History & Information

History of Apollo
A number of keen volunteers including Andrew Cowling, Rosemary Good and Jorgen Romose braved the early mornings to leaflet the commuters at the station, gave up their Saturdays to attend meetings of the new club and raised funds from their own club to resource the experiment. 

This paid off because at the initial interest meeting on…. 15 people turned up. 

History of RIBI
Rotary in Great Britain and all Ireland is administered under its own constitution and administrative unit known as RIBI. However the constitution of RIBI at all times operates within that of Rotary International. The RIBI headquarters are at Alcester Warwickshire with Rotary International operating out of its headquarters building in Evanston near Chicago, Illinois USA.

RIBI has a professional Secretariat and headquarters based at Alcester in Warwickshire which acts as a focal point and administrative centre for Rotary activities for the 29 Districts and 1840 clubs within Great Britain and Ireland.
Once again there are many similarities in the structure of the operation with a President of RIBI who is also Chairman of the General Council of RIBI. There is an Executive Committee comprised of The President, his or her immediate predecessor and successor, the elected Treasurer and Director and current District Governors elected by the General Council and finally two Immediate Past District Governors elected by their General Council. The Secretary of the Association who is a staff member is also a member of the Executive but without a vote.

The General Council of RIBI is the governing body of RIBI and is comprised of the 29 District Governors, the elected officers of the Association and an RI Director. The Secretary once again sits as a member of the Council but without a vote. Any changes that the General Council wishes to make to the RIBI Constitutional documents as well as financial budgets must be approved at the annual conference where every club has the opportunity to vote. Clubs also have a responsibility to elect the RIBI President, the Honorary Treasurer and, in alternate years, the RI Director.

History of Rotary International
Rotary International is a global network of service volunteers. It is the world's largest service organisation for business and professional people, with some 1,210,905 members operating in 168 countries world-wide.
There are some 58,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland in 1,845 clubs, helping those in need and working towards world understanding and peace. Its a fulfilling role, and Rotarians can get involved as much or as little as their time will allow.
But there is much more. Clubs meet on a regular basis, which allows members to build firm friendships. Every Rotarian has a right to attend any Club meeting anywhere in the world, so there is always somewhere to go, and people to meet, wherever business or leisure travel may take you.
Various Clubs have different emphases, which can reflect differences in size. A small market town may have a Club of perhaps 20 members, whereas in large centre's the number can be closer to 100. Some concentrate on local community or vocational projects. Others link up with a sister club in another country to undertake an international project. Each Club decides how it wants to use the resources it has available Rotarians — men and women alike — volunteer their efforts to improve the quality of life in their own communities and beyond their communities' borders. The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are non-political, non-religious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. Club membership represents a cross-section of local business and professional leaders. Rotarians initiate community projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as violence, drug abuse, youth, AIDS, hunger, the environment, and illiteracy. Rotary clubs are autonomous and determine service projects based on local needs. Rotarians work with and for youth to address challenges facing young people today. Through participation in Rotary-sponsored Interact clubs (for secondary school students), Rotaract clubs (for young adults), and Rotary Youth Leadership awards, young people worldwide learn leadership skills and the importance of community service. Rotary Youth Exchange gives high school students the opportunity to broaden their world view and build international friendships. In large cities often plagued by urban violence, Rotary has the community-based network to help. Rotary-sponsored projects and conferences address the root causes of violence such as drug abuse, poverty, lack of role models, and gangs.

Mission
The main objective of Rotary is service — in the community and throughout the world. Rotarians build goodwill and peace, provide humanitarian service, and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations. The Rotary motto is "Service Above Self."

Membership Statistics
Current membership figures worldwide (as at 30 June 2002)
Rotary members worldwide 1,2m
Rotary clubs worldwide 30,000 approx
Rotary countries 166
Rotary districts 530
Rotary members in Great Britain & Ireland 59,000 approx
Rotary clubs in Great Britain & Ireland 1,835

The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International was created in 1917 for the purpose of "doing good in the world." It supports Rotary's efforts to further world understanding and peace. Through the Foundation, Rotarians sponsor international educational and humanitarian programs, where some US$90 million is invested annually.
PolioPlus is Rotary's commitment to eradicating polio. Through the efforts of Rotary and its partners in the fight against polio, more than one billion children worldwide have been immunised since 1985. By 2005, Rotary's financial commitment will reach a half billion US dollars. Of equal significance is the huge volunteer army mobilised by Rotary International for social mobilisation, vaccine transport and immunisation activities.
Rotary's international network helps link people in need with Rotarians in other countries who can provide resources. The Foundation's humanitarian programs improve health care systems, support sustainable sources of food and water, and provide literacy and vocational training — particularly in developing countries.
The Rotary Foundation's educational programs include Ambassadorial Scholarships, the world's largest privately funded source of international scholarships. More than 1,300 scholarships are awarded annually for study in another land. Grants are also awarded for university teachers to serve in developing countries and for international exchanges of professionals.

History
The world's first service club was the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The club was formed 23 February 1905 by lawyer Paul P. Harris and three friends — a merchant, a coal dealer, and a mining engineer. Harris wished to recapture the friendly spirit he had felt in the small town where he had grown up. The name "Rotary" was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices. The first Rotary club was formed to promote fellowship among its members. Word of the club soon spread and other businessmen were invited to join. By the end of 1905, the Rotary Club of Chicago had 30 members. Three years later, a second club was formed in San Francisco, California, USA.
As Rotary grew, its focus shifted to service and civic obligations. Early service projects included building public "comfort stations" near Chicago's City Hall and delivering food to needy families. In 1913, the 50 Rotary clubs then in existence contributed US$25,000 for flood relief in two US Midwestern states. By the end of its first decade, Rotary had grown so large (nearly 200 clubs and more than 20,000 members) that a district structure was required. During Rotary's second decade, clubs were launched in South and Central America, India, Cuba, Europe, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. During World War I, Rotary discovered new areas of service — at home in war relief and peace-fund drives as well as in active service and overseas in emergency efforts. After World War II, many clubs disbanded during the war were re-established, initiating a new era of service. Clubs in Switzerland and elsewhere organised relief efforts for refugees and prisoners of war. Forty-nine Rotarians participated in the 1945 United Nations Charter Conference in San Francisco. The Rotary Foundation was established in 1917 as an endowment fund and became The Rotary Foundation in 1928. When Paul Harris died in 1947, Rotarians donated generously to the Foundation as a memorial.