Rotary is a worldwide organisation of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Rotarians are members of these clubs, and they:

• Provide humanitarian service,
• Encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and
• Help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Rotary Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self” which reflects Rotary’s main goal of service:

• in the community,
• in the workplace, and
• throughout the world.

In the Shoalhaven, there are several Rotary Clubs in operation. To find out more, please contact us

Significance of the Rotary Wheel

First designed in 1905, the early emblem was a simple wagon wheel to represent civilisation and movement. In 1922, the organisation decided to create an emblem for exclusive use of all Rotarians and the following year the present emblem, a gearwheel with 24 cogs and six spokes, was adopted. A key way was added to signify the usefulness of the gearwheel.

To this is added a note from the Rotary Club of Burlington, Ontario, Canada: “Our wheel will not act alone. It needs energy….a force to set it in motion”

Our emblem must be one of the most widely recognised symbols in the world. We wear it with dignity and quiet pride. For us it is a passport anywhere in the world of Rotary. To non-Rotarians, it identifies each of us as a person dedicated to the ideal of service and improving the well being of all people.

 The Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation (TRF) is one of the world’s largest Foundations, and each year Rotarians and individuals donate funds to TRF. The interest from the invested money is returned to each District and this sis used in a number of major Rotary programs through a scheme called matching Grants, District Projects and others. In this way it is possible to achieve really good outcomes.

An example of what can be achieved is the Polio Plus campaign that since 1985, is seeing the eradication of polio from the planet. Rotary together with World Health Organisation and other agencies across the globe are combining in the effort. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also contributes to the campaign, and in 2008 issued a challenge to rotary by donating $US250 million with this amount to be match by Rotary . This is now happening.

Donations can be made in a number of ways: it can be recognition with an award of a Paul Harris Fellowship, a donation from as little as $100 per year; or becoming a benefactor, so even after departing the planet, a person can have contributed from their Estate. Details of ways to donate can be found here. (link to TRF) .

Paul Harris is the founder of Rotary in Chicago USA in 1905. The Fellowship named in his honour means that $US1000 has been donated to TRF.