A Paul Harris Fellow is recognition of a gift made to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Nothing more and nothing less.
The gift of US$1,000 can be made by a Club in the recipient's name or by someone else, in the recipient's name or it could be made by the person receiving the Recognition, in their own right.
The gift of US$1,000 can be made by a Club or by someone else. It does not matter who has made the gift. It is important, however, that a US$1,000 gift has been made to the Rotary Foundation!
The Paul Harris Fellow is a Gift. A Paul Harris Fellow is NOT an Award.
Rotarians need to understand - there is no such thing as a Paul Harris Fellow Award! It is not the highest honour a Rotary Club can bestow on a person (member or not).
There is no listing on the Rotary International site for a Paul Harris Fellow Award!
You cannot buy a Paul Harris Fellow - it is a Recognition for a gift!
Put simply - a gift is not a purchase!
A Paul Harris Fellow recognition results from a gift. It is most certainly not a purchase! Therefore, NO-ONE can buy a Paul Harris Fellow recognition.
Therefore, people who have described the gift of US$1,000 to the Rotary Foundation as buying a PHF have missed the point!
Every Rotarian should be a Paul Harris Fellow - and a multiple Paul Harris Fellow!
Every Rotarian should be a Paul Harris Fellow because for each PHF we know that US$1,000 has been given to the Rotary Foundation! Similarly, for each sapphire or ruby added to a person's PHF pin, an ADDITIONAL US$1,000 has been given to the Rotary Foundation!
We should be celebrating each of these milestones (and gem stones!) for what they represent. That is, a gift to the Rotary Foundation and an opportunity to do even more good in the world through the Rotary Foundation!
In Australia, common usage has developed whereby an "award" of a Paul Harris Fellow has been bestowed on a member for meritorious service to Rotary. In other countries or cities, such as Hong Kong, a new member must purchase a PHF as part of their subscription to join a Rotary Club.
What about when my Club names me a Paul Harris Fellow? Or, adds a sapphire or ruby to my PHF pin?
Be proud! Be very proud and honoured! In your name, the Club has given the sum of US$1,000 (or more!) to the Rotary Foundation.
They are honouring you in a very special way and you SHOULD be proud of that! Everyone of us who has received this honour is very proud of it. I know that I was incredibly humbled, honoured and proud when my Club named me a Paul Harris Fellow and then a few years later added a sapphire to my pin. However, it has not stopped me realising that I need to give to the Rotary Foundation, too.
We must not let our pride in such an honour stand in the way of our encouragement of ourselves and others to continue or to start making personal gifts to the Rotary Foundation! To do so is missing the point! To me, it actually represents a form of false pride.
I am always saddened when I hear Rotarians say things like, "As soon as they allow people to buy their Paul Harris Fellow, I'll resign from Rotary!" This too, is missing the point!! We need to honour every gift made to the Rotary Foundation because THAT is what being recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow is ACTUALLY intended to be! And always was right from the start of gifts being made to the Rotary Foundation.
The meaning of Paul Harris Fellow
For those interested, the Rotary International Manual of Procedure says a Paul Harris Fellow is the following:
An individual who contributes US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation or has that amount contributed in his or her name.
No mention of it being an Award! So, why not give to the Rotary Foundation and allow us to continue to do good in the world into the future!
| PDG Clive Walker (Rae) Rotary Club of Myrtleford Chairman District Rotary Foundation (H) (03) 5752 1361 (M) 0419 437 964 Email: foundation@rotary9790.org.au |
