The official definition of Rotary is as follows:
"Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united
worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards
in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world."
Rotary International 1976
More On Rotary . . . .
Rotary is the first service club in the world. Founded in Chicago,
Illinois, USA, the first Rotary Club began on February 23, 1905.
Rotary is some 1.2 million service- minded men and women belonging
to nearly 29,000 Rotary Clubs in virtually every nation in the world.
Rotary is membership by invitation which reflects a wide cross-section of
the community.
Rotary is a club that meets weekly for fellowship, interesting and
informative programs that deal with local and global subjects.
Rotary is Rotarians planning and implementing a variety of humanitarian
cultural and education exchange programs that effect people's lives in
their local and global communities.
Rotary is Rotary's commitment to Polio Plus, a goal of polio eradication
by the year 2005, Rotary's 100th anniversary. Rotary works with national
and international health organizations to immunize children in the
developing countries against polio.
Rotary is the Rotary Foundation which each year provides over $60
million dollars for international scholarships, cultural exchanges, and
humanitarian projects to improve the quality of life for millions of people.
Rotary is what you, as a member of a Rotary Club, put into it. It can
be very rewarding or it can be a weekly lunch that adds only to your
waistline
Rotary is. . . . . ."Service Above Self".
Object Of Rotary
The Object Of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
First:
The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service,
Second:
High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian' s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
Third:
The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
Fourth:
The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in ideal of service.
Rotary 4 - Way Test
Of all things we think, say, or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOOD WILL and better FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned??
Founded in 1905, Rotary has grown to be worldwide and now has three Clubs right here in San Luis Obispo.
We are The Rotary Club Of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, founded in 1984, and we meet on Wednesday's....aprox. 75 Members
On Tuesday meets The Rotary Club Of San Luis Obispo Daybreak, founded in 1997,....aprox. .45 Members
and the "mother club", The Rotary Club Of San Luis Obispo, founded in 1922, meets on Mondays.....aprox...150 Members
Membership is by invitation only and individuals invited to join are leaders in their professions. They are owners and managers, that want to be part of Rotary, whose aim is to help others and follow the motto of:
"Service Above Self".
What does the "de Tolosa" really mean in San Luis Obispo de Tolosa?
San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, actually is the formal name of both our City and the Old Mission, after which the City was named. It's the Spanish name give by Father Junipero Serra when he founded the fifth Mission in what was to become a string of Missions along the "NEW" Spanish territory in "Alta California." Starting at San Diego, the Missions are spotted along the California Coast where, except for a few, they eventually, became new cities in the area. All were named for a Saint by the Franciscan's as they founded the churches that we identify as Missions.
Translated from the Spanish, San Luis is "Saint Louis." Obispo means "Bishop" in Spanish. The Spanish words de Tolosa mean "of Toulouse."
Louis was the second of three sons of Charles II, duke of Anjou (France) and King of Sicily. Born in 1274 , this "prince" was educated as a noble. As a youth, Louis and his brothers, were held hostage in Spain. While in captivity the brothers were taught by Franciscans. Louis became very pious and desired learning. Upon release (1296) he renounced his inheritance and titles to join the order of Little Brothers Of St. Francis. His rise in the order was spectacular and he was consecrated as Bishop and assigned to Toulouse, France.
As Bishop he was known for his healing of disease, halting poverty, and reconciliation of the many divisions in the area. He became ill while serving his flock and died of fever in 1297.
Saint Louis was one of the favorite saints of Father Serra and thus became one of the first patron saints named to the Missions. Of note: of his many royal relatives was his uncle Louis who became St. Louis - named later for a little city in Missouri.
Rotary de Tolosa Events and Projects
Rotary de Tolosa focuses on youth and youth events in our community.
In February/March we, through our Youth Services, judge project presentations by the 4H Groups in our area and then, in March/April, we provide a B-B-Q with our members and 4H families and have the top presentations given to the group.
Our Vocational Services coordinates with the San Luis High School, in the spring, to have students meet with Rotarians at their business's for the morning to "Shadow" their profession. They then are guests for lunch where the students then give a brief run down of their experiences during the morning business visits.
Then in May we have "TeenTrac," we join with the SLO City Recreation Department and put on a track meet (again through Youth Services) for Middle School students. which is the only inter-school track meet they have during the year.
Community Service, each December, has a "Child-Spree", made possible in part through donations from Mervyns, Embassy Suites, The Framery, Jim's Campus Camera, and other local merchants. At this event we provide school clothes for about 60 children of needy families.
Community Service also has projects in and around town including park benches, and currently is providing a concession/snack bar building at the new Damon-Garcia Sports Field on Broad Street. This is a three (or four) year commitment by succeeding Rotary Presidents and is designated as our Club's "Centenial Project" for Rotary International's 100 th Anniversary.
Rotary de Tolosa works with the Performing Arts Center, and several sponsors, to provide a major entertainment concert on the Friday or Saturday nearest to Valentine's Day which is our major fund raiser each year. The proceeds are then used to fund youth projects and to provide "grants" to worthy non-profits that complete applications that are advertised as available in the spring of each year. This is accomplished through our separate Rotary SLO de Tolosa Charities Corporation
Our International Service, at present has three active projects (an orphanage in Romania, a water project in Brazil with several Rotary Clubs and a multi-Club adventure with Rotary International to India to give Polio vaccine to the millions).
Also we are active in Rotary International with their Poverty Project.
A good variety of professions with a great group of men and women that have fellowship and are inclined to provide "service above self"
