Smith discusses Rotary Foundation

Mike Smyth, chairman of the Rotary Foundation for the Jamestown Rotary Club, discussed the foundation at Rotary. The foundation was founded for Rotary International in 1959. Donations received were placed in a permanent fund and only the interest is used to fund the programs. The foundation also includes the Paul Harris Fellowship donations and those funds are designated for day-to-day activities which the foundation sees as necessary or plans on using to continue their mission.

Polio Plus is another part of the foundation’s funds. Any of the dollars given as a Paul Harris sustaining member or to become a Paul Harris Fellow can go toward the Polio Plus or a designated project. Smyth said to become a Paul Harris requires a donation of $1,000 or by doing a sustaining membership plan where the initial amount is $100 and $100 per year until the amount of $1,000 is reached. The local club will match the first $100. The sustaining members option was added in 1960.

Over the years, Rotary has made a significant difference in many countries around the world with the funds used from Rotary International Foundation. Polio Plus started in 1979 with a goal to eradicate polio in the world. In the early 1980s Rotary started in the Philippines and provided vaccines and transportation. To accomplish this goal there were hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and they immunized 650 million children that first year around the world. Since that time, more than 2 billion children have been immunized for polio on money raised through the Rotary Foundation. Currently about 500,000 children are vaccinated per year.

The Dec. 23 meeting was presided over by President Dave Smette. Darrell Losing gave the invocation and Gary Riffe led in Christmas music. Lyman Keim collected numerous “Hap-py Dollars” for Rotary projects.

Smette shared information on the Rotary project in Nepal. The Rotary clubs of the Bellevue and Seattle areas have undertaken projects for disabled children and are having an awareness campaign for Nepal. They are currently raising $330,000 to help in Nepal. These disabled children are on the lowest part of the social ladder. A group of Rotarians will be going to Nepal from Feb. 15-28, 2009, and Smette will be going as one of the members of that group.

Tom Boerger, chairman of the nominating committee, brought forth names for election. Names submitted for directors were Mark Martin and Dan Kunzman, and Tom Boerger for president-elect. Rotary members accepted the nominating committee’s report and moved to elect the committee’s recommendation and motion carried.

Nick and Danielle Schmidt have been hosting Alison Balty, the James-town Rotary Club’s foreign exchange student from France, at their home since November and she will be with them through March. Then, in March, she will move to the Dan Kunzman family home until graduation. She is a member of the Jamestown High School choir and show choir and also participates in the Sophistikix dance line team. Her goal is to graduate from Jamestown High School even though this does not count toward any of her education in France. She still wants to graduate with the 2009 JHS senior class. Her mother is planning to come for her graduation.

Don Redmann is in charge of today’s program. Marv Tokach will lead the music and sergeant of arms is Harold Bensch.

Tags: club news, community, rotary