By Dan May
Rotary Club of Orange
Dan May
The Rotary Club of Orange is one of nearly 46,000 clubs active in about 200 countries under the umbrella of our host organization, Rotary International. Global Rotary membership exceeds 1.4 million members, making it one of the largest service organizations in the world.
Rotary is perhaps known best for its efforts distribute polio vaccine internationally. The campaign to end polio began in 1979 and has helped reduce cases by 99.9 percent, with endemic polio now found only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is notable that Rotary International has recently been allowed to continue its vaccination work in Afghanistan, and an end to the spread of this communicable disease may not be far off.
Rotary services and donations extend to a wide array of health, education and sustainable economic development programs, and as the end polio campaign winds down other initiatives are expanding. Rotary’s theme for the upcoming year is “Create Hope in the World.” And one of this year’s primary initiatives is prioritizing mental health initiatives across all of Rotary.
There is no vaccine to prevent mental illness or improve well-being and resilience, so the challenge is very different from that of polio. But Rotary, as well as other local service organizations like Lions and Kiwanis, have unique opportunities to connect peoples and cultures, giving hope and receiving it through community-based acts of kindness and engagement.
The new Rotary year officially begins every July 1, and the local Rotary Club of Orange sponsored an inaugural Summerfest for families around the region on July 15 to launch its events year. This was a new club event intended to draw in families with young children as well as young adults. Inflatables, yard games and a cornhole tournament have not previously been regular club-sponsored activities, but the goal was and is to spread awareness of both the Orange Club and Rotary International across all ages and to appeal to the child in each of us. A good time was had by all despite the muggy weather, and having fun is a good substrate for hope.
Orange Rotary supports a number of youth- and family-focused initiatives and can expand these. They are supported by annual club fundraising and a club foundation that awards grants to other not-for-profit service organizations. Requests for funding can be submitted from the club’s website at rotarycluboforange.org/. Information about sponsoring club activities or becoming a club member are also posted on the website. The Orange club can also partner with other clubs across our regional southern Connecticut district for collaborative or larger requests. Recent projects linked club service and funding from the Milford, Devon, West Haven and New Haven Rotary clubs.
One promising Orange Rotary youth initiative is to establish a satellite Rotary Interact club at Amity High School. Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while delivering the premise of of “service above self.” It is anticipated that the Amity Interact club will launch when classes resume this fall. We encourage Amity students to “find out how serious leadership can be seriously fun.” Projects can range from the local community service to international exchange. Rotary has worked with the United Nations nearly since the founding of the UN, and youth activities are celebrated at the UN’s Rotary Day every spring.
Leadership development is an integral part of Rotary at all organizational levels, and leadership changes annually. I have succeeded Roger Tausig as Orange club president for the 2023-24 Rotary year, and we have a number of other new officers as well. Please visit the club website for our contact information and other news about the Rotary Club of Orange.
Dan May is the president of the Rotary Club of Orange.