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What is Rotary?
Rotary is an organization of business
and professional people united worldwide who provide
humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards
in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in
the world.
Paul P. Harris, a Chicago attorney,
invited three of his friends to a meeting on February
23, 1905 to organize a club to promote friendship and
business. They began having weekly meetings in
each member's place of business. The rotation of
meetings gave rise to the name Rotary.
As the group continued to invite
others to join, Rotary grew quickly. Today there
are over 31,000 Rotary clubs in 167 countries around
the world with a total membership of approximately 1.2
million.
Rotarians were quick to add community
service to their purposes. Today Rotary is known
as the world's first and oldest service club.
Rotarians serve in their own communities and they
unite worldwide for service and cultural exchanges.
Object
of Rotary
The
object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal
of service as a basis of worthy enterprise by
promoting the following four objectives:
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 by each Rotarian of
his occupation as an opportunity serve society'
The
application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian
to personal, business and community life;
The
advancement of international understanding, goodwill,
and peace through a world fellowship of business and
professional people united in the ideal of service.
What
You Can Expect From Rotary?
- Membership
in the world's oldest and most prestigious service
club;
- Immediate
acceptance, courtesy, friendship and respect from
the nearly 1.2 million Rotarians around the world
including the right to attend any of the over
31,000 Rotary clubs;
- A
unique opportunity to substantially enlarge your
circle of business and professional acquaintances;
- Knowledge
and insight to community, state, national and
international issues and leaders;
- Fellowship
and many enduring friendships from an association
with other business and professional people in
your community;
- An
opportunity to contribute to world understanding
and peace through a world fellowship of business
and professional people;
- A
new opportunity to serve your community;
- Reception
of the monthly magazine, THE ROTARIAN, which
contains news to Rotary around the world and
interesting articles by outstanding writers on a
variety of subjects.
What
Rotary Expects from You?
- Service
to your community through Rotary and other
organizations of your choice;
- Representation
of your vocation to our club and representation of
Rotary to your vocation;
- A
commitment to world understanding and peace;
- Service
to our club, sharing in its functioning, and
cheerful acceptance of committee assignments;
- Faithful
attendance at club meetings or
"make-ups" of absence. You must
attend (or "make-up") a minimum of 60%
of all meetings in a six month period and you must
not miss four meetings in a row;
- Prompt
payment of all financial
obligations.
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