[D9640general] Rotary/RGHF: What Paul Harris Said for Sunday August 31

[Garry Krischock]

Rotary Global History Fellowship

www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org <http://www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org/> 


 

 What Paul Harris Said
August 31, 2008
www.whatpaulharrissaid.org 

 

What Paul Harris Said 

August 31 2008

 

"Upon several occasions, Boards of Rotary International have extended to us
invitations to visit the Rotary clubs of other counties; such invitations we
have, as a rule, accepted and we have tried to make ourselves ambassadors of
good-will. With the cooperation of Rotarians and local governments, I have
planted friendship trees in the parks and playgrounds on all the five
continents of the world and even on some of the major islands of the seas.
Our trees stood as symbols of international understanding and good-will.
National and municipal governments have participated in the ceremonies
incident to such plantings and monuments bearing bronze plates with
appropriate inscriptions, have, in several instances, been erected. Our tree
plantings are merely gestures of good-will but they are intelligible to all
the citizens of the various countries whatever language they speak".

 Paul P. Harris "Comely Bank <http://www.paulharrishome.com> " page 275 "My
Road20To Rotary" copyright Rotary International and published online here
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/library/myroad/ 


Paul Harris was an extensive traveller who kept records of his journeys -
http://www.whatpaulharriswrote.org/library/peregrinations/ - which clearly
influenced his thinking. One of Paul Harris' best known 'tools' was to plant
'Fri endship Trees' around the world on his travels -
http://www.rotaryfirst100.org/library/trees/  - as symbols of world
understanding and goodwill.

Is it any wonder that the very first Rotary Foundation program established
after the death of our founder was the Ambassadorial Scholarships? The
largest privately-funded scholarship program in the world has sent thousands
of young people on similar journeys to Paul Harris to every part of the
world over the past 60 years and helped develop future business, political
and even Rotary leaders.

Throughout the ensuing years, Rotary has further expanded the ideas of Paul
Harris through programs such as Group Study Exchange, Youth Exchange and
Friendship Exchange - in their own way they too are like Paul Harris'
Friendship Trees -symbols of world understanding and goodwill. 

>From our Rotary Foundation Alumni and beyond through international
humanitarian projects to eradicate polio or provide clean water or tackle
disease and poverty, we all have planted our own seeds of friendship around
the world. These are our own personal symbols for today's world.

Calum Thomson 
calthomson at aol.com 
RGHF Chairman 2006/07
Rotary Club of Longniddry & District
District 1020
Scotland

New articles at RGHF www.recentpost s.org <http://www.recentposts.org>  

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