Rotary International

[http://www.rotary.org/ Click here to go to the RI Web Site] Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are over 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are non-political, non-religious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto “Service Above Self”, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotary was founded by Chicago businessman Paul Harris over a lunch with three business friends in 1905. A lawyer in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Harris was raised in a rural village in Vermont. He envisaged a new kind of club for professionals that would rekindle the fellowship he had known in his youth. After meeting with three friends - a coal dealer, a merchant tailor and a mining engineer - it was decided that business leaders should meet periodically to enjoy camaraderie and to enlarge their circle of business and professional acquaintances. Meetings were rotated among their places of business and so the name “Rotary” emerged and so too did the commitment to improve the lives of the less fortunate. When this first Rotary Club of Chicago donated a horse to a preacher in 1907, the Rotary commitment to service was born and Rotary became the world’s first service club organisation. By 1910, the International Association of Rotary Clubs was established (later renamed Rotary International). In 1916, witnessing the growing popularity of the clubs in various regions worldwide, Rotary set up a district system. The organisation became truly global — transcending national boundaries, race, language, and religion — as clubs mushroomed throughout Europe, South and Central America, Australia, Africa, and Asia. Rotary was represented on six continents by 1921. To reflect this worldwide presence, the name Rotary International was adopted one year later. For more information visit Rotary International Mission Rotary has a mission and that is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. Object 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: • The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; • 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; • The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life; • The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service. Avenues of Service Based on the Object of Rotary, the Avenues of Service 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 Four-Way Test The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, The Four-Way test asks the following questions: 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? Moving toward the future In 2001-02, Rotary International began developing a strategic plan to guide the organization as it entered its second century of service. In June 2007, the Board of Directors of Rotary International approved the Strategic Plan 2007-10, which identifies seven priorities: • Eradicate polio. • Advance the internal and external recognition and public image of Rotary. • Increase Rotary’s capacity to provide service to others. • Expand membership globally in both numbers and quality. • Emphasize Rotary’s unique vocational service commitment. • Optimize the use and development of leadership talents within RI. Fully implement the strategic planning process to ensure continuity and consistency throughout the organization.