Rotary International

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 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, 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.

Guiding Principles

The Object of Rotary

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.

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.
• New Generations Service recognizes the positive change implemented by youth and young adults through leadership development activities, service projects, and exchange programs.

The Four-Way Test

The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, 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?

Mission

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. 

Diversity and Rotary

Rotary International recognizes the value of diversity within individual clubs. Rotary encourages clubs to assess those in their communities who are eligible for membership, under existing membership guidelines, and to endeavor to include the appropriate range of individuals in their clubs. A club that reflects its community with regard to professional and business classification, gender, age, religion, and ethnicity is a club with the key to its future.

 Strategic planning

I n 2001-02, as Rotary International entered its second century of service, it began developing a strategic plan to guide the organization. The plan has been reviewed and updated periodically since.

In 2009, the Board conducted an extensive review of the RI Strategic Plan. This review included surveying 14,000 Rotarians worldwide about the organization’s priorities, conducting focus groups to assess Rotary’s image in different countries, and analyzing other data and research. The revised plan, effective 1 July 2010, reflects the results of this research and also unifies the strategic direction of RI and The Rotary Foundation.

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Core Essence

A worldwide network of inspired individuals who translate their passions into relevant social causes to change lives in communities.

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Mission

We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

The programs of Rotary International 

R otary International’s programs and service opportunities, listed below, are designed to help Rotarians meet the needs of their own communities and assist people worldwide.

Global Networking Groups encompass Rotary Fellowships (vocational and recreational interest groups) and Rotarian Action Groups (groups focused on service activities). There are about 70 Global Networking Groups, and they are open to all Rotarians, spouses of Rotarians, and Rotaractors.

Interact is a service organization organized and sponsored by Rotary clubs for youth ages 12-18. It has more than 12,300 clubs in 133 countries.

Rotaract is organized by Rotary clubs to promote leadership, professional development, and service among young adults ages 18-30. There are more than 8,000 clubs in 167 countries.

Rotary Community Corps (RCC) are groups of non-Rotarians who work to improve their communities. There are more than 6,800 RCCs in 78 countries, all organized and sponsored by Rotary clubs.

Rotary Friendship Exchange encourages Rotarians and their families to make reciprocal visits to other countries, staying in each other’s homes and learning about different cultures firsthand.

Rotary Youth Exchange offers students ages 15-19 the chance to travel abroad for cultural exchanges of one week to a full academic year. Rotary clubs and districts sponsor and host more than 8,000 Youth Exchange students a year.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) are seminars sponsored by clubs and districts to encourage and recognize the leadership abilities of youth and young adults ages 14-30.

The Rotary Foundation also offers several programs, such as PolioPlus .

Derived from: www.rotary.org