Senate Concurrent Resolution 520

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL AND DESIGNATING FEBRUARY 23, 2005, AS "ROTARY DAY" IN MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, was founded on February 23, 1905, when Chicago attorney Paul Harris invited three business associates to a meeting to form a club to share "mutual cooperation and informal friendship such as all of us had once known in our villages"; and

WHEREAS, by 1921, Rotary Clubs had been formed on six continents, and the name Rotary International was adopted in 1922; and

WHEREAS, as Rotary International grew, its focus changed from serving the business and professional needs of its members to serving communities in need, as expressed in its motto: "Service Above Self"; and

WHEREAS, the Rotary Foundation, established in 1928, today garners contributions exceeding $80 Million annually to support a range of humanitarian grants and educational programs; and

WHEREAS, in 1985, Rotary International made a commitment to immunize all of the world's children against polio, and by the Centennial of Rotary in 2005, more than $500 Million will have been committed to the eradication of polio; and

WHEREAS, Rotary International, approaching its 100th anniversary, consists of 1.2 million members in some 31,000 Rotary Clubs in 166 countries, all committed to addressing such problems as environmental degradation, illiteracy, world hunger and children at risk:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize Rotary International on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary and designate February 23, 2005, as "Rotary Day" in Mississippi in honor of the numerous and ongoing contributions of this organization to communities throughout the State of Mississippi, across the nation and around the world.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be forwarded to the President of the Mississippi affiliate of Rotary International and the Secretary of State, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.