What does Rotary do?
Our Motto is: “Service Above Self”
Service to the Community
This is the traditional and well-known face of Rotary. We help the aged, the handicapped, the infirm, young people and those in need within our community. You may have seen us collecting in the town centre at Christmas, visited our annual boot fair in The Green or even joined in our “Round the Houses” run. You may even have seen us clearing the Military canal of Rubbish. We provide mock interviews for youngsters about to leave school and provide financial assistance to help in cases of emergency.
Service in Britain and Ireland
We help nationally in very many ways. We helped provide funds for the Dover Lifeboat – which was named Rotary Service – and we sent money to assist those in need during flooding at Folkestone – to quote but two examples.
Service Internationally
We provide Emergency Boxes which are flown to disaster areas of the world. The boxes contain warm clothing, essential items like ground sheets, candles, first aid kits, buckets and the like.
In India we have helped to fund the building of an eye hospital,which has resulted in the restoration of sight for many thousands of people. We have helped builds a school in Banjul.
Our world wide PolioPlus project resulted in over 1,000 million children being vaccinated against polio and other killer diseases. Rotary has the long term aim of completely eradicating polio throughout the world.
Where Does The Money Come From?
All these activities have to be funded and it would simply not be possible for Rotarians to provide all of the money themselves. Members of the general public are most generous and do much to assist us in our work. So, next time you see the Rotary Logo at a charity event or Rotary badge in the lapel of somebody holding a collecting tin, you can be certain it will be for a good cause and worthy of your support. Just look for the Rotary wheel shown at the top of this website.
We have fun Too!
Rotary does have a less serious side and members get together regularly with their partners for social functions. We could well be described as a group of friends who enjoy themselves by helping others.
International Contacts
For many years the Hythe club has enjoyed wonderful friendship with members of the Rotary Clubs of Abbeville in France and Doetinchem in the Netherlands.
The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation is one of the world’s largest charities. In addition to funding many and varied humanitarian projects in the developing world, it also provided finance for students to study in countries abroad and for young business people to travel abroad to further their experience. Rotarians and their families are NOT eligible for these benefits for our aim is to help others.
Administration
Rotary is organized at club, district, and international levels to carry out its program of service. Rotarians are members of their clubs, and the clubs are members of the global association known as Rotary International. Each club elects its own officers and enjoys considerable autonomy within the framework of the standard constitution and the constitution and bylaws of Rotary International.