ABOUT ROTARY

WHAT’S ROTARY?

Rotary is an international membership organization made up of diverse groups of people who share a passion for and commitment to enhancing communities and improving lives across the world. Rotary clubs exist in almost every country. Being a member is an opportunity to take action and make a difference.

WHAT WE VALUE

Rotary was founded on principles that remain at the heart of the organization today. These principles reflect our core values — integrity, diversity, service, leadership, and friendship. Our core values emerge as themes in our guiding principles.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

We’ve been making history and bringing our world closer together for more than 100 years. The first Rotary club was started in Chicago, Illinois, in 1905 by an attorney named Paul Harris. Harris wanted to bring together a group of professionals with different backgrounds and skills as a way to exchange ideas and form meaningful acquaintances. In August 1910, there were 16 Rotary clubs in the United States and by 1912 Rotary started to expand internationally. By July 1925, Rotary clubs existed on six continents. Today, there are more than 35,000 clubs, in almost every country in the world.

Although Rotary clubs develop autonomous service programs, all Rotarians worldwide are united in a campaign for the global eradication of polio. Through the PolioPlus program, Rotarians have raised millions of dollars to date and provided an army of volunteers to promote and assist at national immunization days in polio-endemic countries around the world.

Find out more about Rotary by visiting the Rotary International web site.

The Four-Way Test

The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings:

Of the things we think, say or do

  1. Is it the TRUTH?

  2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

  3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

  4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

What We Do

Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues. Our 35,000+ clubs work together to:

  • Promote peace
  • Fight disease
  • Provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
  • Save mothers and children
  • Support education
  • Grow local economies
  • Protecting the environment

HOW IS ROTARY STRUCTURED?

ROTARY CLUB MEMBERS
There are more than 1.2 million Rotary club members. Rotarians have the privilege of working with other professionals and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by bringing together your expertise, skills, and resources.

ROTARY CLUBS
The club is the most important component of Rotary’s organizational structure. There are over 35,000 Rotary clubs in more than 220 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs are autonomous, so the member experience varies from club to club. However, they all operate somewhat similarly. For example, all clubs have presidents, secretaries, and treasurers and committees that help them run smoothly. Each Rotary club is considered a member of Rotary International. Strong, well-run clubs enhance our members’ experiences and deliver valuable service to our communities.

CLUB MEETINGS
Rotary clubs hold regular meetings where their members gather to socialize and to discuss their current projects, other Rotary matters, and professional topics. While most clubs meet in person, some clubs meet primarily online or have a combination of in-person and online meetings. Rotary is both apolitical and nonreligious, and Rotary clubs are encouraged to create an inclusive environment for all club members at their meetings.

DISTRICTS AND ZONES
Rotary clubs are grouped into districts, led by a district governor who works with a team to support and strengthen clubs and motivate them to carry out service projects. Governors visit each club in the district during the year, oversee the development of new clubs, and plan the district conference and other special events. Each Rotary club belongs to the global association, Rotary International (RI), led by the RI president and the RI Board of Directors.

Object of Rotary

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

 

  • FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
  • SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
  • THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
  • FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.