On Monday, January 31, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invites you to watch a webcast about the extraordinary progress in the fight to eradicate polio. The webcast will air on www.gatesfoundation.org at 6:30 am PST, after which it will be available in its entirety on the website. The webcast will present a powerful case for the value of vaccines. Gates, along with other global leaders, will discuss what the past can teach us about protecting children around the world from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer will moderate the event. Rotary’s...

On January 27, 2011, Rotary International remembers the 64 years since the passing of its founder and president emeritus, Paul P. Harris. He was 79. His obituary further read: “A spirit of loneliness influenced Mr. Harris in part to create the world-wide organization. He was educated at Princeton and the University of Iowa in 1891. For five years he roamed, working as a newspaper man, an actor, and a salesman. He worked on fruit farms, and twice worked his way to Europe on cattle boats. Paul Harris became a lawyer after his journeys. Mr. Harris then founded Rotary in 1905 in Chicago with...

A new year brings a new theme to Rotary International: Reach Within To Embrace Humanity. RI President-elect Kalyan Banerjee asked Rotarians, “To harness their inner resolve and strength to achieve success in Rotary,” during the opening plenary session of the 2011 International Assembly in San Diego, California, a training event for incoming district governors. He urged Rotarians to find their inner strength then, “they can accomplish great things in their communities and around the world.” Banerjee told Rotarians, “Discover yourself, develop the strengths within you, and then...

With the start of a new month comes a new letter from RI President Ray Klinginsmith, who is pictured at left. Each month, he challenges us to improve our clubs and our communities. With January marking the middle of the 2010-2011 Rotary year, he challenges us to evaluate our service to Rotary and to our club. President Ray suggests going through the Presidential Citation checklist to test the strengths and weaknesses for each club. For more information about the test, and to see how you can contribute to the club by helping it achieve in all areas of service, read the January President’s...

It was nothing short of a magical season for the hometown Oregon Ducks, and while they came up short of a national title, losing 22-19 to Auburn in the championship game, their 12-0 regular season will go down in Duck history. From the thrilling touchdowns, long runs, amazing catches and sometimes nerve-wracking slow starts, the Ducks made it to their first BCS Championship Game and fought hard. Even though the season ended in a tough loss, there are still lots of great memories to keep from the season. Did you have a favorite moment from this year? A play that will stick in your mind forever?...

Rotary International provides a number of resources to help strengthen its clubs and the relationships among Rotarians. If you’re looking for information about how to tackle common issues that arise within clubs, or are looking for resources to help get an idea off the ground (fundraisers, special events to support your club, etc.), check out this page on the RI website: Your Voice, Your Solution. Drawing from ideas that were successfully implemented in 2010, the page shares stories of Rotarians who turned a great idea into a great way to support Rotary. It also answers frequently asked questions...

A Rotary International float made its way down the Rose Parade route on Saturday morning in Pasadena, California. It was the 32nd time a Rotary float had been in the parade. The 2010-2011 RI theme, “Building Communities, Bridging Continents” was reflected in a design that included bears representing different communities around the world. The design came to life with the help of thousands of flowers, a Rose Parade tradition. A big thank you goes out to all Rotarians and volunteers who helped bring this beautiful float to life! To see a slideshow of photos detailing the float’s...