The Rotary Club of Somerset-Pulaski County, Somerset’s “Morning Rotary Club” was recognized by District Governor Tom Ashford at the Rotary International District 6740 Conference, held in Nashville, Tenn., April 18-20, 2008.

The multi-district conference included Rotarians from four districts, including 6740 (Eastern Kentucky), 6710 (Western Kentucky), 6780 (Eastern Tennessee) and 6760 (Western Tennessee).

The conference had over 600 registrants and was attended by 2007-2008 Rotary International President Wilfrid J. “Wilf” Wilkinson, a member of the Rotary Club Trenton, Ontario, Canada.

The club was granted a gold star for its club banner which represents fund-raising for The Rotary Foundation’s Annual (or general) Fund in excess of $100 per member during the Rotary year.

The Rotary Foundation funds Rotary’s worldwide polio eradication efforts, humanitarian relief efforts, scholarships, and cultural-good will exchanges.

In the past the Morning Rotary Club gave the proceeds from its annual International Dinner to the Rotary Foundation’s polio eradication efforts. Because of a two-year hiatus from major polio fund-raising, the local Rotary Club has used its International Dinner proceeds to support other Rotary humanitarian projects in economically distressed and developing countries or territories since 2005.

The Rotary Foundation matches the Somerset Club’s humanitarian donations at the rate of $.50/$1 from its annual fund. The foundation also enforces stewardship and oversight of the participating projects.

Local Rotarians from both of Somerset’s Rotary clubs participate in the Rotary Foundation’s cultural exchange program Group Study Exchange “GSE.”

GSE is also funded by the annual fund. In that program Rotary districts from two countries recruit and train four to six non-Rotarian professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 team members to visit the other Rotarian District. The non-Rotarian team members are lead by a Rotarian team leader during the exchange visit.

Recently Rotarians from both Somerset clubs hosted a team from Rotary District 3030 in Maharashtra, India, while four young professionals and a Rotarian team leader from eastern Kentucky toured Rotary District 3030 in India in late January and early February 2008. The exchange visits last for approximately 30 days. The teams learn about their hosts’ culture while sharing their own culture with their hosts. Both of Somerset Rotary clubs encourage any Somerset area professional between the ages of 25 and 40 to contact a member of either club if the professional is interested in participating in the GSE program.

In January 2009, local Centre College student Alex Brown will begin studies in Sydney, Australia, as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar. Brown was nominated by both of Somerset’s Rotary clubs. The Ambassadorial Scholar program is funded by the foundation’s annual fund. Brown is believed to be the first Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from the area in approximately 30 years.

“While the recognition by the district is great, I am really glad our club decided to support the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund in addition to doing project grants this year because the annual fund makes our humanitarian project matching grants possible,” said club member John Adams, who attended the conference.

Adams added, “I think we also need to support the annual fund because of our participation in GSE and our excitement about the selection of Alex Brown as an Ambassadorial Scholar.”

The Morning Rotary Club also received the Presidential Citation from Rotary International President “Wilf” Wilkinson. Each Rotary International president publishes a menu of goals and projects for all Rotary clubs to select and aspire to dependent upon the size and resources of the club. This year Rotary clubs had to have a net gain in membership and complete an activity from six categories based upon the 2007-2008 theme “Rotary Shares.”

Having the award presented to Morning Rotary Club President Linda Skaarup by the Rotary International President himself made the award more special.

Although Rotary has over 500 districts worldwide, the Nashville conference was the only district conference personally attended by Wilkinson. At the other conferences, the Rotary president was represented by another senior Rotarian. Two years before his term commenced and before deciding on the policy not to select a few conferences for attendance over all the others, Wilkinson committed to attending the Nashville multi-district conference when asked by his presidential aide, Rotarian John Germ of Chattanooga, Tenn. Besides serving as presidential aide, Rotarian Germ is currently heading up Rotary’s newly announced attempt to match a $100 million Polio Eradication Challenge Grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In addition to polio eradication, Wilkinson’s term emphasized three other major humanitarian issues: literacy, hunger and health relief, and clean water.

During his one-year term, Wilkinson encouraged Rotary clubs around the world to partner with local governments and non-governmental organizations to initiate projects that improve literacy rates, improve health facilities and provide sustainable sources of food and clean water to communities around the world.

While the Morning Club hoped it would qualify for the Presidential Citation Award at the conference, being given the District Club of Distinction Award was a surprise to the club. The award is given to clubs which, while demonstrating awareness of all of Rotary’s guiding principles, distinguishes itself in one or more guiding principles.

Rotary’s guiding principles include promoting fellowship, peace/goodwill and ethics while providing awareness of and service to the Rotarian’s local and international communities.

In presenting the award, District Governor Tom Ashford told the audience that the award was given for the club’s efforts in raising funds via its International Dinner fund-raiser and using those funds to support humanitarian projects.

“Receiving the Club of Distinction Award was a great surprise,” recounted Morning Club President Linda Skaarup. “We have been hosting International Dinner for a long time and we really appreciate the continued recognition and support of our district as well as our community.”

In addition to the awards ceremony, the three-day conference included instructional workshops focusing on fund-raising ideas, projects ideas and youth programs.

Group Study Exchange teams, both inbound and outbound, from the Dominican Republic, England, France, India, Japan and South Korea made cultural presentations. Approximately 20 Youth Exchange students from 10 countries shared their experiences with the Rotarians.

Key speakers included: Rotarian Ann Lee Hussey, a polio survivor and frequent international polio immunization coordinator; Rotarian Dave Gruner, whose humanitarian efforts have lead him to several African countries, India and Bangladesh; and John Osterlund, the general manager of The Rotary Foundation.

On Sunday the conference included a memorial service remembering Rotarians lost over the last year. The service included tributes to two former Somerset Rotary Club members by their most recent clubs: Dr. C. Harwell Dabbs, a member of the Rotary Club of Harriman, Tenn., at his death; and Kenneth A. Meredith, a member of the Rotary Club of East Louisville Sunrise and Rotary Club of Bowling Green Morning at his death.

Rotary International is a worldwide humanitarian service organization with approximately 32,000 clubs in approximately 200 countries and territories. Founded in 1905 in Chicago, members of Rotary are business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

The Somerset-Pulaski County Morning Rotary Club meets each Thursday morning at 7 a.m. at the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital Cafeteria Conference Room A. The Somerset Rotary Club meets each Monday at noon in the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital Cafeteria Conference Room A.

Jack McNeely is the president of the Somerset Rotary Club.

Visitors and those interested in Rotary are welcome to attend either club’s meeting.