Rotary

Rotary International is an organisation whose members comprise Rotary Clubs (service clubs) located all over the world. more...

The members of Rotary Clubs are known as Rotarians and are business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Their motto is "Service above Self."

The world's first service club, the first Rotary Club was founded in 1905 in Chicago by attorney Paul P. Harris and three other businessmen. The National Association of Rotary Clubs was formed in 1910. The name was changed to Rotary International in 1922 because branches had been formed in many other countries. It has by now spread to 167 countries and now has more than 1.2 million members in over 32,000 clubs. The name Rotary was chosen since meetings were originally rotated to different locales of members of the organization. Members of a specific club meet weekly for breakfast, lunch or dinner, which as well as serving as a time to organise work on their service goals, is a social event.

Membership

Rotary is a non-partisan, non-sectarian organisation, according to its constitutions. Its membership tends towards the middle-aged and wealthy, although it is open to business and professional leaders of all ages and wealth is not a membership criterion.

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