Lasik eye surgery? Then check out the 58th annual benefit auction sponsored by the Rotary Club of Hopkinsville, Ky., USA.

Communities in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, are witnessing significant improvements to sanitation and school conditions, thanks to Project Nicaragua, a technological initiative launched in 2004 by the Rotaract Club of University of Calgary, Canada.

The Røa club donated NKr 100,195 (US$18,205) to construct a maternity ward at the Diani Dispensary in Ukunda, a project of the Diani Rotary club.

The Rotary Club of Westchester (Los Angeles) paints and landscapes the home of someone who could use the extra help.

Kingsley Holgate team up with U.S. and South African clubs to distribute books, mosquito nets and eyeglasses to children.

N. Korea opens its doors for help after nine provinces in the country were hit by heavy rains that left around 300,000 homeless.

Marie-Irène Richmond-Ahoua receives an honor for her work in helping protect her country’s children against polio.

Ryan Hreljac is a typical 16-year-old. He plays sports, spends time on the computer, loves to sleep, and is up to his neck in schoolwork. But there’s one thing that makes him stand out, besides his lanky 6-foot-6-inch frame.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr’s destruction in Bangladesh, Rotarians