ROTARY CLUB OF GRAVESEND

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

The first Rotary club was founded in 1905 in Chicago with the motto `Service Above Self'. Now there are 1.2 million men and women Rotarians world wide. Although Rotary started in America, British clubs run their own affairs

The Gravesend club was formed in1927 and currently has 40 professional and business members by invitation. All of them work or live locally.

Weekly lunch meetings are held where club business is discussed and members are brought up to date on local and international issues and needs by outside speakers

Rotary was not started as a fund raising organisation and we still try to give personal service wherever we can. But now that most of the needs of the community are served by government and charity organisations, funds are raised to help the experts working with those that need a helping hand.

Rotary clubs include all political, religious and cultural groups.

Rotarians are not allowed to use their membership to promote their business interests.

The aims and objects of Rotary include;

Encouraging the highest standards in business and professions.

Using a Rotarian's businesses to improve society, both locally and internationally.

Serving society through personal service.

Working for world peace through international understanding and service.

We are probably best known in Gravesend for our annual sponsored bike ride which over 20 years has raised around half a million pounds.. all of which has been put back into the community. In this time we have helped buy a local ambulance, provide transport for the elderly, helped to build and equip a ward at the local hospice, keep the Air Ambulance flying, supported cancer research projects, local carer groups and dozens of smaller charities

We encourage schoolchildren to care for the environment by annual school tidiness competitions and help them to prepare for work by mock interview sessions and with financial advice

Transport for the blind, housebound and handicapped has been supplied and we have fitted smoke alarms and security systems for senior citizens.

The rose garden ( which started as a scented garden for the blind ) opposite the CivicCentre was funded, designed and built by Rotarians.

And we have held careers and hobbies exhibitions. .

We have supplied doctors and the equipment to relieve blindness and sickness in third world countries, our members have taken supplies to and worked in the orphanages of Rumania, Philippines etc. We maintain a supply of emergency boxes to help those overcome by natural disasters of earthquake, flood etc. Books have been collected to help educate children from the third world.

Young people from different countries are brought together to encourage international understanding.

The Gravesend club has contact with French and Dutch clubs and any Rotarian can visit any Rotary club world-wide as all clubs have the same ideals of service. The Rotary Club of Gravesend has been working for the people of Gravesend for 75 years.

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