The Rotary Club of Templestowe is one of over 34,000 Rotary Clubs throughout the world chartered by Rotary International (RI). Clubs exist in more than 180 countries and involve over 1.2 million active Rotarians. Founded in 1905, Rotary is the world's first service organisation and although not quite the largest, is arguably the most active and most recognised throughout the world. The Rotary motto is "Service above Self" - Rotary concerens itself with truth, fairness, improved relations between people and world peace. The avenues of Rotary service include community and international volunteerism through Club activity and the promotion of ethics in all vocations.
To find out more
about the global organisation which our Club represents in the
Templestowe area, you can visit the RI website by clicking the previous
link or the logo to the left. Rotary Clubs meet weekly to provide an opportunity to plan service activities and to capitalise on the networks and friendship occasioned by such gatherings. Clubs are autonomous and determine their own service projects based on local, national and international needs aligning with the interests and abilities of members. Furthermore, Rotary Clubs are nonreligious, nongovernmental and open to every race, culture and creed. Rotary is service driven. Club membership is designed to represent a cross section of local business and professional leaders. Belonging to a Rotary Club gives men and women an organised outlet for contributing to the local, national and international communities.
Service
Rotary is an International Humanitarian service organisation. The men and women of Rotary are business and professional leaders who volunteer their time, resources and expertise to help others in their local communities and throughout the world.
Rotary Clubs carry out a variety of service projects that address critical issues including poverty, hunger, literacy, substance abuse and environmental concerns.
Rotary is Humanity in Motion. To gain an idea of the spread and extent of Rotary International's world wide projects and their impact, please click on this Humanity in Motion link to the RI website and view some of the latest public service announcement video clips. Don't forget to enable your speakers and turn the volume up before you click on the link.
Service to youth, especially children at risk, is a major emphasis. Of equal importance is working with and for tomorrow's leaders. Opportunity exists to provide personal development, educational and exchange programs to develop and mentor primary and secondary age school children through to young adults. The maxim "Every Rotarian an Example to Youth" is a catch cry as is the complementary aim to provide opportunities for leadership of youth by youth in many of the programs.
Innovate
Where need exists, Rotary works to find solutions. Nonpolitical and nongovernmental, Rotary Clubs are autonomous and create innovative solutions to meet community needs.
Rotary members improve the quality of life through routine child immunisation projects, medical clinics and the construction of safe water and sanitation systems. Clubs also work for peaceful communities by organising violence prevention projects.
Rotarians attack the problem of illiteracy through programs that strengthen primary, vocational and adult education and teacher training.
Whether standing at the forefront of an international health campaign or mounting a massive literacy initiative, Rotary rallies the tools and know-how to successfully lead the way to change. Besides the links on this page, please go to our Rotary Links page where you will be able to navigate to information on a wide range of Rotary programs and initiatives in the global Rotary network. The strength of Rotary is in its grassroots organisation and projects at Club and local community level and its national and international reach through its vast network.
Facilitate
Rotarians dedicate their time, skill, expertise and a myriad of other resources toward improving the human condition.
Club members also support international projects through the Rotary Foundation. The Foundation was created in 1917 for the purpose of doing good in the world and is supported by members' contributions and other donations.
You can find out more about the Rotary Foundation and its great humanitarian and educational programs by clicking on the previous link or the logo to the left.
Humanitarian grants are made by the foundation to applications by Clubs in at least two countries working in partnership to identify, plan and execute projects that provide health care and supplies, clean water, food, job training and education - particularly in the developing world.
Polio Eradication
The most ambitious program of the Rotary Foundation is in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations International Childrens' Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and other international agencies.
Since 1985, this partnership has sought to rid the world of the scourge of Polio. You can read about Rotary's role and great contribution to this wonderful work by linking to the Rotary Foundation PolioPlus web page or clicking on the PolioPlus poster to the left.
With only 4 endemic countries remaining, the project is on the brink of a successful conclusion. However, these last remaining countries will not be easy to defeat the virus.
Should the effort stop now and we allow the virus to remain "live" in endemic countries, we risk the spread of it throughout the world and once again the sight of crippled children in all societies will be in the hundreds of thousands as it was up until 1985. This is a virus "without a visa" and it can spread with more ease now due to the speed and network of international travel.
Rotary is committed to its eradication and will not fail as long as all Rotarians and their supporters have the will to see the project through to its conclusion.
