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About Rotary International |
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What is Rotary?
Rotary International is a worldwide
organization of business and professional clubs, dedicated to high
vocational standards, community service, and international understanding.
To foster fellowship through diversity of interests, a Rotary club
is composed of one representative of each business and profession
in a community. Established in 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, it now
has its headquarters in Evanston, Illinois. Rotary is the oldest
service club organization in the world; in 1922 the name became Rotary
International as clubs were organized in other countries.
Rotary International is comprised of more than 1.1 million men and women
in nearly 27,000 Rotary clubs in 149 countries and 39 geographical regions.
Membership is by invitation, and clubs determine their own service activities.
Currently the organization is encouraging clubs to focus community activities
on fighting hunger, illiteracy, and drug abuse, and helping the elderly
and the environment. Clubs also may participate in the international
programs of the Rotary Foundation, which administers privately funded
scholarships and grants in order to accomplish large-scale, international
humanitarian projects as well as smaller projects that are sponsored
and partially funded by Rotary clubs or districts in two or more countries.
Rotary International's PolioPlus program, in cooperation with the World
Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF),
funds vaccine purchases and social mobilization activities in order to
help eradicate polio worldwide by the year 2000. The organization also
publishes an official periodical, The Rotarian in English and Revista
Rotaria in Spanish.
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The Ideal of Rotary
"Rotary is an organization of
business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian
service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help
build goodwill and peace in the world."
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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 encourage and foster:
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FIRST: |
The development of acquaintance as an opportunity
for service. |
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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. |
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THIRD: |
The application of
the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business,
and community life. |
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FOURTH : |
The advancement of international understanding,
goodwill and peace through a world fellowship by business
and professional people in the ideal of service. |
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What are Rotary Projects?
The main objective of a Rotary Club
is Service in the community, in the workplace and throughout the
world.
Rotary's community development programs address many of today's most
critical issues viz. hunger, environment, literacy to name a few. RI
also offers programs that focus mainly on young people, including service
clubs for high school students and young adults, leadership training
workshops and student exchanges. The international components of RI programs
enable clubs and districts to assist Rotary efforts abroad and to share
information and arrange exchanges with Rotarians in other countries.
Vocational concerns figure in many club and district projects designed
to promote high ethical standards in the workplace and to help young
people and others become and remain productive members of society.
 Ambassadorial
Scholarships
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The 4-way Test
From the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics is The Four-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as RI president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy.
This 24-word test for employees to follow in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The Four-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways. It asks the following four questions:
Of the things we think, say or do:
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Is it the TRUTH?
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Is it FAIR to all concerned?
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Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
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Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
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A
brief History of Rotary
The first Rotary Club in the world was organized
in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on 23 February 1905 by Paul
P. Harris, a young lawyer, who gathered together in a spirit
of friendship and understanding, a group of men, each of
whom was engaged in a different form of service to the
public. That basis for membership - one person from each
business and profession in the community - still exists
in Rotary. At first, the members of the new club met in
rotation at their various places of business and this suggested
the name "Rotary".
Since 1905, the ideals of Paul Harris and his friends have become ideals
which have been accepted by people of practically all nationalities and
many political and religious beliefs. Today, there are Rotary clubs in
Austria and American Samoa, in Brazil and Brunei, in India and Italy,
in Scotland and South Africa, in 184 countries and geographical regions.
The universal acceptance of Rotary principles has been so great that
there are now more than 27.000 Rotary clubs, which have a membership
of over 1.2 Mio.The general objectives of Rotary clubs in every country
are the same, the development of fellowship and understanding among the
business and professional leaders in the community, the promotion of
community-betterment endeavors and of high standards in business and
professional practices, and the advancement of international understanding,
goodwill and peace. Rotary clubs everywhere have one basic ideal - "ideal
of Service", which is thoughtfulness of and helpfulness to others.
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What is a Paul Harris
Fellow?
 Anyone
who contributes - or in whose name is contributed - a gift
of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund may become
a Paul Harris Fellow. Each new Paul Harris Fellow receives
a commemorative certificate, a Paul Harris Fellow pin, and
a medallion. Donors are eligible for Paul Harris Fellow recognition
when their cumulative giving reaches US$1,000.
For additional gifts totaling US$1,000 or more, a Paul Harris Fellow:
- is recognized as a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow
- may also choose to honor someone else as a Paul Harris
Fellow with their Foundation Recognition Points, formerly
called "available credit"
- is eligible to receive a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow
pin with additional stones.
Recognition levels are determined based on the following guidelines:
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Recognition Total |
Pin Level |
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US $2,000 to 2,999.99 |
one sapphire |
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3,000 to 3,999.99 |
two sapphires |
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4,000 to 4,999.99 |
three sapphires |
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5,000 to 5,999.99 |
four sapphires |
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6,000 to 6,999.99 |
five sapphires |
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7,000 to 7,999.99 |
one ruby |
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8,000 to 8,999.99 |
two rubies |
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9,000 to 9,999.99 |
three rubies |
Frequently
Asked Questions about Paul Harris Fellows
The A-Z of Rotary
Joining
Rotary
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