The Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise

"Service Above Self"

About Rotary

On 23 February 1905, Paul P. Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram E. Shorey gathered in Loehr’s office for what would become known as the first Rotary club meeting.

Rotary International is a worldwide service organization of business, professional and community leaders:

• In more than 160 countries around the world
• Over 1.2 million Members
• More than 32,000 Rotary clubs.
• Rotary is nonpolitical, nonreligious
• Open to all cultures, races, and creeds

Members come together to create positive, lasting change in our communities and around the world.

The Rotary motto is Service Above Self and this includes service in the local community, in the workplace, and worldwide.

What makes Rotarians different?

Our distinct point of view and approach gives us unique advantages:

• We see differently: Our multidisciplinary perspective helps us see challenges in unique ways.
• We think differently: We apply leadership and expertise to social issues—and find unique solutions.
• We act responsibly: Our passion and perseverance create lasting change.
• We make a difference at home and around the world: Our members can be found in your community and across the globe.

Rotarians’ 4 way test

The four way test is a central to Rotary as a moral code for personal and business relationships. The test is:

• Is it the TRUTH?
• Is it FAIR to all concerned?
• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
• Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

The 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:

• The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
• 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;
• he application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
• The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

About The Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise

The Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise meets weekly on a Wednesday at 7:15am-8:30am at the Masonic Hall, 373 North Main Street, Sebastopol in northern California.

We support the local community so whenever help is needed, financial or otherwise, you will find us! We provide volunteers and support for many local projects. We coordinate and staff an English tutorial program for high school students and the Sonoma County Parks & Recreation Adopt-a-trail Program. We host speech and video contests for El Molino and Analy High School students, we honor local volunteers with our Service to Youth Awards, we sponsor two students to a renowned leadership camp, and we sponsor a team in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life team.

In addition to local community programs, The Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise members assist in a range of international educational and humanitarian programs. Current programs include Telemedicine Projects, microloans and organic farming in Ecuador, and clean water projects in Vietnam and Cambodia. We also sponsor a local student as an outgoing Rotary Exchange student to a foreign country, and we host a Rotary exchange student from foreign country for one year.