What is Rotary?
The Rotary Wheel
The 4-way test
The four avenues of service
The Rotary Foundation
Rotaract and Interact
Rotary is short for Rotary International, a worldwide association of local clubs for men and women in business and the professions who:
provide humanitarian service to the community at a local,national and international level
encourage high ethical standards in all vocations
work for goodwill and peace in the world
The Rotary movement started in 1905, in Chicago, and was founded by Paul Harris. The name "Rotary" derives from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices. It has developed into a worldwide organisation with almost 1.2 million members, in over 32,760 clubs. It operates in over 160 countries. Rotary in Britain and Ireland, Known as RIBI, has about 60,000 Rotarians in over 1850 clubs within 29 districts. Rotarians give support and time to community projects at a local, national and international level, as well as raising funds (over £15 million was raised in 1999, and £1.8 billion has been raised since 1940).
Service above Self is the motto of the Rotary movement.
A wheel has been the symbol of Rotary since its earliest days, the original wagon wheel emblem symbolising "Civilisation and Movement". Since 1924, the present gear wheel with 24 cogs and six spokes was adopted. The key bed in the centre of the wheel shows that it is driven, rather than just freewheeling.
This test, developed in 1932 by a later President of Rotary International, Herbert J. Taylor is a simple guide to right thinking and business conduct. The test is to ask the following questions:
Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
The "four avenues of service" concept is used as a way to describe the primary activities of Rotary service.
"Club Service" involves all the activities which Rotarians perform to make their club function successfully.
"Vocational Service" indicates the opportunity each Rotarian has to represent the dignity and utility of their vocation to other members of the Club.
"Community Service" describes activities which Rotarians undertake to improve the quality of life in their community.
"International Service" describes many programmes and activities undertaken by Rotarians to advance international understanding, goodwill and peace, and to meet the humanitarian needs of people in many lands. These include emergency boxes, eye camps, vocational training schools, and provisioon of items for areas of need including text books, tools and water filtration units.
The Rotary Foundation is the charity of the Rotary movement. It is dedicated to furthering international understanding, goodwill and peace. The Foundation administers many programmes to aid the needy and deserving. The most ambitious programme to date has been PolioPlus, a campaign to help the World Health Organisation immunise the world's children against polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus. The programme began in 1985, and since then more than 2 billion children have received oral polio vaccine. In 2006 Polio is present in four countries with a total of 180 cases.
Rotary International has created two organisations for young people, dedicated to service and international understanding.
Rotaract,which is made up from the words Rotary and Action, has a membership of over 150,000 in 146 countries. It is a club for men and women aged 19-30 years who participate in a programme of social, charitable and fund-raising events.
Interact is a similar type of organisation, but is for young people between the ages of 14 and 18; it has a membership of 170,000 in 106 countries.
Though closely associated with Rotary, the clubs are independent and self-governing.