About Rotary
What is Rotary?
Rotary International is a world fellowship of business and professional men and women united in the ideal of service. Acknowledged as the world's first service organisation, Rotary has nearly 30,000 clubs with a membership of around 1.2 million in over 162 countries.
The spirit and ideal of Rotary, which has attracted so many from different races, faiths and cultures, has been simply but eloquently stated in The Object of Rotary.
The principles of service, understanding and goodwill are sustained by the fellowship which a Rotarian enjoys with fellow members in a club, and the mutual understanding and relationship which are shared with fellow Rotarians throughout the world. Rotarians are encouraged to serve individually and as members of their clubs through their vocations and by the application of service to their personal, business and community lives.
For more information about Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland visit the RIBI website.
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A Brief History of Rotary
The first Rotary Club in the world was organised in Chicago, Illinois USA, on 23rd February 1905 by Paul Harris. He was a young lawyer who gathered together a group of men in the spirit of friendship and understanding, each of whom were engaged in a different form of service to the public. That basis for memberhip, 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 ideas of Paul Harris and his friends have become ideas which have been accepted by people of practically all nationalities, and of many political and religious beliefs. Today there are Rotary Clubs in Austria and America Samoa, in Brazil and Brunei, in India and Italy, Scotland and South Africa - in 168 countries and 34 geographical regions. The universal acceptance of Rotary principles has been so great that there are now more than 32,000 Rotary Clubs, which have a membership of over 1,200,000.
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 endeavours 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 - the "Ideal of Service" - which is thoughtfullness of and helpfulness to others.
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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 to encourage and foster:
- FIRST - the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service
- 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
- THIRD - the application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business and community life
- FOURTH - the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
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The Four Way Test of the things we think, say or do, consider the following:
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
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The Mission of Rotary International
The mission of Rotary International is to support its member clubs in fulfilling
The Object of Rotary by:
- Fostering unity among member clubs
- Strengthening and expanding Rotary around the world
- Communicating worldwide the work of Rotary
- Providing a system of international administration
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The Rotary Grace
"O Lord and giver of all good, we praise thee for our daily food.
May Rotary aims and Rotary ways, help us to serve thee all our days. Amen."
Thanks are given to the Rotary club of Swaffham District 1080 for this article