Who are Rotarians?     -      Rotarians are people like you!

They are active, enthusiastic men and women of all ages, business people, professionals or community leaders who all share a common interest in friendship and humanity.

Rotary is an organisation of men and women who, as members of Rotary Clubs, volunteer their time, talents, professional skills and energy to improving the lives of people in their local communities and others around the world.


The History of Rotary

On February 23 in 1905, On February 23 in 1905 Chicago lawyer Paul P Harris called three friends to a meeting, his vision being to form a club that would encourage fellowship amongst members of the business community, an idea originating from his desire to find the kind of friendly spirit he had known in the villages where he had grown up. Word of the small club soon spread and other businessmen were invited to join and the name "Rotary" was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings amongst members' offices.

Soon after the club name was agreed, one of the new members suggested a wagon wheel design for the club emblem. It was the precursor of the familiar cogwheel emblem now worn by Rotarians around the world. By the end of 1905, the club had 30 members.

The second Rotary club was formed in 1908 half a continent away from Chicago in San Francisco, California. The third club was formed in Oakland, California; others followed in Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles and New York City. Rotary became international in 1910 when a club was formed in Winnipeg, Canada. By 1921 the organisation was represented on every continent, and in 1922 the name Rotary International was adopted.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) was formed in 1914 and now represents over 55,000 members in 1840 clubs.

Avenues of Service

Rotary’s commitment to Service Above Self has been channelled through the four Avenues of Service, which form the foundation of club activity.

• Club Service: focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of Rotary Clubs.
• Vocational Service: involves club members serving others through their professions and aspiring to high ethical standards. Rotarians, as business leaders, share skills and expertise through their vocations, and they inspire others in the process.
• 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 world and to promote world understanding and peace. It includes everything from contributing to PolioPlus to helping Rotary Youth Exchange students adjust to their host countries.

The Four Way Test

Rotarians seek to apply the "Four-Way Test" to their thoughts, communications and deeds - one of the most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics in the world.

The test was developed by Rotarian and entrepreneur Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. Taylor looked for a way to save the struggling company mired in depression-caused financial difficulties. He drew up a 24-word code of ethics for all employees to follow in their business and professional lives. The Four-Way Test 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. Herb Taylor became president of Rotary International in 1954-55. The Four-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and it is still seen as a standard for ethics in business management.

The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages and published in thousands of ways, asks the following questions:

Of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?  
 

The Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Foundation is the charity of the Rotary movement. It is dedicated to furthering international understanding, goodwill and peace. The Foundation administers many programmes to aid the needy and deserving.

The most ambitious programme to date has been PolioPlus, a campaign to help the World Health Organisation immunise the world's children against polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus. The programme began in 1985, and since then more than 2 billion children have received oral polio vaccine. At the end of 2007 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded The Rotary Foundation a challenge grant of $100 million, which Rotary will match, dollar for dollar, over three years. This is the largest single grant ever given to a volunteer service organization and represents a tremendous validation of the approach and success of the PolioPlus program. It comes at a critical juncture for the polio eradication initiative, which needs an infusion of funds to reach the eradication goal. For this reason, the initial $100 million will be distributed by The Rotary Foundation through grants to the World Health Organization and UNICEF in direct support of polio immunization activities in 2008.

Rotaract and Interact

There are two organisations specifically for young people, dedicated to service and international understanding.

Rotaract, which is made up from the words Rotary and Action, has a membership of over 150,000 in 146 countries. It is a club for men and women aged 19-30 years who participate in a programme of social, charitable and fund-raising events enabling them to meet people, try new activities, and make a difference in their local community.

Interact is a similar type of organisation, but is for young people between the ages of 14 and 18; it has a membership of 170,000 in 106 countries.

Though closely associated with Rotary, the clubs are independent and self-governing.

Inner Wheel

The sister organisation Inner Wheel was formed in 1924 and is most probably the largest women's Voluntary Service Organisation in the world. Holding Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) status with the United Nations it has representatives in its three centres of Geneva, New York and Vienna.

Members are female relatives of Rotarians. Currently there are more than 100,000 members in over 101 countries and geographical locations who enjoy working together, making new friends and having fun while helping the vulnerable, young people and the elderly - both at home and in the developing countries. Help is given in many ways from general long term support to providing goods, funds and practical ‘hands on’ help in emergencies and disaster areas.