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About Rotary
Rotary is an organization of business and
professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service,
encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill
and peace in the world. Any Professional or Vocational person of high ethical standard who can maintain himself well and at the same time attained capacity to do something good for others can become a Rotarian. Go top a. Fellowship with men and women of like ideals. b. Unique opportunities to serve your community, improve your vocation and promote international friendship. c. Broad acquaintance with men and women of other business & profession. d. Participation in stimulating programmes at weekly meeting. e. To meet other Rotarians when attending other Rotary Clubs. A Rotarian is to attend regular weekly meetings of his club. If he remains absent in four consecutive regular weekly meetings without making up attendance in any other Rotary clubs or if he attends less than 60% of such a meetings during any semester of a Rotary year, his membership is automatically terminated, of course, if board considers the case, he can be reinstated after observing necessary formalities. Go top 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. Go top The first Rotary Club in the world was organized in Chicago on 23rd February, 1905 by Paul. P Harris, a lawyer who suggested the form of Organization to a few friends and friends and with them instituted the club. In 1908, the second Rotary Club was formed in San Francisco, and by 1910 there were 16 clubs which formed National Association of Rotary Clubs. Two years later the International Association of Rotary Clubs was formed and in 1922 this name was shortened to Rotary International. Rotary International is the Association of Rotary clubs of the world. It was and has the responsibility for the establishment, encouragement, assistance and administrative supervision of its member clubs and for the propagation of the objects of Rotary Its office serves as a clearing house of information for Rotary Clubs aiding in the Standardization of their practices and in the translation of the "Ideal of Service" Into Business and community life. The head quarters of Rotary International is situated at one Rotary Centre, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60201, U.S.A. Go top For seventy years (since 1927), The program of Rotary has been carried out on four Avenues of Service (originally called channels). These avenues — club service, vocational service, community service and international service — closely mirror the four parts of the Object of Rotary: Club Service includes the scope of activities that Rotarians undertake in support of their club, such as serving on committees, proposing individuals for membership, and meeting attendance requirements. Vocational Service focuses on the opportunity that Rotarians have to represent their professions as well as their efforts to promote vocational awareness and high ethical standards in business. For decades, Rotarians having been applying the "4-Way Test" to their business and personal relationships and in recent years, a "Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions" has given expression to their concern for ethical standards in the workplace. From offering career guidance in high schools, to seeking ways to improve conditions in the workplace, Rotarians and their clubs engage in many different kinds of vocational service. Community Service includes the scope of activities which Rotarians undertake to improve the quality of life in their community. Many official Rotary programs are intended to meet community needs, whether it be to promote literacy, help the elderly or disabled, combat urban violence or provide opportunities for local youth. International Service describes the activities which Rotarians undertake to advance international understanding, goodwill and peace. The spread of Rotary clubs across the globe allows for the concerted Rotary support of humanitarian efforts worldwide. Go top HOW ROTARY BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY The Rotary Club ............ § Tends to make the community a friendly one by promoting general fellowship and thoughtfulness of others. § Helps to obliterate factions by providing a common meeting ground and appealing to unselfish motives. § Co-operatives with and thereby strengthens other local organizations. § Is a group striving to develop a spirit of wholehearted co-operation in the handling of questions of public welfare. § Is a non-partisan, non-sectarian group in a position to win popular support for plans for community betterment, however initiated. § Serves as a training ground for constructive leadership and invaluable asset to the community. § Can, through Rotary contacts, in the interests of its community, avail itself of the experience of hundreds of other towns and cities in improving themselves. § Links the community into a chair of many thousands of other communities in nearly 160 countries and geographical regions, all having Rotary clubs, thus giving it world affiliations and keeping it in the stream of world progress. Go top HOW ROTARY BENEFITS THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBER The Rotary Club ............ § Affords the member an opportunity to express in a practical way those nobler desires found in every man who wants to make his contribution to the betterment of society. § Gives the member a new and increased opportunity to express in action his desire to be helpful to others. § Widens constantly the members circle of friends. § Increases the member's knowledge of business and profession other then his own, and gives him a sympathetic understanding of the problems of others. § Encourages and supports the members in his efforts to conduct his business or profession according to the highest standards of correct practice. § Serves as an ideal means for developing the members talents capacities to the utmost (more than one man has found new interests and new activities throughout the Rotary Club). § Gives the member a friendly contact and hearty welcome in almost in every important city in the world. § Increases the member's knowledge of world affairs; give him a keener appreciation of the true character of other peoples. § Gives the member the satisfaction of participating in a movement which in building international understanding. Go top THE FUNDAMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ROTARY i. Rotary is concerned with the development, encouragement and fostering of understanding, goodwill, and peaceful relations among people through the world based upon the ideal of service. ii. Rotary is a World fellowship of business and professional men banded together in Rotary clubs for the purpose of encouraging the practical application of the ideal of service both individually and collectively with emphasis on the individual. iii. A ROTARY club selects its members on a basis of classification in accordance with the nature and place of the individuals business or professional activities. iv. Attendance at regular club meetings is required at least to stated minimum for the continuance of membership so that acquaintance and fellowship may be developed as a first step toward lasting friendships. v. Rotary clubs provide members with opportunities to develop an appreciation of and a desire to practice and exemplify high ethical standards in their personal and business and professional activities. vi. The religious and political beliefs of a Rotarian are regarded as being his own concern. A Rotarian is expected to be faithful to his religion and loyal in his citizenship. Go top return to top
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