Rotary International
Rotary International Logo
Formation	1905
Type	Service club
Headquarters	Evanston, Illinois
Location	United States
Membership	1.2 million
Official languages	English
President	Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Key people	Paul P. Harris (Founder)
Website	www.rotary.org

Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. There are more than 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries, and there are over 1.2 million members world-wide.^[1] The members of Rotary Clubs are known as Rotarians. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Members usually meet weekly for breakfast, lunch or dinner, which is a social event as well as an opportunity to organize work on their service goals. The date of establishment or date of founding of an institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point. ... A Service club is a type of voluntary organization where members meet regularly for social outings and to perform charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organisations. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Incorporated City in 1872. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Paul P. Harris (April 19, 1868 - January 27, 1947) was a Chicago attorney best known for founding Rotary International in 1905, which is a service organization that boast over one million members worldwide. ... A website (alternatively, web site or Web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or more web servers, usually accessible via the Internet. ... A Service club is a type of voluntary organization where members meet regularly for social outings and to perform charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organisations. ...

Rotary's best-known motto is "Service above Self", and its secondary motto is "They profit most who serve best".^[2]

Philosophy

The declared objectives of Rotary are to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
2. 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;
3. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
4. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

These objectives are further set against the "Rotarian four-way test", used to see if a planned action is compatible with the Rotarian spirit. The test was developed by Rotarian and entrepreneur Herbert J. Taylor during the Great Depression as a set of guidelines for restoring faltering businesses and was adopted as the standard of ethics by Rotary in 1942. It is still seen as a standard for ethics in business management^[3]: Herbert J. Taylor (April 18, 1893 – May 1, 1978) was the creator of the 4-Way Test that was adopted by Rotary International in 1932. ... For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ...

• Is it the truth?
• Is it fair to all concerned?
• Will it build good will and better friendships?
• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

History

Early years

The first Rotary Club was founded in 1905 in Chicago by attorney Paul P. Harris: on February 23, 1905, Harris held the first meeting with three friends, Silvester Schiele, coal merchant, Gustave E. Loehr, mines engineer and Hiram E. Shorey, tailor. The members chose the name Rotary because they rotated club meetings to each member's office each week. For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Paul P. Harris (April 19, 1868 - January 27, 1947) was a Chicago attorney best known for founding Rotary International in 1905, which is a service organization that boast over one million members worldwide. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ...

The National Association of Rotary Clubs was formed in 1910. That same year, Rotary chartered a branch in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, marking the first establishment of an American-style service club outside the United States.^[4] This was followed in 1911 by the founding of the first outside North America in Dublin, Ireland. Other early international branches were Cuba in 1916 and India in 1920. The name was changed to Rotary International in 1922 because branches had been formed in six continents.^[5] By 1925, Rotary had grown to 200 clubs with more than 20,000 members. Image File history File links RotaryCommunityCorpsLogo. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge), 1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... North American redirects here. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ...

World War II and Nazi Germany

Many clubs were disbanded throughout the world during World War II, and Rotary members took an active part in providing emergency relief to victims of the war. Rotary also contributed to the creation of UNESCO and the United Nations.^[6] Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... UN redirects here. ...

In Germany, the Nazis saw international organizations as suspect and considered Rotary a branch of international freemasonry and therefore incompatible with the “ethnic German movement”. Many German Rotary clubs ceased operation because of government opposition and some members became actively engaged in the anti-Nazi resistance movement.^[7] Other Rotary clubs, however, excluded Jewish members and otherwise appeased Nazi demands. In Munich, Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann was removed from the membership as a political enemy of the Nazis.^{[citation needed]} Over four years, negotiations took place between the central headquarters in Chicago and the Nazi Party. Rotary's cause was advocated before the NSDAP party court: a Dr. Grill, Governor for the Rotary 73d district, arguing that the German Rotary was compliant with the goals of the Nazi government.^[8] These negotiations failed, and in 1937 the Nazi Party declared membership of both Rotary and the Nazi Party to be incompatible. In 1938, clubs dissolved themselves and charters were withdrawn. Some clubs maintained an activity as "Friday Clubs".^[9] Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... Freemasons redirects here. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Appeasement is a policy of accepting the imposed conditions of an aggressor in lieu of armed resistance, usually at the sacrifice of principles. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München pronunciation) is the state capital of the German Bundesland of Bavaria. ... René-François-Armand Prudhomme (1839–1907), a French poet and essayist, was the first person to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1901, in special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart... For other persons named Thomas Mann, see Thomas Mann (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ...

From 1945

Rotarian clubs in Eastern Europe were also disbanded from 1947 to 1989, under the communist regimes.

In 1985, Rotary launched its PolioPlus program to immunize all of the world's children against polio. In 2005 Rotary claimed to have contributed half a billion dollars to the cause, resulting in the immunization of nearly two billion children worldwide^[10].

In 1989, women were allowed to join Rotary International. Rotary started opening new clubs in former communist countries and the first Russian club was chartered in 1990.

As of 2006, Rotary has more than 1.2 million members in over 32,000 clubs among 200 countries and geographical areas, making it the most widespread by branches and second largest service club by membership, behind Lions Club International. The number of Rotarians has slightly declined in recent years: Between 2002 and 2006, they went from 1,245,000 to 1,223,000 members. North America accounts for 450,000 members, Asia for 300,000, Europe for 250,000, Latin America for 100,000, Oceania for 100,000 and Africa for 30,000^[11]. Lions Clubs International is the worlds largest service club organisation with 46,000 clubs and 1. ...

Other Rotary sponsored organizations include: Rotaract — a service club for young men and women aged 18 to 30 with around 185,000 members in 8,000 clubs in 155 countries; Interact — a service club consisting of more than 239,000 young people aged 14–18 with over 10,700 clubs in 108 countries; and Rotary Community Corps (RCC) — a volunteer organization with an estimated 103,000 non-Rotarian men and women in over 4,400 communities in 68 countries. Rotaract is one of a series of youth programmes created by Rotary International, which focuses on the development of young adults as leaders in their communities and workplaces by training and community service, locally and worldwide. ...

Conspiracy Theories

In 1988 Hamas labeled Rotary International (and Lions Clubs International) Zionist organizations and, according to the 1988 Covenant of Hamas, is bent on its ultimate obliteration^[12]. Hamas (; acronym: , or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist[2][3] militant organization and political party. ... Lions Clubs International logo Lions Clubs International is the worlds largest service club organization with 45,000 clubs and nearly 1. ... This article is about Zionism as a movement, not the History of Israel. ... Hamas (; acronym: , or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist[2][3] militant organization and political party. ...

Organization and administration

In order to carry out its service programs, Rotary is structured in club, district and international levels. Rotarians are members of their clubs. The clubs are chartered by the global organization Rotary International (RI) headquartered in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago. For administration purposes, the more than 32,000 clubs worldwide are grouped into 529 districts, and the districts into 34 zones. Incorporated City in 1872. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ...

Club level

Each club elects its own president and officers among its active members for a one year term. The clubs enjoy considerable autonomy within the framework of the standard constitution and the constitution and bylaws of Rotary International. The governing body of the club is the board of directors, which consists of president-elect, vice president, club secretary and treasurer, chaired by club president. The immediate past president is a de facto member of the board. The club president appoints the chairmen of the four main task groups for club service, vocational service, community service and international service.

District level

A district governor, who is an officer of Rotary International and represents the RI board of directors in the field, leads Rotary districts. The governor is nominated by the clubs of the district and elected by all the clubs meeting in the annual RI Convention held in a different country each year. To assist him with his duties, the district governor appoints assistant governors from among the Rotarians of the district.

Zone level

Approximately 15 Rotary districts form a zone. A zone director, who serves as a member of the RI board of directors, heads two zones. The zone director is nominated by the clubs in the zone and elected by the convention for the terms of two consecutive years.

Rotary International

Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA.

Rotary International is governed by a board of directors composed of 17 zone directors, a president-elect and an international president. The nomination and the election of the president are based on zones. The international president, the highest officer of the organization, is elected for a term of one year. The board meets quarterly to establish policies. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1290x860, 102 KB) Rotary International Headquarters, 1560 Sherman Ave. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1290x860, 102 KB) Rotary International Headquarters, 1560 Sherman Ave. ... Incorporated City in 1872. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

The chief administrative officer of RI is the general secretary, who heads a staff of about 600 persons working at the headquarters and in seven international offices around the world.

Membership

According to its constitutions ("Charters"), Rotary defines itself as a non-partisan, non-sectarian organization. It is open to business and professional leaders of all ages and economic status. Its membership tends towards the middle-aged and wealthy. The clubs have some exclusivist membership criteria: reputation and business or professional leadership is a specific evaluation criterion for issuing invitations to join, and they limit representation from a specific profession or business to a percentage of a specific club's membership. One can join a rotary club only if invited; there is no provision to join without an invitation. ^[13] In the 1980s, Rotary was the subject of lawsuits which forced it to admit women. ^[14]

Active membership

Active membership is by invitation from a current Rotarian, to professionals working in diverse areas of endeavour. Each club can have up to ten per cent of its membership representing each business or profession in the area it serves. The goal of the clubs is to promote service to the community they work in, as well as to the wider world. Many projects are organized for the local community by a single club, but some are organized globally.

Honorary membership

Honorary membership is given by election of a Rotary Club to people who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals. Honorary membership is conferred only in exceptional cases. Honorary members are exempt from the payment of admission fees and dues. They have no voting privileges and are not eligible to hold any office in their club. Honorary membership is time limited and terminates automatically at the end of the term, usually one year. It may be extended for an additional period or may also be revoked at any time. Examples of honorary members are heads of state or former heads of state^[17], famous scientists^[18] or other famous people^[19]. For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... A scientist, in the broadest sense, refers to any person that engages in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices and traditions that are linked to schools of thought or philosophy. ...

Female membership

From 1905 until the 1980s, women were not allowed membership in Rotary clubs, although Rotarian spouses, including Paul Harris's wife, were often members of the similar "Inner Wheel" club. Women did play some roles and Paul Harris's wife made numerous speeches. In 1963, it was noted that the Rotary practice of involving wives in club activities had helped to break down female seclusion in some countries^[20]. Clubs such as Rotary had long been predated by women's voluntary organizations, which started in the United States as early as 1790^[21]. Inner Wheel Club is an international organisation which is closely linked to the Rotary Club. ...

Interestingly, the first Irish clubs discussed admitting women in 1912 but the proposal floundered over issues of social class.

Gender equity in Rotary International was first publicly raised by the Duarte Rotary Club affair. In 1976, the Duarte California club allowed three women to join. Rotary International expressed alarm but requests to terminate the women's memberships were rejected by the club. As a result, Rotary International revoked the club's charter in 1978. The Duarte club filed suit in the California courts, claiming that Rotary Clubs are business establishments subject to regulation under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on race, gender, religion or ethnic origin. Rotary International then appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The RI attorney argued that "... [the decision] threatens to force us to take in everyone, like a motel". The Duarte Club was not alone in opposing RI leadership; the Seattle-International District club unanimously voted to admit women in 1986.^[22] The United States Supreme Court, on May 4, 1987, confirmed the Californian decision and, since that time, women have been allowed to join Rotary.^[23] The Elks, the final holdout among service clubs in prohibiting female membership, voted in 1995 to allow women^[24]. By 2007, there was a female trustee of Rotary's charitable wing The Rotary Foundation while female district governors and club presidents were common. Women accounted for 15% of international membership (22% in North America). This article is about the U.S. state. ... The recent and current politics of the U.S. state of California are complex and involve a number of entrenched interests. ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Grand Lodge in Chicago, Illinois The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks had modest beginnings in 1868 as a social club (then called the Jolly Corks) established as a private club to elude New York City laws governing the opening hours of public taverns. ... The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. ...

The change of the second Rotarian motto in 2004, from "He profits most who serves best" to "They profit most who serve best", 99 years after its foundation, illustrates the move to general acceptance of women members in Rotary.

Minority membership

Rotary and other service clubs in the last decade of the 20th century became open to homosexual membership.^[25] Other minorities, in the face of general changes in demographics and declining membership, are also encouraged to join. There have been efforts to reach out to minority communities, such as Oakland, California's $10,000 scholarships for students in inner-city schools^[26]. Oakland redirects here. ...

There have been some individual exceptions; as early as 1963 a Hindu Bengali, Nitish Chandra Laharry, served as Rotary International's first Asian president^[27]. The past tendency to favor the "old boys club" has also passed; so it is no longer just legislation or membership pressures driving these trends: A study has shown that only 2% of middle aged men interested in joining a club were interested in joining exclusive male-only clubs.^[28] This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... For other uses, see Bengal (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ...

Programs

PolioPlus

The most notable current global project, PolioPlus, is contributing to the global eradication of polio. Since beginning the project in 1985, Rotarians have contributed over US$600 million and tens of thousands of volunteer-hours, leading to the inoculation of more than two billion of the world's children. Inspired by Rotary's commitment, the World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution in 1988 to eradicate polio by 2000. Now in partnership with WHO, UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rotary is recognized by the United Nations as the key private partner in the eradication effort. Image File history File links Polioplus_Logo. ... A child receives oral polio vaccine during a 2002 campaign to immunize children in India. ... WHO redirects here. ... Poliomyelitis (polio), or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. ... UNICEF Logo The United Nations Childrens Fund or UNICEF (Arabic: ; French: ; Spanish: ) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, is recognized as the leading United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people. ... UN redirects here. ...

There has been some limited criticism concerning the Rotary International program for polio eradication, which is supported with the help of World Health Organization. There are some reservations regarding the adaptation capabilities of the virus and some of the oral vaccines, which have been reported to cause infection resurgences^[29]. As stated by Vaccine Alliance, however, in spite of the limited risk of polio vaccination, it would neither be prudent nor practicable to cease the vaccination program until there is strong evidence the "all wild poliovirus transmission [has been] stopped". In a recent speech at the Rotary International Convention, held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Bruce Cohick stated that polio in all its known wild forms will be eliminated by late 2008, provided efforts in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India all proceed with their current momentum.^[30] For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ...

Exchanges and scholarships

Some of Rotary's most visible programs include Rotary Youth Exchange, a student exchange program for students in secondary education, and Rotary's oldest program, Ambassadorial Scholarships. Today, there are six different types of Rotary Scholarships. More than 38,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under the auspices of Ambassadorial Scholarship, and today it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. In 2006-07 grants totaling approximately US$15 million were used to award some 800 scholarships to recipients from 69 countries who studied in 64 nations. The Exchange Students of Rotary Club Munich International publish their experiences on a regular basis on Rotary Youth Exchange with Germany. Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) is a Rotary International student exchange program for students in secondary school. ... A student exchange program is a program in which a student, typically in secondary or higher education, chooses to live in a foreign country to learn, among other things, language and culture. ... Secondary education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Rotary International offers a number of scholarships worldwide for periods of 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years. ... Note: The term scholarship can mean either the methods employed by scholars (see scholarly method) or an award of access to an institution and/or money for an individual for the purposes of furthering their education. ...

Rotary Fellowships, paid by the foundation launched in honor of Paul Harris in 1947, specialize in providing graduate fellowships around the world, usually in countries other than their own in order to provide international exposure and experience to the recipient^[31]

Rotary Centers for International Studies

Starting in 2002, The Rotary Foundation partnered with eight universities around the world to create the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. The universities include International Christian University (Japan), University of Queensland (Australia), Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) (France), University of Bradford (United Kingdom), Universidad del Salvador (Argentina), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (U.S.), Duke University (U.S.), and University of California, Berkeley (U.S.) Rotary World Peace Fellows complete two year masters level programs in conflict resolution, peace studies, and international relations. The first class graduated in 2004 [3]. In 2004, Fellows established the Rotary World Peace Fellows Association [4] to promote interaction among Fellows, Rotarians, and the public on issues related to peace studies. Image File history File links TRF_Logo. ... The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. ... International Christian University ) is a non-denominational private university located in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. ... The University of Queensland (UQ) is the longest-established university in the state of Queensland, Australia, a member of Australias Group of Eight, and the Sandstone Universities. ... The Paris Institute of Political Studies (French: Institut détudes politiques de Paris), often referred to as Sciences-Po (pronounced see-ahns po), is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. ... The University of Bradford is a university in Bradford, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. ... The Universidad del Salvador (USAL) is a Catholic university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public, coeducational, research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. ... Duke University is a private coeducational research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. ... Sather Tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ...

Individual club efforts

While there are numerous Rotary-wide efforts, Rotary clubs are also encouraged to take part in local ventures; In a more unusual twist, Rosalie Maguire, a Batavia, New York, Rotarian, taking a cue from Calendar Girls convinced fellow members (a woman for each month and a male cover) to pose for a "nude" calendar sold as part of a $250,000 fundraiser for a local hospital^[32]. In the past, members were assessed mock "fines" for minor infractions as a way of raising funds: these fines could in 1951 range from 10 cents to $1,000^[33] Batavia is a city in Genesee County, New York, USA. The population was 16,256 at the 2000 census. ... This article is about the state. ... Calendar Girls is a British film of 2003, based on the true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produce a nude calendar to raise money for leukemia research, under the auspices of the Womens Institute. ...

Rotarian Presence on Internet

Rotary has begun to build "virtual" Rotary e-Clubs on Internet ^[34]. Rotary shows on the Internet its own selection of "famous Rotarians"^[35]. Rotary is active through the site: "Digaria"^[36].

Meetings

Various meetings and seminars are held regularly at all Rotary organization levels to develop Rotary leaders, to prepare and motivate incoming leaders and officers for their administrative and service responsibility roles. Assemblies and conferences are organized for conferring on the Rotary program and club activities. For legislative purposes, a council is provided.

Club level

• Club meeting

Every Rotary club holds a regular weekly meeting on a workday in a public venue, which can be a hotel, a restaurant or a clubhouse within its locality. The location is determined, so that any member of another Rotary club can also attend the meeting. The club meeting lasts one to one-and-a-half hours and is held with catering, at noon or evening hours, while -although very rare- there are also early morning meetings. The club president, assisted by the club secretary, conducts the meeting. Attendance for all active club members at the club meetings is mandatory. Guests are invited to the meetings in order to inform non-Rotarian community members about the aim and the object of the Rotary and of the club.^[37]

• Club Assembly

The Club Assembly is a meeting of all club members, including the club’s officers, directors, and committee chairs, held for the purpose of conferring on the program and activities of the club or for membership education. It is held four to five appropriate times a Rotary fiscal year in place of the weekly club meeting. The club president presides at the club assembly. One club assembly is held at the governor's annual official visit to the club. Clubs usually hold a club assembly immediately after the district assembly and the district conference in order to receive reports on the programs and activities throughout the district.^[37]

District level

• District Team Training Seminar

The District Team Training Seminar is a one-day meeting, held in February, to prepare incoming assistant governors, district committee members and chairs for their year in office and to give district governors-elect the opportunity to motivate and build their district leadership team in order to support clubs.^[37]

• Presidents-elect Training Seminar (PETS)

The purpose of this one-and-a-half-day seminar, held in March, is to prepare incoming club presidents for their role.^[37]

• District Assembly

The District Assembly is a one-day seminar, held in April or May, to prepare incoming Rotary club leaders and officers for their roles.^[37]

• District Leadership Seminar

The District Leadership Seminar is held on a full-day immediately before or after the district conference to develop Rotarian leaders within the district, who have the necessary skills, knowledge, and motivation to serve in Rotary beyond the club level.^[37]

• District Membership Seminar

The purpose of this half- or one-day seminar, preferably held after the district assembly, is to develop club and district leaders, who have the necessary skills, knowledge, and motivation to support the clubs in the district to sustain or increase the membership base.^[37]

• District Rotary Foundation Seminar

The District Rotary Foundation Seminar is a one-day-seminar to educate Rotarians about the programs of The Rotary Foundation and to motivate them to be strong participants and advocates of the Foundation. The seminar is the primary means of increasing awareness of TRF at the club level.^[37]

• District Conference

A conference of Rotarians is held for two to three full days once a year in each district with the purpose to further the "Object of Rotary" through fellowship, inspirational addresses, and the discussion of matters relating to the affairs of clubs in the district and RI generally. The district conference showcases Rotary programs and successful district and club activities, and encourage interaction and dialog among clubs.^[37]

Zone level

• Governors-elect Training Seminar (GETS)

The Governors-elect Training Seminar is a two-day training program for governors-elect at the zone level to be held in conjunction with Rotary institutes once a year. The training programs integrate topics approved by the RI Board and the trustees of The Rotary Foundation. Attendance at the GETS is mandatory for district governors-elect.^[37]

• International Assembly

The International Assembly is a mandatory six-day training meeting for governors-elect with the purpose to provide Rotary education, instruction in administrative duties, motivation, and inspiration to governors-elect, and to afford them and other attendees an opportunity to discuss and plan how to implement Rotary’s programs and activities during the succeeding year.^[37]

• Rotary Institutes

Rotary institutes are zone-level meetings designed for the attendance and participation of past, present, and incoming RI officers residing within the area the institute is to serve. Institutes are informational meetings with no administrative responsibility or authority. The purpose of a Rotary institute is to inform current and past RI officers accurately concerning the policies and programs of RI and TRF; inspire, motivate, and inform governors for leadership. The RI president and president-elect participate in some institutes each year in order to enhance their knowledge and experience of the Rotary world and to provide opportunities for zone-level Rotary leaders to gain greater knowledge and insight into the current and future directions of Rotary.^[37]

International level

• Rotary International Convention

The Rotary International Convention is an annually meeting, held in the last three months of the fiscal year (April, May, or June) each time in a different country. The primary purpose of the annual convention is to inspire and inform all Rotarians at an international level, particularly incoming club presidents, governors-elect, and other incoming club and RI officers, so that they will be motivated to further develop Rotary at club and district levels. The convention also constitutes the annual meeting and conducts the business of the association. Since the convention constitutes a worldwide gathering of the Rotary family, the celebration of fellowship with social and entertainment features is appropriate to the extent such activities do not detract from the convention’s primary purpose. It is the duty of each club to participate in the voting at each convention and to arrange to do so by having its delegates in attendance at each convention.^[37] At the worldwide event participate tens of thousands of Rotarians from hundreds of nations. At the 2005 Chicago Convention, a record was set with more than 39,460 attendees from 161 countries.^[38]

• Council on Legislation

The Council on Legislation is a strenuous meeting, typically a week in length, where representatives from every Rotary district debate and vote on legislation proposed by clubs, districts, the RI Board, and the Council itself. The Council meets once every three years in April, May, or June, but preferably in April in the vicinity of RI World Headquarters, in the Chicago area. The council is the legislative body of RI, which has the authority to amend the RI constitutional documents. The voting members of the council are representatives selected by the clubs in each district in the Rotary year two years before each council.^[37]

Publications

Official and regional Rotary magazines

Rotary International's unique communications media are the official monthly magazine named The Rotarian published in English language by the headquarters, and 30 other regional Rotary World Magazine Press periodicals that are independently produced in more than 20 different major languages and distributed in 132 countries.

The first official magazine The National Rotarian, predecessor to The Rotarian, was started in January 1911. The first regional magazine was issued 1915 in Great Britain and Ireland.

The official and regional magazines are circulated to Rotarian and non-Rotarian subscribers in around 769,000 copies combined.^[39]

Club bulletin

Rotary clubs issue weekly a bulletin full of Rotary news from recent meetings. Aside from meeting information and the name list of club directors and officers, the club bulletin contains club president's message, a summary of guest speaker's presentation, club projects and service activities, upcoming events, announcements and reminders for the members. It is circulated to the club members in printed form, however more and more clubs go paperless by publishing the club bulletin electronically.

District governor's newsletter

District governors publish monthly a newsletter reporting service activities conducted by the clubs within the district and various district level meetings. The newsletter contains also district governor's message and lists also the membership and attendance figures of all district clubs. It is circulated to every Rotarian in the district.

Rotary Club banners.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1765x2517, 1258 KB) Summary Rotary Club banners in Princeton, New Jersey. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1765x2517, 1258 KB) Summary Rotary Club banners in Princeton, New Jersey. ...

Popular culture

Rotary International was portrayed in Steven Spielberg's film Catch Me If You Can. Frank Abagnale Jr.'s (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film) father, Frank William Abagnale (played by Christopher Walken) was a life time Rotarian in the film because he was a hero in World War II. The Italian song "Rotary Club of Malindi", which had a relative success on the world-music scene, speaks of an organization for "white people in depression". In the television show Desperate Housewives, Gabrielle attends Victor Lang's Rotary Club meeting in his ex-wife's couture dress. Stephen King’s novel, “The Library Policeman”, centers on Sam Peebles, a small town insurance agent who is called upon on short notice to give a speech to his Rotary Club on “The Importance of the Independently Owned Business in Small-town Life”. In season four episode five of the Larry David show "Curb Your Enthusiasm", titled "The 5 Wood", David is trying to gain entrance into a club whose members were generally non-Jewish Republicans. In the interview David makes up many lies about himself, one of which being that he is a member of the Rotary Club. Steven Allan Spielberg KBE (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. ... Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 motion picture set in the 1960s. ... Frank William Abagnale, Jr. ... Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974[1]) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated, SAG Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor who garnered world wide fame for his role as Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997). ... Christopher Walken (born March 31, 1943) is an Academy Award-winning American film and theatre actor. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... Four Past Midnight is a collection of four novellas by Stephen King. ...

Notes

“PDF” redirects here. ... A kibibyte (a contraction of kilo binary byte) is a unit of information or computer storage, commonly abbreviated KiB (never kiB). 1 kibibyte = 210 bytes = 1,024 bytes The kibibyte is closely related to the kilobyte, which can be used either as a synonym for kibibyte or to refer to... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Albert I (April 8, 1875 – February 17, 1934) was the third King of the Belgians. ... Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is the current Swedish monarch and head of state of the Kingdom of Sweden. ... Churchill redirects here. ... King Hassan, pictured late in life. ... John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ...   (IPA: ) (born Angela Dorothea Kasner, 17 July 1954, in Hamburg, Germany), is the Chancellor of Germany. ... Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte[1] (November 25, 1915 – December 10, 2006) was President of Chile from 1974 to 1990, and was the President of the military junta from 1973 to 1981. ... Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005), styled His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost fifty-six years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1931) was an inventor and businessman who developed many important devices. ... Hi Every Body For the cruiseferry, see: M/S Thor Heyerdahl Thor Heyerdahl Thor Heyerdahl (October 6, 1914 Larvik, Norway – April 18, 2002 Colla Micheri, Italy) was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a scientific background in zoology and geography. ... For other uses, see Astronaut (disambiguation). ... Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5, 1930) is an American test pilot, astronaut, and was the first human being to walk on the Moon. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ...

External links

• Rotary International official website
• PolioPlus
• PolioEradication.org
• Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland official website
• Links to English speaking Rotary Clubs in non-English speaking countries
• "The Rotarian Menace: What does Osama have against Rotary clubs?", Jonathan Schwarz, Slate Magazine, July 11, 2006
• Source for Rotary Logos Library of Graphics for Rotarians
• Worldwide Rotary Club, Member & Project Directory
• Water-Management

Coordinates: 42.045826° N 87.682397° W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...