International

For more information about Rotary International visit their website: www.rotary.org

What is a Rotary Club?

Paul P. Harris founded the original Rotary Club in Chicago. The first meeting took place on February 23, 1905. The second club was founded in San Francisco in 1908. An objective for the Centennial Year of Rotary International in 2005 is the eradication of Polio worldwide. To date, Rotarians have raises $111M to help eliminate this disease.

The name “Rotary” was chosen because the club’s meeting location would rotate from one member’s place of business to another’s.

Each Rotary club is made up of individuals who are recognized business and community leaders. These men and women are diverse in their backgrounds, beliefs and occupations. Though different, they all share a common bond…they firmly believe in The Object Rotary.

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:

• The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.



• High ethical standards in business and the professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying by each Rotarian of his or her occupation as an opportunity to serve society.



• The application of the ideal of service, by all Rotarians, to their personal, business and community lives.



• The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace, through a world fellowship of business and professional people, who united in the ideal of service.

Rotary's Four-Way Test

The philosophy that was adopted in 1943 by all Rotarians asks the following four questions:

• Is it the truth?



• Is it fair to all concerned?



• Will it build goodwill and better friendships?



• Will it be beneficial to all concerned?