Published: July 03, 2008 04:29 pm            

New Rotary governor sworn in

ASHEBORO — Charles Allen wants to eradicate polio and slow down child mortality around the world.

The Asheboro businessman was installed last week as governor of Rotary District 7690, which includes 50 local clubs in Piedmont North Carolina. A member of Randolph Rotary, he’s been in the club since 1993 and was president in 1999-2000.

Three years ago Allen was selected as district governor nominee and has undergone training for the job since 2006. As district governor he’s over about 3,200 Rotarians. Rotary International has 532 districts, 3,200 local clubs and 1.2 million members.

“Our goal is to provide community service in our own areas and around the world,” he said, adding the Rotary’s four main areas of concern are literacy, health, hunger and water.

Allen said the current international goal is to match a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation $100 million grant to eradicate polio from the earth. “It’s down to one country with endemic polio,” he said. So the focus is on that nation – Nigeria.

Rotary International is partnering with Unicef, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control in the fight against polio. So far, Allen said, five billion children have been inoculated.

Closer to home, Allen said, the goal is to develop the district, maintaining a continuity of purpose in providing services to the world. “Locally, I’m hoping to grow two new clubs ... and membership.” One of the new clubs in the district is a breakfast club in Asheboro.

“I feel pride in a strong Rotary club,” he said, “being able to work with others to share the blessings we have with others. We have the opportunity to affect lives (by helping) to stop child mortality.” Allen said 30,000 children die each day around the world from preventable diseases. “We have the responsibility to try to make a difference in their lives. That’s what drives me. I am so blessed ... I want to give back to others.”

Allen was born and grew up in Greensboro. In 1960 he moved to Asheboro when his father moved the family business, Allen Machine & Supply Inc. He is a graduate of Asheboro High School and attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Guilford College.

During his year as president, Allen and his wife Sandra traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica, to participate in Randolph Rotary’s first matching grant project, Literacy Library Center – San Jose, Costa Rica. He served as international service chairman and international projects chairman from 1998 through 2006 and co-coordinated the club’s international service participation in the Saving Little Hearts in Nicaragua project with nine other District 7690 Rotary Clubs from 2001 through 2006. He also co-coordinated club participation in a Rotary International project, Saheli Vocational Training and Family Welfare Centre for Women, with the Rotary Club of Nawada, India, in 2005-2006 and with the Rotary Club of Patna Ashok, India, in 2006-2007.

He served on the 2001-2002 District Conference Committee, was District Rotary Foundation annual giving chair during 2002-2003 and assistant governor from 2003 through 2006.

        

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