Jay Elliott receives Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellows Blue Sapphire Gem Pin
With great acclaim, Jay Elliott was presented the second in a series of Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow pins: the Blue Sapphire Gem Pin. He was presented it by Marlin’s Rotary Foundation Chair Roger Nutt on December 20, 2023, during the weekly Rotary Club of Marlin meeting at the Chicken Place.
Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants Program. For Jay Elliott, the Blue Sapphire gem pin recognizes his contribution of at least a second $1,000.
Why become a Paul Harris Fellow? No. 1 - Accountability and transparency have earned The Rotary Foundation 11 straight years of four-star ratings — the highest possible — from independent evaluator Charity Navigator. Ninety-two percent of Foundation funds are spent directly on programs. No high administrative costs dilute gifts to Rotary’s Paul Harris Foundation.
No. 2 - Rotary partners with other organizations to increase its impact and make donations work even harder. In giving to PolioPlus, for example, Jay has the satisfaction of knowing that every $1 Rotary commits to polio eradication is matched by $2 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Thanks to this partnership, all donations to end polio (up to $50 million per year) are tripled, providing critical funding toward creating a polio-free world.
No. 3 - Rotary unites leaders who have the skills and resources to tackle some of the world’s most difficult problems and deliver sustainable, long-lasting results. For decades, Rotary has been a leader in the battle against polio and has caused cases to plummet from 350,000 in 1988 to only a handful this year. Rotary members have also achieved notable results in other areas, like eradicating Guinea worm disease in Ghana.
No. 4 - Rotary’s 1.2 million members span the globe, uniting people who have a common desire to serve others. From teaching children to read in Ecuador to a microcredit program in Indonesia, Rotary members identify local problems and use Rotary’s vast network and the resources of The Rotary Foundation to take action in communities.
No. 5 - Half of everything contributed to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund comes back to a home district. At the end of every Rotary year, contributions directed to the Annual Fund-SHARE from all Rotary clubs in the district are divided between the World Fund and the District Designated Fund (DDF). Districts can use the DDF to pay for Foundation, club, and district projects that the club and others in the district choose. Two weeks ago, 618 books were purchased and distributed to MISD and Chilton’s youngest students. Through Marlin’s Rotary Club, a $5,000 Vocational Education Grant was completed in the graduation of a student nurse.
Currently there are over 1,500,000 Paul Harris Fellows. Jay Elliott joins other notable figures who have been named Paul Harris Fellows: U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk.
Paul Harris Fellows lead by example, by their personal sacrifice.