The Organization of Rotary

Rotarians are members of Rotary clubs, which belong to the global association Rotary International (RI). Each club elects its own officers and enjoys considerable autonomy within the framework of Rotary's constitution and bylaws.

1.2 million Rotarians are members of 67,000 clubs which are grouped into 530 Rotary districts, each led by a district governor, who is an officer of RI. The district administration, including assistant governors and various committees, guides and supports the clubs. Effective clubs strive to sustain or increase their membership base, participate in service projects that benefit their own community and those in other countries, support The Rotary Foundation financially and through program participation, and develop leaders capable of serving in Rotary beyond the club level.

The 19-member RI Board of Directors, which includes the RI president and president-elect, meets quarterly to establish policies. Traditionally, the RI president, who is elected annually, develops a theme
and emphasis for the year.

While the RI president is the organization’s chief executive, the active managing officer is the RI general secretary, who heads a staff of about 600 people at World Headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, USA, and in the seven international offices in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland. The RI in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) office, in England, serves clubs and districts in that region.
Responsibilities of Membership

What Rotarians get out of Rotary depends largely on what they put into it. Many membership requirements are designed to help members more fully enjoy their Rotary experience. For our club's policy on business relationships <click here>

The club is the cornerstone of Rotary, and attending weekly meetings allows members to enjoy their club's fellowship and enrich their professional and personal knowledge. If members miss their own club's meeting, they are encouraged to expand their Rotary horizons by attending make-up meetings at any Rotary club in the world — a practice that guarantees Rotarians a warm welcome in communities around the globe. For meeting places and times, consult the official Directory or the Where Clubs Meet section on RI's Web site (www.rotary.org).

Regular attendance helps members fulfill another important responsibility -participating in club service projects. Members learn about their club's involvement in local and international projects and can volunteer their time and talents where they are most needed.

To keep clubs strong, every Rotarian must share the responsibility of bringing new people into Rotary. Even new members can bring guests to meetings or invite them to participate in a service project. The value of Rotary speaks for itself, and the best way to spark the interest of potential members is by letting them experience fellowship and service firsthand.

Keeping members interested in Rotary is another responsibility. Good club fellowship and early involvement in service projects are two of the best ways to sustain the club’s membership.

Rotary's guiding principles
Throughout Rotary's history, several basic principles have been developed to guide Rotarians in achieving the ideal of service and high ethical standards.

The Object of Rotary, first formulated in 1910, and adapted throughout the years as Rotary's mission expanded, provides a succinct definition of the organizations purpose and the individual club member’s responsibilities.

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.

The classification principle ensures that each club's membership profiles the business and professional composition of its community. Under this system, each member's classification is based on his or her business or profession; the number of members holding that classification is limited according to the size of the club. The result is professional diversity, which enlivens the social atmosphere of the club and provides a rich resource of occupational expertise to carry out service projects.

The four Avenues of Service, based on the Object of Rotary, are Rotary's philosophical cornerstone and the foundation on which club activity is based:

Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club.
Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards.
Community Service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community.
International Service encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the globe and to promote world understanding and peace.

The 4-Way Test, followed by Rotarians worldwide in their business and professional life, was created by Rotarian Herbert J.Taylor in 1932. It has since been translated into more than 100 languages

Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

RI Programs
The following programs and service opportunities are designed to help Rotarians meet needs in their own communities and reach out to assist people in need worldwide:

Interact Rotary clubs organize and sponsor this service organization for youth ages 14 to 18; more than 8,300 clubs in 109 countries.

Rotaract Rotary clubs organize and sponsor this leadership, professional development, and service organization for young adults, ages 18 to 30; more than 7,200 clubs in 152 countries.

Rotary Community Corps (RCC) - Rotary clubs organize and sponsor these groups of non-Rotarians who work to improve their communities; almost 4,500 RCCs in 68 countries.

Rotary Fellowships - International recreational, vocational, and health-related groups open to all Rotarians and spouses sharing common interests; approximately 75 fellowships.

Rotary Friendship Exchange - Rotarians and their families make reciprocal visits to other countries, staying in each other's homes and learning about the culture firsthand.

Rotary Volunteers - While every Rotarian is a volunteer, hundreds of those with special skills and experience volunteer their services abroad for short periods every year, via RI.

Rotary Youth Exchange - Clubs and districts sponsor and host students ages 15 to 19 who travel abroad for an academic year or an extended holiday; about 7,000 a year. For more info visit: http://home.neo.rr.com/adventure/RotaryYouthExchange.htm
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) - Clubs and districts sponsor seminars to encourage and recognize leadership abilities of youth and young adults ages 14 to 30.

World Community Service (WCS) - Rotary clubs and districts form international partnerships to provide assistance with a service project to a club or district in another country; many such projects receive funding from Rotary Foundation Humanitarian Programs matching grants. For highlights of our district international service activities click here.

Menu of Service Opportunities
RI recommends that clubs planning service activities consider nine major needs or concerns: Children at Risk, Disabled Persons, Health Care, International Understanding and Goodwill, Literacy and Numeracy, Population Issues, Poverty and Hunger, Preserve Planet Earth, and Urban Concerns.

The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation of RI is a not-for-profit corporation that receives contributions totaling more than US$70 million annually and distributes some $65 million each year in support of humanitarian and educational programs implemented by clubs and districts. Contributions from Rotarians go to the Foundation's Annual Programs Fund, which provides grants and awards through Foundation programs, and the Permanent Fund, an endowment from which only the earnings are spent in support of Foundation programs, ensuring the long-term viability of the Foundation.

Every dollar contributed by Rotarians funds the humanitarian and educational programs that enable Rotarians to extend their service internationally. Clubs and districts apply for and receive Foundation grants to carry out many worthy projects worldwide.
The Rotary Foundation's mission is to support the efforts of Rotary International in the fulfillment of the Object of Rotary, Rotary's mission, and the achievement of world understanding and peace through local, national, and international humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs.

Humanitarian Programs
Humanitarian Programs grants enable Rotarians to increase their support of international service projects that provide water wells, basic shelters, medical care, literacy classes, and other essentials to people in need. Rotarian participation is key to the success of these projects.

Blane Community Immunization Grants provide U.S. Rotary clubs and districts up to $ 1,000 in matching funds to provide immunizations in their communities.

Community Assistance Program awards enable Rotary districts to use their District Designated Fund (DDF) for service projects in their own countries.

Discovery Grants subsidize the planning activities for international service projects.

Grants for Rotary Volunteers subsidize the travel and general expenses of Rotarians, Foundation alumni, and Rotaractors to assist areas of the world that require their expertise.

Helping Grants support humanitarian projects in non-Rotary countries or where participation of local Rotarians is limited.

Matching Grants for International Humanitarian Projects assist Rotary clubs and districts in carrying out World Community Service projects with clubs in another country.

New Opportunities Grants support projects that advance Rotary ideals but do not meet eligibility criteria of existing Foundation programs.

Educational Programs
Educational Programs are designed to promote international understanding by bringing together people from different countries and cultures. Rotarians participate in these programs by hosting scholars, leading Group Study Exchange teams, and other activities.

Ambassadorial Scholarships are awarded to students to serve as ambassadors of goodwill while studying in countries other than their own. For more information visit http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/prospect/candidate/eligibility.html

Rotary World Peace Scholarships are awarded to individuals for study at the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. For more information visit http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/centers/applicant.html

Group Study Exchange is an exchange program between districts in different countries for business and professional men and women ages 25 to 40.

Rotary Grants for University Teachers are awarded to higher education faculty to teach abroad in an academic field of practical use to people in a low-income country.

PolioPlus - The final drive to a polio-free world
The PolioPlus program provides funding for vaccine and transportation for mass immunization campaigns as well as support for social mobilization, surveillance, and laboratories to help carry out the final stages of global polio eradication.

Goal: To eradicate polio world-wide by 2005, Rotary's centennial.

Major partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative:
Rotary International, World Health Organization, UNICEF, U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Achievements:

Rotarians raised US$247 million between 1985 and 1988 for polio eradication. As of 1 January 2002, Rotary has committed more than $462 million to global polio eradication, and that figure should exceed $500 million by 2005. Polio cases have declined more than 99 percent, from 350,000 cases in 1985 to 600 in 2001.
Polio has been eradicated in the Western Hemisphere (1994), the Western Pacific region (2000), and Europe (2002).
More than two billion children have been immunized against polio since 1985.
Hundreds of thousands of Rotarians have mobilized to help immunize children, deliver vaccine, promote National Immunization Days, and conduct surveillance for the disease despite poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and conflict in many countries.

Benefits of eradication: Humanity would be spared immeasurable suffering by polio victims, and an estimated $1.5 billion per year would be saved.

Main obstacle: $275 million is needed to fund remaining polio eradication needs.

Strategy: A one-year campaign -Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio - was launched on 1 July 2002 with the goal of raising US$80 million, with funds being matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, and the World Bank.

District, regional, and international meetings Several key meetings bring Rotarians together to share ideas, celebrate successes, enjoy fellowship, and plan for the future. The largest of these meetings, the RI Convention, is held in May or June in a different part of the Rotary world each year. This lively four-day meeting features speeches by world and Rotary leaders, spectacular entertainment reflecting the local culture, and unparalleled opportunities to experience the true breadth of Rotary's international fellowship.

Presidential conferences are held in different parts of the world each year to address issues determined by the RI president, generally focusing on the region in which the conference is held. These conferences provide the backdrop for spirited discussion and opportunities to form international service partnerships.

Rotarians are encouraged to attend their district conference, an annual motivational meeting that showcases club and district activities. A family event, the district conference mixes fellowship with learning and allows Rotarians to become the changing face of Rotary. The genius of Rotary has been its ability to respond to the needs of the day, from child welfare to refugee relief to rural development.

At both the local and international levels, a cornucopia of creative Rotary programs has emerged, from initiatives that help at-risk youths to humanitarian grants designed to diminish poverty.

Changes have also occurred within Rotary. In the 1980s, female business and professional leaders began to join the organization's ranks. Rotary has become increasingly international, with two-thirds of today's Rotarians living outside the United States. Technology is also transforming the way and speed with which Rotarians communicate with one another, promote their activities, and engage in Rotary business.

Rotary clubs are changing their meeting times and places to make membership more convenient and relevant to today's demanding professional and personal schedules. Rotary clubs meet throughout the day at a variety of common venues including restaurants, libraries, and museums, as well as a homeless shelter and a boat, and, in keeping with Rotary's earliest tradition, members' workplaces.

Some far-reaching changes are in the experimental stage. The 2001 Council on Legislation authorized a three-year pilot project whereby RI may charter up to 200 Rotary clubs that deviate from the Standard Rotary Club Constitution. The pilot clubs have altered their meeting frequency, relaxed attendance rules, and offered new types of membership, including corporate and family memberships, in an effort to attract and retain members. One new model is a cyberclub. If such pilot clubs prove successful, the 2004 Council on Legislation could adopt policies making these innovations permanent.

For a copy of our membership application, click below:

http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/downloadcenter/pdfs/254en.pdf


		MEETINGS: 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, Laurel Lake Retirement Community Room, 200 Laurel Lake Rd., Hudson

		The Organization of Rotary Rotarians are members of Rotary clubs, which belong to the global association Rotary International (RI). Each club elects its own officers and enjoys considerable autonomy within the framework of Rotary's constitution and bylaws. 1.2 million Rotarians are members of 67,000 clubs which are grouped into 530 Rotary districts, each led by a district governor, who is an officer of RI. The district administration, including assistant governors and various committees, guides and supports the clubs. Effective clubs strive to sustain or increase their membership base, participate in service projects that benefit their own community and those in other countries, support The Rotary Foundation financially and through program participation, and develop leaders capable of serving in Rotary beyond the club level. The 19-member RI Board of Directors, which includes the RI president and president-elect, meets quarterly to establish policies. Traditionally, the RI president, who is elected annually, develops a theme and emphasis for the year. While the RI president is the organization’s chief executive, the active managing officer is the RI general secretary, who heads a staff of about 600 people at World Headquarters in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, USA, and in the seven international offices in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland. The RI in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) office, in England, serves clubs and districts in that region. Responsibilities of Membership What Rotarians get out of Rotary depends largely on what they put into it. Many membership requirements are designed to help members more fully enjoy their Rotary experience. For our club's policy on business relationships <click here> The club is the cornerstone of Rotary, and attending weekly meetings allows members to enjoy their club's fellowship and enrich their professional and personal knowledge. If members miss their own club's meeting, they are encouraged to expand their Rotary horizons by attending make-up meetings at any Rotary club in the world — a practice that guarantees Rotarians a warm welcome in communities around the globe. For meeting places and times, consult the official Directory or the Where Clubs Meet section on RI's Web site (www.rotary.org). Regular attendance helps members fulfill another important responsibility -participating in club service projects. Members learn about their club's involvement in local and international projects and can volunteer their time and talents where they are most needed. To keep clubs strong, every Rotarian must share the responsibility of bringing new people into Rotary. Even new members can bring guests to meetings or invite them to participate in a service project. The value of Rotary speaks for itself, and the best way to spark the interest of potential members is by letting them experience fellowship and service firsthand. Keeping members interested in Rotary is another responsibility. Good club fellowship and early involvement in service projects are two of the best ways to sustain the club’s membership. Rotary's guiding principles Throughout Rotary's history, several basic principles have been developed to guide Rotarians in achieving the ideal of service and high ethical standards. The Object of Rotary, first formulated in 1910, and adapted throughout the years as Rotary's mission expanded, provides a succinct definition of the organizations purpose and the individual club member’s responsibilities. 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. The classification principle ensures that each club's membership profiles the business and professional composition of its community. Under this system, each member's classification is based on his or her business or profession; the number of members holding that classification is limited according to the size of the club. The result is professional diversity, which enlivens the social atmosphere of the club and provides a rich resource of occupational expertise to carry out service projects. The four Avenues of Service, based on the Object of Rotary, are Rotary's philosophical cornerstone and the foundation on which club activity is based: Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club. Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards. Community Service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community. International Service encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the globe and to promote world understanding and peace. The 4-Way Test, followed by Rotarians worldwide in their business and professional life, was created by Rotarian Herbert J.Taylor in 1932. It has since been translated into more than 100 languages Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? RI Programs The following programs and service opportunities are designed to help Rotarians meet needs in their own communities and reach out to assist people in need worldwide: Interact Rotary clubs organize and sponsor this service organization for youth ages 14 to 18; more than 8,300 clubs in 109 countries. Rotaract Rotary clubs organize and sponsor this leadership, professional development, and service organization for young adults, ages 18 to 30; more than 7,200 clubs in 152 countries. Rotary Community Corps (RCC) - Rotary clubs organize and sponsor these groups of non-Rotarians who work to improve their communities; almost 4,500 RCCs in 68 countries. Rotary Fellowships - International recreational, vocational, and health-related groups open to all Rotarians and spouses sharing common interests; approximately 75 fellowships. Rotary Friendship Exchange - Rotarians and their families make reciprocal visits to other countries, staying in each other's homes and learning about the culture firsthand. Rotary Volunteers - While every Rotarian is a volunteer, hundreds of those with special skills and experience volunteer their services abroad for short periods every year, via RI. Rotary Youth Exchange - Clubs and districts sponsor and host students ages 15 to 19 who travel abroad for an academic year or an extended holiday; about 7,000 a year. For more info visit: http://home.neo.rr.com/adventure/RotaryYouthExchange.htm Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) - Clubs and districts sponsor seminars to encourage and recognize leadership abilities of youth and young adults ages 14 to 30. World Community Service (WCS) - Rotary clubs and districts form international partnerships to provide assistance with a service project to a club or district in another country; many such projects receive funding from Rotary Foundation Humanitarian Programs matching grants. For highlights of our district international service activities click here. Menu of Service Opportunities RI recommends that clubs planning service activities consider nine major needs or concerns: Children at Risk, Disabled Persons, Health Care, International Understanding and Goodwill, Literacy and Numeracy, Population Issues, Poverty and Hunger, Preserve Planet Earth, and Urban Concerns. The Rotary Foundation The Rotary Foundation of RI is a not-for-profit corporation that receives contributions totaling more than US$70 million annually and distributes some $65 million each year in support of humanitarian and educational programs implemented by clubs and districts. Contributions from Rotarians go to the Foundation's Annual Programs Fund, which provides grants and awards through Foundation programs, and the Permanent Fund, an endowment from which only the earnings are spent in support of Foundation programs, ensuring the long-term viability of the Foundation. Every dollar contributed by Rotarians funds the humanitarian and educational programs that enable Rotarians to extend their service internationally. Clubs and districts apply for and receive Foundation grants to carry out many worthy projects worldwide. The Rotary Foundation's mission is to support the efforts of Rotary International in the fulfillment of the Object of Rotary, Rotary's mission, and the achievement of world understanding and peace through local, national, and international humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs. Humanitarian Programs Humanitarian Programs grants enable Rotarians to increase their support of international service projects that provide water wells, basic shelters, medical care, literacy classes, and other essentials to people in need. Rotarian participation is key to the success of these projects. Blane Community Immunization Grants provide U.S. Rotary clubs and districts up to $ 1,000 in matching funds to provide immunizations in their communities. Community Assistance Program awards enable Rotary districts to use their District Designated Fund (DDF) for service projects in their own countries. Discovery Grants subsidize the planning activities for international service projects. Grants for Rotary Volunteers subsidize the travel and general expenses of Rotarians, Foundation alumni, and Rotaractors to assist areas of the world that require their expertise. Helping Grants support humanitarian projects in non-Rotary countries or where participation of local Rotarians is limited. Matching Grants for International Humanitarian Projects assist Rotary clubs and districts in carrying out World Community Service projects with clubs in another country. New Opportunities Grants support projects that advance Rotary ideals but do not meet eligibility criteria of existing Foundation programs. Educational Programs Educational Programs are designed to promote international understanding by bringing together people from different countries and cultures. Rotarians participate in these programs by hosting scholars, leading Group Study Exchange teams, and other activities. Ambassadorial Scholarships are awarded to students to serve as ambassadors of goodwill while studying in countries other than their own. For more information visit http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/prospect/candidate/eligibility.html Rotary World Peace Scholarships are awarded to individuals for study at the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. For more information visit http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/centers/applicant.html Group Study Exchange is an exchange program between districts in different countries for business and professional men and women ages 25 to 40. Rotary Grants for University Teachers are awarded to higher education faculty to teach abroad in an academic field of practical use to people in a low-income country. PolioPlus - The final drive to a polio-free world The PolioPlus program provides funding for vaccine and transportation for mass immunization campaigns as well as support for social mobilization, surveillance, and laboratories to help carry out the final stages of global polio eradication. Goal: To eradicate polio world-wide by 2005, Rotary's centennial. Major partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative: Rotary International, World Health Organization, UNICEF, U.S. Centers for Disease Control Achievements: Rotarians raised US$247 million between 1985 and 1988 for polio eradication. As of 1 January 2002, Rotary has committed more than $462 million to global polio eradication, and that figure should exceed $500 million by 2005. Polio cases have declined more than 99 percent, from 350,000 cases in 1985 to 600 in 2001. Polio has been eradicated in the Western Hemisphere (1994), the Western Pacific region (2000), and Europe (2002). More than two billion children have been immunized against polio since 1985. Hundreds of thousands of Rotarians have mobilized to help immunize children, deliver vaccine, promote National Immunization Days, and conduct surveillance for the disease despite poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and conflict in many countries. Benefits of eradication: Humanity would be spared immeasurable suffering by polio victims, and an estimated $1.5 billion per year would be saved. Main obstacle: $275 million is needed to fund remaining polio eradication needs. Strategy: A one-year campaign -Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio - was launched on 1 July 2002 with the goal of raising US$80 million, with funds being matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, and the World Bank. District, regional, and international meetings Several key meetings bring Rotarians together to share ideas, celebrate successes, enjoy fellowship, and plan for the future. The largest of these meetings, the RI Convention, is held in May or June in a different part of the Rotary world each year. This lively four-day meeting features speeches by world and Rotary leaders, spectacular entertainment reflecting the local culture, and unparalleled opportunities to experience the true breadth of Rotary's international fellowship. Presidential conferences are held in different parts of the world each year to address issues determined by the RI president, generally focusing on the region in which the conference is held. These conferences provide the backdrop for spirited discussion and opportunities to form international service partnerships. Rotarians are encouraged to attend their district conference, an annual motivational meeting that showcases club and district activities. A family event, the district conference mixes fellowship with learning and allows Rotarians to become the changing face of Rotary. The genius of Rotary has been its ability to respond to the needs of the day, from child welfare to refugee relief to rural development. At both the local and international levels, a cornucopia of creative Rotary programs has emerged, from initiatives that help at-risk youths to humanitarian grants designed to diminish poverty. Changes have also occurred within Rotary. In the 1980s, female business and professional leaders began to join the organization's ranks. Rotary has become increasingly international, with two-thirds of today's Rotarians living outside the United States. Technology is also transforming the way and speed with which Rotarians communicate with one another, promote their activities, and engage in Rotary business. Rotary clubs are changing their meeting times and places to make membership more convenient and relevant to today's demanding professional and personal schedules. Rotary clubs meet throughout the day at a variety of common venues including restaurants, libraries, and museums, as well as a homeless shelter and a boat, and, in keeping with Rotary's earliest tradition, members' workplaces. Some far-reaching changes are in the experimental stage. The 2001 Council on Legislation authorized a three-year pilot project whereby RI may charter up to 200 Rotary clubs that deviate from the Standard Rotary Club Constitution. The pilot clubs have altered their meeting frequency, relaxed attendance rules, and offered new types of membership, including corporate and family memberships, in an effort to attract and retain members. One new model is a cyberclub. If such pilot clubs prove successful, the 2004 Council on Legislation could adopt policies making these innovations permanent. For a copy of our membership application, click below: http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/downloadcenter/pdfs/254en.pdf

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