Rotary in Bainbridge Georgia
District 6900, Club 4110

“Service Above Self”

Created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as RI president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. This 24-word code of ethics for employees to follow in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The 4-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways

We will promote the principles of the 4 way test to every 4th grader, both private and public, in Decatur County. A 4 way test plaque will be placed in each classroom and markers/poster board will be supplied for every student. Each student will draw a scene that depicts a principle of the 4 Way Test. The top winner of each class will receive a medal and $25 savings bond. In addition, every 4th grade student will receive a T-shirt.

The Four Way Test
of the things we think, say or do:
1. Is it the Truth?
2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
4. Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

A Rotarian immunizes a child against polio. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo by Rotary Images. Decades ago, polio outbreaks were a constant threat around the world. After the introduction of polio vaccines by Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin and a steadfast immunization effort, these outbreaks became part of history in most of the world.

Yet many still live under the threat of polio, which is why Rotary and its global partners are committed to reaching every child with the vaccine and ending this disease worldwide.

Major gains have been made in the global fight against polio:
• In the 1980s, 1,000 children were infected by the disease every day in 125 countries. Today, polio cases have declined by 99 percent, with fewer than two thousand cases reported in 2006.
• Two billion children have been immunized, five million have been spared disability, and over 250,000 deaths from polio have been prevented.


The Rotary Club of Bainbridge will contribute a book to the children’s section of the Gilbert-Gragg Southwest Regional Library in honor of each invited speaker for weekly club meetings. Roughly 50 books will be contributed over the course of this year and a similar number was contributed for the year 2006-07.
We will provide scholarships to middle and high school students in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Additionally, new computers for schools and eyeglasses for kids will be provided. These students would be unable to continue their education past grammar school without such assistance. We will team up with the local Rotary Club of Puerto Vallarta in this effort. We also plan to offer support to the school as necessary. We have committed $4,000 to this effort. The total project expense with matching funds is $26,000.00!
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary's leadership training program for young people. RYLA participants can be ages 14-30, but most clubs and districts choose to focus on a narrower age range, such as 14-18 or 19-30.
RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth, and aims to
• Demonstrate Rotary's respect and concern for youth
• Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders
• Encourage leadership of youth by youth
• Recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities
The Bainbridge Rotary Club will cover the expenses for two students to attend the state RYLA assembly this year.
The Rotary Club of Bainbridge has been an avid supporter of local Boy Scout Troop 502 as well as the Friendship House. The club has provided funding on an annual basis for many years to Troop 502 to assist in the operations of this wonderful organization whose motto is “BE PREPARED” and whose slogan is “DO A GOOD TURN DAILY”. The Friendship House of Bainbridge is a local Christian based organization providing spiritual, physical and emotional care to children in our county in an after school setting.

Just recently, our Rotary Club was able to provide funding to help install a playground set donated to Friendship House by a school in Thomasville, GA.
On November 13 the Rotary Club of Bainbridge will provide a Thanksgiving style meal and a service of dedication for the loved ones of those soldiers of the Georgia National Guard, 1230th Transportation Company. As a club dedicated to “SERVICE ABOVE SELF”, the intention of the club is to honor the sacrifices these spouses, mothers, fathers and children have made to us and our country for the sake of the War on Terrorism. A very patriotic speaker, Al Lipphardt will address those in attendance. He is both past District Governor in Rotary and a decorated Veteran.
Through management by the World Vision organization, water wells will be dug throughout Ethiopia in an effort to eradicate water borne illnesses which claim the lives of more than half a million children less than 5 years old each year. The Rotary Club of Bainbridge will contribute $1,000 a year over the next 3 years to assist in this project. The 69 other clubs in district 6900 have pledged likewise. This will be matched to a total of 2.2 million dollars by Rotarian Partners.
Each year the Rotary Club of Bainbridge sponsors and directs individual golf and tennis tournaments. In addition to generating revenue to support club service projects, these projects serve to promote healthy competition, team sports and sportsmanship among those participating. The tennis tournament also serves to support the athletic department of our high school. These tournaments are generally held during the spring of the year.
This program is unique to GA Rotarians. There are around 70 students accepted each year with the ideal of promoting peace and understanding through exposure to our country and culture. We are contributing a minimum of $2,200 to support a student from Columbia who will be attending Valdosta State University for two semesters. Rotarians pay all expenses for these students, who are all international, to come to the U.S and go to school. Maja Bergkvist, a native of Sweden, attended Valdosta State University last year as the Rotary GRSP student. Bergkvist completed two-and one-half years of medical school in Sweden before coming to Valdosta. She was recognized as the Georgia Rotary student of the year, out of a field of 40 foreign exchange students attending colleges and universities in Georgia last year.
Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 14 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting. Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single gender or mixed, large or small. They can draw from the student body of a single school or from two or more schools in the same community.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of:
• Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
• Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
• Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
• Advancing international understanding and goodwill

The BHS Interact Club participates in many volunteer programs throughout the school year. One project will be to pack food in containers with the "Kids Against Hunger" Program. The Bainbridge Rotary Club has committed $1,000.00 to pay for the foodstuffs.

As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. Almost 200,000 young people are involved in Interact.
Statistics show that more than 200,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest every year. According to the Red Cross, up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented if someone had initiated the Cardiac Chain of Survival, and an automated external defibrillator (AED) had been available for immediate use at the time of the emergency. Due to the efforts of the Rotary Club of Bainbridge, each of the two middle schools in Bainbridge will now have AEDs to be utilized in the event of a cardiac arrest. The project will combine the funds of the Bainbridge Rotary Club, District 6900 and Memorial Hospital and Manor of Bainbridge.