Rotary District 5500 - Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation District Service Award

This recognition acknowledges individual Rotarians in the District for outstanding service to the programs of the Rotary Foundation. Club Presidents are encouraged to submit nominations to the District Awards Chairman at any time during the Rotary year.

The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service

One Rotarian from each district may be recognized by the Trustees each year. Nominations are solicited from district governors and RI Directors. The Trustees recognize Rotarians who have rendered significant service to The Rotary Foundation over a period of more than one year. Only one citation may be awarded per district per year and a Rotarian may only receive the citation once.

The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award

Four complete Rotary years after receiving the Citation for Meritorious Service, a Rotarian becomes eligible for the Distinguished Service Award. This is the Foundation’s highest service award. It recognizes exemplary service to the Foundation, which must extend beyond the District level and over an extended period of time. A cast bronze plaque mounted on a walnut base is given to those receiving this recognition.

The Rotary Foundation Service Award for a Polio Free World

Recognizes outstanding personal service by a Rotarian, since 1 Nov 1992, in the fight to eradicate Polio. Financial contributions are not a basis for the award. There are a maximum of 10 recipients in each WHO Region and 10 international awards.

Foundation Chairmen & Speakers

Foundation Chairman	Deputy Foundation Chairman
Annual Giving	Ambassadorial Scholarships Bob Ernstein & Michael Drake
Permanent Fund & Major Gifts	World Peace Fellowships Michael Drake & Bob Ernstein
Alumni	Group Study Exchange Ann MacInnes Cook
GSE Inbound	GSE Outbound Judy Herring
Polio Eradication	Foundation Seminar & Dinner Coordinators
Matching Grants	Simplified Grants Craig Pemberton

Paul & Jean Harris at home at Comely Bank

Rotary International founder Paul P. Harris, met his wife to be on a hike, near Chicago, in 1910. After they married, Paul built a home for his bride, Jean Thomson, of Edinburgh Scotland. Jean had lived near Comely Bank a road in Edinburgh. So, Paul named their home in her honor.

Paul writes: One winter day I was walking on Longwood Drive in a suburban district in Chicago. The drive skirts a hill spoken of as the ridge which extends for several miles in a southwesterly direction , an unusual feature in Chicago as most of the lies on flat ground. The houses on the west side of the drive are built on the crest of the hill that parallels it. On that particular day the hill was covered with snow and many of the youngsters were coasting without regard to the property rights involved. No property owner, however, seemed disposed to question the rights of the youngsters to make common ground of their hillside lawns. The picture seemed so true to the New England life I had known and loved that the thought came to me if ever I was to have a home20of my own, it would be on the top of the hill on Longwood Drive. The time came sooner than I expected ....I married my bonnie Jean, and two years later acquired a home on the hill. We named our home Comely Bank after the street in Edinburgh where she spent the days of her child and youth…

Comely Bank served as their home www.paulharrishome.com for nearly forty years. During that time, Jean, a gracious hostess, poured tea for hundreds of Rotary leaders, and they planted Friendship Trees in their yard and then around the world.

Comely Bank, in the hearts of Jean and Paul, served also to bring peace. When discord erupted, Paul and Jean would invite the parties to tea and talk. Wonderful things happened in this house. In their lifetimes, Paul and Jean cared for Comely Bank. Now, we need=2 0to take up that work and return the home to Rotarians. The home was purchased by Rotarians, but 1910 building regulations have changed, and much work needs to be done.

Visit www.paulharrishome.com to learn how you can be part of history. The need is great. Rotary needs

Comely Bank for meetings, gatherings, and the preservation of history. Please consider a tax deductible contribution to help preserve this historic home for generations of use by Rotarians in this century.

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