paul harris his life and message

8/9/2019 Paul Harris His Life and Message

1/19

A Friend of humanity

Paul Harris His Life and Message

17th June 2009

Paul Harris

Founder of Rotary


2/19

Paul Harris-His early life

Born on April 19, 1868 in Racine near lakeMichigan 60 miles north of Chicago.

Father George and mother Cornelia. Fourbrothers and one sister.

Parents were great spenders. He once said thathis fathers idea of budget was first incur theexpenses and then try to find the means to pay.

In 1871, he went to live with his grandparents at

Wallingford, Vermont. His grandfather Howard taught Paul work ethic

and the need for tolerance. Life is not measuredby what you have but what you are.


3/19


4/19

Paul Harris- Education

Paul Harris studied at Wallingford Grammar School butwas average in studies and known more for mischief.

He joined University of Vermont in 1886. two years hetopped the class and again due to some wrongaccusation got expelled from college. He was readmitted

two years later. During this time he worked as an officeboy at a salary of 1 dollar /day.

To fulfill the dream of his grandfather he joined Stateuniversity of Iowa to study law. He graduated in June1891 (Gandhiji graduated the same month ).

He got his Honorary Ph D in 1933 from University ofVermont but never used it.


5/19

Paul Harris Travel lust

After hearing a motivational speech in his college, hedecided to travel and understand the world.

He worked as a news paper reporter in Los Angeles.

He then moved and acted in a drama company.

He worked as fruit picker, teacher, cowboy, night clerk inhotel, salesman for a marble company, crew member ina ship.

While he travelled in the ship to Liverpool he learnt therough ways of life and how people ill treated others.

When people found it difficult to find a job in their owntown, how he could land different jobs?

He made it a point to dress well . He was willing to givehis best to any job . He never wanted anything free.


6/19

Chicago beckons

In 1896, he came to Chicago and said I havenot come here to make money but with thepurpose of making a life

Chicago in those days was totally dominated bycrimes and frauds. Ethics was somethingunheard of.

He found the big city barren and dull with nofriend. In 1900, his meeting with a lawyer friend

changed everything. The concept of club forfriendship was born.


7/19

Paul Harris Marriage and family

In 1910, Paul met Jean during a hiking where

his coat got torn and Jean offered to help. They

got married subsequently.

They had no children and Paul claimed thatRotary is his daughter.

At the age of 44, he suffered his first heart attack

and continued his work with vigour.

27th Jan 1947 at the age of 78 Paul Harrispassed away at South Chicago in his house.

Jean passed away a year later in Edinburgh.


8/19

Paul Harris-Experiments

Paul studied his experiments with several

groups. (Churches, political parties,

nightclubs to know how the groups work).

In USA at that time only two types of clubsexisted. 1. Place of origin oriented 2,

Professional societies.

Rotary was a revolution as it was open toall based on equality of people and only on

one human value called friendship.


9/19

Principle of classification

Classification:

Vocations are the only things that can be

asked to a Rotarian.

What is your vocation?

My vocation is marine engineering.

No designations.

No Dr Prof CA Just name.No pundit Shastri JiSaab just name.

In one stroke the equality has been created.


10/19

Rotary 1

4 members all belonging to differentprofessions and religious beliefs. (Paulharris, Sylvester Schiele, Gus Loehr,

Hiram Shorey.) Rotating meeting place

attendance compulsory fine 50 c if absent.

Chairman different for every meeting.

members are reelected every year.

No political/religious discussions allowed.


11/19

Message 1-Rotarians Values

Faith-Trust in positive side of life Hope- Optimism-Everything turns out OK

Charity-Help the needy and the poor

Fair Business-Do follow rules and ethics.

"Faith, hope, charity and clean business, these four and the greatest

of these is clean business. Charity sometimes destroys initiative and

demoralizes character; clean business never does. If business is

clean, there will be much less need of charity because clean businessmeans not only a fair deal to the buyer, but also a living wage to the

employee. Rotary will continue to be charitable but it can do more

than that; let it remove the cause of that which makes charity

necessary


12/19

Message 2-Overcome Differences

People divide based on language and

religion. Paul Harris found that this

ignorance does not go with education

because it wins over intelligence.

Knowledge does not help.

It can be won only by friendship.

He said Start with acquaintance then to

understanding and then to friendship.


13/19

Message 3-Promoting Diversity

Paul Harris said Rotary is not a product of mygenius Nothing under the sun is new.

But quite a few things are new and revolutionary.

All nations are respectable and they can chooseto believe in any religion.

All professions are respectable and every

profession will be honoured by others.

In a way, every club is supposed to reflect thediversity in the community and still work

harmoniously. Homogenity is not the aim.


14/19

Message 4-Defining Rotary

Rotary What it is and not what for it is.

Look at others with more kindness.

Tolerate the faults which others have.

See the best in others

Cultivate pleasant and helpful contacts .

Capture and radiate the joy of life.

Be natural Do not be formal it is ridiculous. Approach life as if you are a boy fun loving

and forgiving not like an old man.


15/19

Message 5- The distant sense

If Rotary has lost its meaning to you.

Possibly you haven't the right perspective. You have

worried yourself so much over the little unimportant

things that you haven't even given yourself a

momentary glimpse of the tout ensemble.

Stand back, a few paces, for a moment,

far enough away from the picture so that the details

may assume their proper proportions and disclose

their true relationship toward each other. It will profit you to get the distance sense.


16/19

What we Rotarians should do?

Celebrate April 18th (birthday of Paul

Harris as friendship day.

Observe 27th

January (the day Paul Harrispassed away) as Tolerance day.

Have one Director dedicated for Paul

Harris ideals propagation.

Give the books on Paul Harris free to all

new members.


17/19

THANK YOU

See you again in future


18/19

Paul Harris-An Author

Founder of Rotary 1928 More on the life of Paul Harris.

The Rotarian Age 1935

More a text book about Rotary and a mustread for every Rotarian.

My Road to Rotary completed in 1947


19/19

Quotes memorable

A material Rotary would soon be dead Rotary. ARotarian who seeks nothing in Rotary beyond thebusiness he can get out of it is a dead Rotarian andsooner he can be buried the better the cause. (1919)

Friendliness is not a lone star. Its sisters are kindliness,neigbourliness and cheerliness. (1934)

In politics, importance is given to differences amongmen, In Rotary the approach is entirely different.Emphasis is placed on similarities among men.(1937)

Is everything all right in Rotary? No, thank Godeverything is all wrong. (1945) There is probably no part

of Rotary which cannot be improved. Have you got a plan to beautify your town? No then it is

a pity. Every Rotarian must have a plan to beautify histown.

paul harris his life and message

Documents