About Rotary

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 30,000 Rotary clubs.

Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community's business and professional men and women. The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are non-political, non-religious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.

The main objective of Rotary is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.

Although Rotary clubs develop autonomous service programs, all Rotarians worldwide are united in a campaign for the global eradication of polio. In the 1980s, Rotarians raised US$240 million to immunize the children of the world; by 2005, Rotary's centenary year and the target date for the certification of a polio-free world, the PolioPlus program will have contributed US$500 million to this cause. In addition, Rotary has provided an army of volunteers to promote and assist at national immunization days in polio-endemic countries around the world.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes world understanding through international humanitarian service programs and educational and cultural exchanges. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and others who share its vision of a better world. Since 1947, the Foundation has awarded more than US$1.1 billion in humanitarian and educational grants, which are initiated and administered by local Rotary clubs and districts.
www.rotary.org

The Rotary Club of Dartmoor Vale

The Rotary Club of Dartmoor Vale was formed in 1986 by three local Rotary Clubs, Newton Abbot, Bovey Tracey and Ashburton & Buckfastleigh. At the time, all these Clubs met at lunchtime and Dartmoor Vale was formed as an evening club to cater for those who found lunchtime meetings inconvenient.

Since our formation, we have raised over £81,000 for Charity. A significant proportion of this has been spent on our annual Santa Specials, when we take some 1,200 disabled and disadvantaged children and their families on a steam train from Buckfastleigh to Totnes and back.

The money for the Santa Specials is raised each year through our Darts Marathon, which is held in November. Between 25 and 35 pub darts teams throw darts for two hours, aiming to score the highest aggregate total. The teams obtain sponsorship based upon their scores. We give prizes for the highest scoring team and for the largest amounts of funds raised. In 2001, we raised over £9,000.

We also support a wide range of local and international charities including Children’s Hospice South West, Joe Homan’s Boys Towns in India and the West of England School for Children of Little or No Sight.

The Club currently meets at the Cockhaven Manor at 7.30pm each Thursday evening. It has 27 members and would welcome anyone thinking about membership. Come and see what we do and whether you would like to help us do it! Please contact Paul Haarer of Haarer & Motts on 01626 201946.