Rotary began on the evening of 23 February 1905, when Paul Harris met with
three business colleagues in hopes of recapturing in a professional club
the same friendly spirit they had experienced growing up in small-town
America. They called their club the Rotary Club of Chicago, after the
early practice of rotating weekly meetings among members' offices. As the
Rotary movement grew and clubs were chartered around the world, Rotarians
took up community service projects and promoted
ethical standards
in business.
A
century later, over 1.2 million men and women are members of more than
32,000 Rotary clubs in 168 countries form a global network of business and
professional leaders who volunteer their time and talents to serve their
communities
united under the banner Service Above Self.
Through the numerous humanitarian, intercultural, and educational programs
of Rotary International and
The Rotary Foundation,
Rotary clubs work to realize Rotary's vision of improving the human
condition and to advance
world understanding
and
peace.
One of
the world's largest and most successful volunteer service organizations,
Rotary Clubs and 529 Districts thorough out the world, carry out
humanitarian programs that address today's challenging issues, such as
hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and the eradication of polio, the disease
that has crippled millions of people.
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.
THE 4-WAY TEST
of the things we think, say or do
1
Is it the TRUTH?
2 Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3 Will it build GOODWILL and
BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4 Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Can be applied profitably in relations with others
in the home, community, business, national and international life;
particularly to proposed plans, policies, statements and advertising in
business and the professions; to proposed legislation in government; to
relations between teachers and students in the schools.
