The Rotary Club of Spartanburg celebrates becoming a 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club
Saturday, April 22, 2023
By Joe C. Mullinax
"President William Gray set the goal of a 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club for 2022/23," says Scott Girouard. "As a former President myself, I had experience with this as I led my old Club in Florida to set the national record of the most Paul Harris Fellows ever awarded at once at 55. The Spartanburg Club is quite a large Club with over 180 members. It is also a very generous Club. We had many Paul Harris Fellows already and a group of 10 individuals were Paul Harris Fellows plus 5, plus 6, plus 7 and more (each number represents another $1,000 in giving to the Foundation). I began looking at what it would take for us to be 100% and with the continued generosity of our members we were able to add 84 Paul Harris Fellows at one time, setting a new Rotary International record.”
President William Gray addresses the crowd at the celebration.
"As part of our plan to connect our Club to national and international causes, I set the goal for us to be a 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club," says President William Gray. "We see the impact of our Club's generosity locally through our Youth Opportunity Grants, Spartanburg Sings, Rotary Has Heart campaign, among others, but I wanted our Club to make a significant contribution to the
Rotary Foundation. To encourage continued giving to the Foundation, our Club will match donations from new members for the next year so that we can maintain our 100% status. We are also encouraging all members to become members of the Paul Harris Society and for our Club to be a 100% Foundation Giving Club."
Scott Girouard, District Governor Joyce Morin, President William Gray, District Foundation Chair Beth Padgett.
Former District Governor and current District Foundation Chair Beth Padgett says, "We do good in the world through our Foundation giving. In 1985 there were 385,000 cases of polio in the world. Now, through Rotary efforts, we've seen that reduced to just 1 case in the last seven months. The Foundation helps children learn to read, provides clean water and sanitation, and so much more.
Paul Harris is the founder of Rotary. To honor his legacy, the Foundation was started. To become a Paul Harris Fellow represents a $1,000 gift to the Foundation. Only 20% of clubs in the world achieve 100% Paul Harris Fellow status."
"This giving to the Rotary Foundation this year represents a minimum of $83,000 from the Spartanburg Club," says Scott Girouard. "Our all-time giving to the Foundation is over $750,000."
Past president Cindy Kelly and District Foundation Chair Beth Padgett.
"You have three major donors in your Club," says District Foundation Chair Beth Padgett. "To become a major donor you must give a minimum of $10,000 to the Foundation. Tonight we want to recognize one of those major donors, your past president Cindy Kelly."
A standing ovation for major donor Cindy Kelly.
"This achievement of 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club would not have been possible without the leadership of Scott Girouard," says President William Gray. "It is our privilege to present the Avenues of Club Service Award to him tonight."
District Foundation Chair Beth Padgett, Scott Girouard, District Governor Joyce Morin, and Club President William Gray.
District Governors nominate a member who has performed service in all five Avenues of Service for this award from Rotary International and only 30 may be presented yearly.
Click here for Photo Gallery of Presentation of Awards
The Rotary Club of Spartanburg is the largest Club in the District, having eclipsed Greenville and Aiken. To learn more about our Club, our work, or membership, visit SpartanburgRotary.com.