WAYNESBORO, Pa. — Rotarian Derek Furry, past president in Waynesboro and currently area governor for Rotary, discussed both the impact of area Rotary organizations and the Paul Harris Fellow Awards during last week’s meeting.
While noting that the Waynesboro club sets a high overall standard, Furry praised the Chambersburg club for its fundraising activities and Mercersburg for its ability to collaborate with other nonprofit groups in its town.
The Paul Harris Fellowships are named after one of the founders of Rotary. Harris, born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1868, became a lawyer in Chicago and was present at the first Rotary meeting in 1905. He was elected Rotary president in 1907. The Rotary Foundation was started in 1917 with a donation of $26.50 and has since given more than $4 billion in aid to a wide variety of international causes.
Rotarians can be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows with a cumulative donation of $1,000 to Rotary. Clubs can also accumulate points to help individuals reach Paul Harris status, and Furry said the club might want to use points to recognize non-members in the Waynesboro area who exemplify the principles of Rotary.
“There are lots of opportunities to donate,” Furry said, using the Polio Plus and Clean Water Kenya programs as examples. Members can make incremental donations by indicating contributions on their quarterly Rotary bills.
