19. april 1868 ble Rotarys grunnlegger Paul Harris født.

Lite visste nok han om hva det skulle bli til da han samlet ei lita gruppe og startet Rotary! 

Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul P. Harris. 

Harris  was born on 19 April 1868 in Racine, Wisconsin, USA. At age 3, he moved to Wallingford, Vermont, where he grew up in the care of his paternal grandparents. He attended the University of Vermont and Princeton University and received his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1891.

In 1896, Harris settled in Chicago and opened a law practice. Four years later, he met fellow attorney Bob Frank for dinner on Chicago’s North Side. They walked around the area, stopping at shops along the way. Harris was impressed that Frank was friendly with many of the shopkeepers. He had not seen this kind of camaraderie among businessmen since moving to Chicago and wondered if there was a way to channel it, because it reminded him of growing up in Wallingford. 

“The thought persisted that I was experiencing only what had happened to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of others in the great city. ... I was sure that there must be many other young men who had come from farms and small villages to establish themselves in Chicago. ... Why not bring them together? If others were longing for fellowship as I was, something would come of it.”

Harris eventually persuaded several business associates to discuss the idea of forming an organization for local professionals. On 23 February 1905, Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey gathered at Loehr’s office in downtown Chicago for what would become known as the first Rotary club meeting.

In February 1907, Harris was elected the third president of the Rotary Club of Chicago. Toward the end of his presidency, he worked to expand Rotary beyond the city. Some club members resisted, not wanting to take on the additional financial burden. But Harris persisted, and by 1910, Rotary had expanded to several other major U.S. cities.

Harris recognized the need to form a national association with an executive board of directors. In August 1910, Rotarians held their first national convention in Chicago, where the 16 existing clubs unified as the National Association of Rotary Clubs (now Rotary International). The new association unanimously elected Harris as its president.

At the end of his second term as Rotary president, Harris resigned, citing ill health and the demands of his professional practice and personal life. He was elected president emeritus by convention action, a title he held until his death.

• Read about the education of Paul Harris

On  the mid-1920s, Harris became actively involved in Rotary again, serving as the public face of the organization. To promote membership and service, he attended conventions and visited clubs throughout the world, often accompanied by his wife, Jean.

Harris died on 27 January 1947 in Chicago at age 78, after a prolonged illness. Before his death, he made it known that he preferred contributions to The Rotary Foundation in lieu of flowers. By coincidence, days before he died, Rotary leaders had committed to a major fundraising effort for the Foundation. 

Upon  news of his death, Rotary created the Paul Harris Memorial Fund as a way to solicit these donations. Rotarians were encouraged to commemorate the late founder of Rotary by contributing to the fund, which would be used for purposes dear to Harris’ heart. In the 18 months following his death, The Rotary Foundation received $1.3 million, which helped support the Foundation’s first program — scholarships for graduate study abroad. 

15. november 2023

Ordfører i V. Toten kommune, Tonje Bergum Jahr

Utenom kveldens informasjon om våre viktige Rotaryoppgaver var vår nyvalgt Ordfører i V. Toten kommune, Tonje Bergum Jahr på besøk. Hun ga oss et inblikk slik, at vi ble mer kjent med henne og fortalte om oppgaver framover.

13. november 2023

Utmerkelse som henger meget høyt og som vi virkelig kan være stolte av.

Vi er glade for å kunne fortelle at vi, Raufoss Rotaryklubb har mottatt en utmerkelse som henger meget høyt og som vi virkelig kan være stolte av..........

2. november 2023

Et godt råd: En pose med kongslysblomster rundt halsen ville hjelpe mot hemoroider.

Det startet med "PLANTER I VEIGRØFTA SOM FOLKEMEDISIN"
Se videre hva vi har vært innom av temaer og aktiviteter siste Rotaryåret. Kunne du tenke deg å delta på et møte, ta kontakt med oss.

1. november 2023

Raufoss Rotaryklubb ønsker å bidra med trivsel og hygge

Vi i klubben er nå på plass igjen på Gimle sykehjem hver mandag. Vi spiller og har det hyggelig med beboere og dagbesøkende. To interaktive katter har også blitt mottatt med begeistring av beboerene.

26. oktober 2023

Det nye Mjøssykehuset

President Wenche ønsket foredragsholder Alice Beathe Andersgaard – adm.dir. Sykehuset Innlandet, gjester og klubbens medlemmer velkommen til kveldens møte, og tente lys for vennskap, fred og håp.

28. september 2023

Viktige Rotarysaker og Risiko- og Sårbarhetsanalyse

President Wenche ønsket velkommen til møtet, spesielt til kommunedirektør Bjørn Fauchald som kveldens foredragsholder.

23. september 2023

Det årlige guvernørbesøket i Raufoss Rotary

Det er alltid motiverende og hyggelig med guvernørbesøk i klubben. Distriktsguvernør Anders Andersson og assisterende guvernør Arild J. Evensen ble ønsket velkommen til møtet av vår president Wenche Aa. Furuseth.....

15. september 2023

Månedens Rotarytema og en reise til Colombia

Etter kveldens åpning av møtet, vendte Presidenten oppmerksomheten mot månedens tema, som er grunnleggende utdanning og leseferdigheter.
Ca. 17% av verdens befolkning, over 775 millioner mennesker over 15 år er analfabeter.

5. september 2023

Frivilligdagen et fint arrangement

Denne dagen ønsket Vestre Toten å gi de mange frivillige lag og foreninger i kommunen mulighet til å vise hvem de er og hva de gjør. Dette skal gi inspirasjon, rekruttering og knytte nettverk.
Raufoss Rotaryklubb deltok også med sin fine stand..........

1. september 2023

FRIVILLIGDAGEN 2. september 2023.

FRIVILLIGDAGEN 2. september 2023.
Besøk Raufoss Rotaryklubb på vår stand.
Du lurer kanskje på hvem vi er, og hva vi gjør? Velkommen innom og få vår brosjyre.