Newtown Rotary Presents Paul Harris Fellow Awards

 Five Paul Harris Fellow Awards were presented by the Newtown Rotary Club to individuals for their outstanding achievements during recent years. These awards were presented by past Rotary District Governor Paul Burns on behalf of the Rotary Club of Newtown.

Larry Nkabinde, outgoing president, was honored for his leadership this past year of the Newtown Rotary Club, William Calderara for his excellent handling of the Harley-Davidson Raffle project, proceeds to help people in need in the world, and Ellen Parrella for her work over the years in town projects and in promoting literacy.

Dr Bob Grossman, who has the longest active membership in Newtown Rotary with 45 years, received his third Paul Harris Award and a certificate from Rotary International signed by the president congratulating him on his long, active seniority. Jim Gulalo received his second Paul Harris Award for his dedication to the Dorothy Day House in Danbury and the activities of Newtown Rotary.

 Paul Harris, an attorney, grew up in Vermont and when he later moved to Chicago he founded Rotary in 1905 as a friendship and service organization. It gradually grew to be come an international organization with clubs in 166 countries. When he died in 1947, the Paul Harris Fellows Award was instituted to commemorate his life and bring new life to the Rotary Foundation to which he was so dedicated.

 The Paul Harris Fellow Award is the highest honor a club can bestow on a person and represents a $1,000 contribution to the Rotary Foundation. By all 32,000 Rotary clubs and more than 1.2 million members donating to The Rotary Foundation, great projects can be accomplished in the world to improve the life of people who need help. The Rotary Foundation and its membership is currently completing a 20-year program to eliminate polio from the face of the earth. In 1985 there were more than 350,000 cases of polio in the world; this past year the incidence was reduced to less then 1,000 and plans are to reduce it to zero within the next year.

 Newtown Rotary meets every Monday night at The Fireside Inn at 6 pm for a dinner meeting. Anyone interested in learning more about Rotary is invited to attend a meeting as a guest.