[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2898]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE SERVICE OF GRANTS PASS ROTARY AND THE CENTENNIAL 
                  ANNIVERSARY OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
extraordinary commitment to service, community, and humanitarianism 
displayed by the members of Rotary International as the organization 
celebrates its 100th anniversary this month.
  One hundred years ago, a lawyer in Chicago, Illinois, embarked on an 
effort to create a professional club that captured the same friendly 
spirit he felt in the small towns of his youth; a club that would make 
service a priority, generosity a regular occurrence, and hard work a 
way of life. This idea was welcomed throughout the United States with 
clubs sprouting coast to coast within the first decade, and throughout 
the rest of the world with clubs forming on six continents by 1921.
  Today, Rotary International is a worldwide organization of business 
and professional leaders--individuals committed to humanitarianism, 
high ethical standards, and civic involvement.
  I have been a proud member of Rotary since October 1987, and while my 
work here in Washington, D.C. keeps me from attending all the meetings 
of my Hood River, Oregon club, I make every attempt to go when I am 
home. And as I commute home to Oregon each week from our Nation's 
capital, I am able to attend many meetings at clubs in the twenty 
counties throughout my sprawling district.
  There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians in over 31,000 clubs 
located in 166 countries. And in the United States, there are nearly 
400,000 Rotarians in more than 7,500 clubs.
  The Grants Pass Rotary, located in Oregon's beautiful Rogue Valley, 
is one such club. Founded in 1924, Grants Pass Rotary has celebrated 
over 80 years of dedication and service to the local community as well 
as the world abroad. Under the recent leadership of Georgette Brown, 
and her predecessors before her, the club has done a great deal for the 
area.
  Throughout the years, Grants Pass Rotarians have conducted projects 
with their dedication, time, energy, and resources. These projects have 
covered a variety of areas: recognition of students in middle and 
elementary school excelling in their academic endeavors; the initial 
funding and continued support of The Riverside West All Sports Park, a 
fabulous facility for all Grants Pass citizens and visitors to enjoy; 
the development of Morrison Centennial Park; the Grants Pass Rotary 
Invitational Track Meet held at Grants Pass High School, an event for 
students throughout the state and northern California; and events for 
foreign exchange students visiting America.
  Internationally, the commitment of Rotarians is as strong. With 
humanitarian and educational programs for communities in all parts of 
the globe, Rotary Clubs have made a difference in everything from 
disaster relief to the advancement of democracy. A major focus of 
Rotary International is the global eradication of polio, a goal that 
the organization hopes to meet this year. In 1985 they launched the 
PolioPlus program to protect children against the disease. Rotary, 
along with groups such as the World Health Organization, the United 
Nations Children's Fund, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, and various governments throughout the world, has achieved 
a 99 percent reduction in the number of polio cases worldwide.
  Their work and generosity has benefited youth, seniors, the 
impoverished, the disabled, the disheartened, and those devastated by 
disease, tragedy and natural disaster. I am proud to be a Rotarian and 
proud of the work that Rotary clubs throughout my district do on an 
ongoing basis.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to share with my colleagues 
the generosity and spirit of service that is exemplified by the members 
of Grants Pass Rotary. May those of us in the Congress pay special 
attention to the motto of this organization and conduct ourselves here 
in a manner of ``Service Before Self.''

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