A house RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE ROTARY CLUB OF LAURENS FOR ITS SERVICE TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE LAURENS COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE WORLD AND TO CELEBRATE WITH ITS MEMBERS UPON THEIR CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.

Whereas, founded on February 23, 1905, in Chicago, Illinois, Rotary International is the world's first and one of the largest non-profit service organizations; and

Whereas, there are over 1.2 million Rotary club members representing professional and business leaders in over thirty-four thousand clubs in two hundred countries and geographic areas; and

Whereas, almost one hundred years ago, the Rotary Club of Laurens was chartered on November 3, 1923; and

Whereas, the Rotary motto, "Service Above Self," inspires members to provide humanitarian service, promote integrity, and advance good will and peace in the world; and

Whereas, among one of fifty-four clubs in Rotary International District 7750, the Rotary Club of Laurens has consistently provided leadership at the district level, including three past district governors from Laurens, as well as numerous other district officers; and

Whereas, the Rotary Club of Laurens recently has sponsored and volunteered in projects to help feed the underprivileged, prevent drowning deaths, place defibrillators in local schools, eradicate polio, provide clean water in Central America, promote and work to improve literacy in the local community and Haiti, provide host families for the Rotary Foreign Exchange Student program, as well as support outbound students from our area, support the Alzheimer's Research Trust, and many other projects; and

Whereas, in 1985, Rotary launched PolioPlus and spearheaded efforts with the World Health Organization, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF to immunize the children of the world against polio. Since 1988, polio cases have dropped by ninety-nine percent, and the world stands on the threshold of eradicating the disease; and

Whereas, to date Rotary has contributed nearly eight hundred fifty million dollars and countless volunteer hours to protect more than two billion children in one hundred twenty-two countries; and

Whereas, Rotary is the world's largest privately funded source of international scholarships and promotes international understanding through scholarships, exchange programs, and humanitarian grants; and

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is grateful for the members of the Rotary Club of Laurens for sponsoring service projects to address such critical issues as poverty, health, hunger, illiteracy, and the environment in their local communities and abroad. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor the Rotary Club of Laurens for its service to improve the human condition in the Laurens community and around the world and celebrate with its members upon their centennial anniversary.

----XX----