Q2: What is Rotary today?
Rotary is short for Rotary International - a worldwide association of local clubs for men and
women in business or the professions who provide humanitarian service to the community at local, national and international levels and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations work for goodwill and peace in the world. Service Above Self is Rotary's motto.
Rotary Clubs and Membership
Rotary was founded in 1905 and now has over a million members in more than
28,800 clubs in 194 countries and geographical regions. There are 1,700 clubs
in Great Britain and Ireland with over 64,000 members. Each club operates independently. Membership is drawn from the business and
professional community and is usually by invitation or recommendation. To ensure the club is
representative of the community, clubs try to ensure that there is only one active member from each local profession or type of business.
Meetings
Meetings are held weekly and Rotarians are usually required to attend at least 60% of meetings which can include Vocational and Charity events. Most clubs meet for lunch or dinner and some newly formed clubs (like ours!) meet at breakfast time. Business at meetings often includes a talk on a subject of general interest by an outside speaker. Every Rotarian has the right to attend the meeting of any other club and Rotarians invite non - Rotarian guests
to their own club meetings. Weekly meetings promote acquaintance and fellowship. Through this fellowship Rotarians find the inspiration to serve the community.
Service to the community requires Rotarians to devote some of their time, energy and
professional skills to particular projects. This often involves fundraising to
provide charities with financial support but this is not a Rotary club's first
aim. The emphasis is on personal service.
Service
Community Service is the traditional and well-known face of Rotary and covers
help and advice to the aged, the handicapped, the infirm, young people and all
those in need, either directly or through local charitable organisations.
Increasingly this also includes the initiation and support of projects which
protect the environment.
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Q3: What if I am interested in joining Rotary Club of Hertford Shires? How do I join?
The usual route to membership is through an existing club member. However if you are interested contact us using the Contact Us form on this website. New members usually visit us a few times before making a commitment and to make sure that they are early risers! We meet at the Roebuck Hotel in Ware so why not come along?
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Q4: Can women join Rotary?
Yes; first admitted in 1987, women are the fastest-growing segment of Rotary's membership. There are nearly 2,000 women club presidents and women are rapidly assuming regional leadership roles. All newly formed clubs (like Hertford Shires) welcome both men and women.
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Q5: What is The Rotary Foundation?
The Rotary Foundation, Rotary's corporate charity, is dedicated to the
furtherance of international understanding, goodwill and peace. The fund
provides grants and educational scholarships for young people from all parts of
the world, but not Rotarians or their close relatives, to visit and study in
other countries. The Foundation also administers the 3-H fund which seeks to
alleviate the problems of the disadvantaged through out the world under the
headings of Health, Hunger and Humanity. Projects under this
programme are usually beyond the capability of a single club or group of clubs
to support.
The Foundation's most ambitious project so far has been PolioPlus, a campaign
to help the World Health Organisation and UNICEF immunise the world's children
against polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and tuberculosis.
Polioplus raised $240 million of which Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland
contributed £8 million.
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Q6: What are Rotaract and Interact?
Rotary International has created for young people two organisations dedicated
to service and international understanding. Though closely associated with
Rotary, their clubs are independent and self-governing. Interact, a combination
of the words "International and Action", is for young people between 14 and 18.
Rotaract, a contraction of "Rotary in Action" is for men and women between 18 and
29.
These clubs serve the community as do their sponsoring Rotary clubs. Their
service through fellowship covers a range of local, national and international
service projects carried out with the energy and enthusiasm of youth.
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Q7: What are Rotary International and RIBI?>
Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI), with its own
governing body and constitution, is a territorial unit of Rotary International,
the association of Rotary clubs worldwide. It administers 29 Rotary districts
in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The
Rotary ideal of fellowship and international understanding is exemplified by
the fact that a single Rotary district covers the whole of Ireland. This
district, with its single organisation is a working model of the Rotary spirit
in action.
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Q8: Publications
"ROTARY", the magazine of Rotary International in Great Britain and
Ireland is one of several regional journals published around the world in
various languages. It carries articles and news about Rotary, written by
Rotarians for Rotarians. If you would like a copy contact us using the Contact Us form on this website. A copy is sent to each of the 64,000 Rotarians in
Great Britain and Ireland and to many Rotarians who are overseas subscribers.
It is also available from RIBI, Kinwarton Road, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6BP
"ROTARY" is the oldest magazine serving the association after
"The Rotarian", the magazine of Rotary International, having been
published continuously since 1915.
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Q9: Does Rotary Have an Object?
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 professions; the recognition of the
worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's
occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
- The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business
and community life.
- 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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Q10: Some Facts About Rotary
Rotary Facts
The world's first service club was the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The club was
formed 23 February, 1905 by lawyer Paul P. Harris and three friends - a merchant, a coal dealer and a mining engineer. Harris wished to recapture the friendly spirit he had felt among business people in the small town where he had grown up. The name Rotary was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members offices.
Mission
The main objective of Rotary is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians build goodwill and peace, provide humanitarian service, and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.
Membership
Rotarians are professional men and women who work as volunteers to improve the quality of life in their home and world community. Club membership represents a cross-section of local
business and professional leaders. The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are non-political, non-religious and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.
There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians working in some 29,000 Rotary clubs in 160
countries and 35 geographical regions world-wide.
Service Today
Rotarians initiate community projects that address many of todays most critical issues,
such as violence, drug abuse, youth, AIDS, hunger, the environment, and illiteracy. Rotary
clubs are autonomous and determine service projects based on local needs.
Rotarians work with and for youth to address challenges facing young people today.
Through participation in Rotary-sponsored Interact clubs (for secondary school students),
Rotaract clubs (for young adults), and Rotary Youth Leadership awards, young people
world-wide learn leadership skills and the importance of community service.
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