Official Website of IPDG Rhia Abalos

The first lady president of RC WEST CDO and the first lady governor of DISTRICT 3870

About the Rotary

About the RI President

DONG-KURN LEE, Seoul, Korea

Dong-Kurn Lee is Chairman of Bu-Bang Co., Ltd and Bubang Techron Co., Ltd., manufacturing companies in Seoul. A graduate of Yonsei University with a degree in political science and diplomacy, Lee currently serves ad Trustee to the Busan College of Information Technology and has served as past president of both his high school and college alumni associations. He has served as  Trustee to the Bank of Seoul and honorary consul of Italy in Korea. In 2005. he was appointed as International Goodwill Ambassador by the President of the Republic of Korea.

Rotarian Lee joined the Rotary Club of Seoul-Hangang in 1971 and has served RI as director, treasurer, trustee, district governor and International Assembly training leader. He also has served as regional Rotary Foundation coordinator and zone and regional coordinator for membership development. He is chairman of the Polio Eradication Private Sector Initiative in Korea. He is a recipient of the foundation’s citation for meritorious service. In 1996, as district governor, Lee was recognized at the 87th RI Convention as the winner of the ‘Calgary Challenge’ for the most successful membership development efforts, chartering 32 new clubs and adding nearly 1,800 new members, making his district the leader across the Rotary world that year.

Lee lives in Seoul, Korea with his wife Young Ja and has four adult children and four grandchildren.

President, Rotary International

2008-2009

President-elect, Rotary International

2007-2008

Trustee, The Rotary Foundation

2003-2007

Treasurer, Rotary International 

2002-2003

Director, Rotary International

2001-2003

Chairman, Presidential Celebration

Committee - Community Concerns  

 

2004-2005

District Governor

1995-1996

RI President's Message

27 February 2008

 

To the Rotarians of District 3870

 

Dear Fellow Rotarians:

 

We know that by working together, we can achieve greater good than by working alone. We know that united in Rotary, we can  Make Dreams Real  for all of the world’s children by reducing the rate of child mortality.

 

We must provide hope and a chance at a future for all children, both in our local communities and in communities far away, because without Rotary, children’s needs are going unmet every day. This is why I am asking everyone to use the knowledge acquired in recent years working with water, health and hunger, and literacy to do the most good we can to improve the lives of children around the globe, and inspire other Rotarians to do the same.

 

As you make your plans for the next Rotary year, remember to focus on

developing projects that make sure children have clean water, improved

overall health, and the opportunity to go to school. We must work together, one club with another, to do what is needed.

 

Please join me this year in Making Dreams Real  by beginning to turn safe and happy childhoods into long and healthy lives.

 

Sincerely,

 

D.K. Lee

President, 2008–09

Rotary Milestones

 

1905

First Rotary club organized in Chicago, Illinois, USA

1906

First Rotary community service project (Public Comfort room) 

1908

Second club formed in San Francisco, California, USA

1909

First Rotary National Convention held in Chicago, Illinois. Rotary motto first introduced: “He Profits Most Who Serves Best” and “Service Not Self” 

1910

Paul Harris elected First President of National Association of Rotary Clubs at the First Rotary Convention.

1911

Rotary Club outside North America was chartered in Dublin, Ireland

The National Rotarian Magazine was launched 

1912

The Rotary Club of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, becomes the first club outside the United States to be officially chartered.

1913

Rotary’s first appeal for aid disaster victims in the amount of US$25,000 for the state of Ohio and Indiana, USA

1916

First  Rotary Club in Non-English speaking country chartered in Havana, Cuba

1917

Endowment fund, forerunner of The Rotary Foundation, established

1918

First Rotary Club in South America was chartered in Monteviedo, Uraguay

1919

First  Rotary Club in Asia was chartered in Manila, Philippines

1921

First Rotary Club in Africa chartered in Johannesburg, South Africa

First Rotary Club in Australia chartered in Melbourne, Australia

First RI Convention held outside the US in Edinburg, Scotland

1923

The International Association of Rotary Clubs officially adopted the name Rotary International. President Warren Harding of the US was the first Head of State to address a Rotary International Convention at St. Louis

1932

4-Way Test formulated by Chicago Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor

1942

Rotary Conference in London on education and culture exchange sets stage for UNESCO

1945

Forty-nine Rotarians help draft United Nations Charter in San Francisco

1947

Rotary founder Paul Harris dies; first 18 Rotary Foundation scholarships granted

1950

 Official Motto was reworded to “Service Above Self – He Profits Most Who Serves Best”

1962

First Interact club formed in Melbourne, Florida, USA

1965

Rotary Foundation launches Matching Grants and Group Study Exchange programs

1978

RI's largest convention, with 39,834 registrants, held in Tokyo

1985

Rotary announces Polio Plus program to immunize all the children of the world

against polio.   Membership tops 1 million Rotarians

1986

Rotary Village Corps (RVC/RCC) established

1989

Council on Legislation opens Rotary membership to women worldwide; Rotary clubs chartered in Budapest, Hungary, and Warsaw, Poland, for first time in almost 50 years Principal Motto of Rotary International became “Service Above Self” representing unselfish volunteer service 

1990

Rotary Club of Moscow chartered first club in Soviet Union

1991

Preserve Planet Earth program inspires some 2,000 Rotary-sponsored environmental projects

1994

Western Hemisphere declared polio-free

1999

Rotary Centers for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution established

2000

Western Pacific declared polio-free

2001

30,000th Rotary club chartered

2002

Europe declared polio-free; first class of 70 Rotary Peace Scholars begin study

2003

Rotarians raise more than US$118 million to support the final stages of polio eradication

2005

Rotary International celebrates its centennial year

Rotary Foundation Milestones

1917

The Rotary Foundation was established as an endowment fund by the RI President  Arch Klump

 

1918

First Rotary foundation contribution received in the amount of US$26.50 from the

Rotary Club of Kansas City, Missouri, USA

 

1928

The Rotary Foundation formally named its first Board of Trustees

 

1930

First Rotary foundation grant of US$500.00 to the International Society for Crippled Children

 

1947

RI founder Paul Harris dies in Chicago. In his memory Rotarians worldwide gave

the TRF more than US$1M. First Foundation program launched  scholarship for 18 graduate school students

 

1957

Paul Harris Fellow recognition begins for each contribution of US$1,000

 

1965

Matching Grants and Group Study Exchange programs established

 

1978

Health, Hunger and Humanity (3H) program established

 

1979

Foundation grant to immunize 5 million Filipino children against polio sets stage for  Polio Plus program

 

1981

Rotary endowment for World Understanding and Peace established

 

1985

Polio Plus program is launched with the aim of certifying polio eradication by 2005, Rotary’s 100th Anniversary

 

1986

Through the Polio Plus campaign, Rotarians raise US$247M

 

1990

Carl P. Miller Discovery grant begins

 

1993

500 million children immunized against polio through the Polio Plus program

 

1994

Western Hemisphere declared polio free. The Permanent Fund initiative begins

 

1996

Foundation contributors reached 1M

 

1998

Total contribution to TRF since its inception (1917) surpasses the US$1B mark.

Rotary Center for International Studies for Peace and Conflict Resolution established.  The share system of funding projects begins 

 

1999

10,000th matching grant project awarded. Children’s Opportunity grant established

 

2000

First Rotary Peace Scholarship endowed. Community Assistance Program established under individual District Designated. Fund (DDF).

Western Pacific region declared polio free

 

2001

Europe declared polio free.

Rotary announces US$118M campaign to complete the global eradication of polio by 2005

Recent Photos