Honor Rotary Club Anniversary

Senate Resolution No. 1579 BY: Senator BRESLIN COMMEMORATING the 90th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Cohoes on April 27, 2017 WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay tribute to those organizations of high purpose and worthy accomplishment whose endeavors have faithfully served the welfare of the citizens of the State of New York; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Cohoes to be celebrated at an event on April 27, 2017, at The Venue in Cohoes, New York; and WHEREAS, The world's first service club, Rotary International, was founded on February 23, 1905, when Paul Harris, a native of Vermont, found himself a stranger in the city of Chicago; he conceived the idea of inviting three men of different vocations to join him weekly for fellowship and to discuss each other's problems and business; and WHEREAS, Today, Rotary International has grown into an organization including over 1.2 million members in approximately 29,000 clubs across

163 countries; each club is made up of business and professional leaders who dedicate their lives to humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help to build peace and goodwill throughout the world; and WHEREAS, The Rotary Club of Cohoes was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Troy and was chartered on April 10, 1927; it is now part of a global network of 1.2 million members in over 34,000 clubs from over 200 countries; and WHEREAS, This auspicious organization impacts lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world; in 1985, Rotary launched its PolioPlus program and has helped significantly reduce cases of polio; and WHEREAS, The Rotary Club of Cohoes makes significant financial contributions to the community at large; the club provides an annual scholarship to a graduating high school senior, the Frank Hines Memorial Scholarship; in addition, they donate funds to the Cohoes Senior Center, the Cohoes Community Center, the Cohoes Library, Counseling Care and Services, and the Bridges out of Poverty program as well as numerous other organizations; and WHEREAS, The Rotary Club members contribute their time, energy, and passion to sustainable, long-term projects in local communities across the globe; these projects focus on important issues such as peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy as well as economic and community development; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is proudly moved to honor and commend the members of the Rotary Club of Cohoes, past and present, who have labored so conscientiously to secure and improve the quality of life for the community it serves by perpetuating its motto of Service Above Self; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Cohoes on April