" Service Above Self "

What is Rotary?

The main objective of Rotary is service — in the community 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."

Rotary International is a global network of service volunteers. It is the world's largest service organisation for business and professional people, with some 1,210,905 members operating in 168 countries world-wide.

There are some 58,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland in 1,845 clubs, helping those in need and working towards world understanding and peace. It's a fulfilling role, and Rotarians can get involved as much or as little as their time will allow.

But there is much more. Clubs meet on a regular basis, which allows members to build firm friendships. Every Rotarian has a right to attend any Club meeting anywhere in the world, so there is always somewhere to go, and people to meet, wherever business or leisure travel may take you.

Various Clubs have different emphases, which can reflect differences in size. A small market town may have a Club of perhaps 20 members, whereas in large centres the number can be closer to 100. Some concentrate on local community or vocational projects. Others link up with a sister club in another country to undertake an international project. Each Club decides how it wants to use the resources it has available.

Membership of Rotary

Attracting new members is vital to a Rotary club's long term success, and so clubs put a great deal of emphasis on expanding their membership with enthusiastic and service-minded individuals.

Prospective members must actively hold - or be retired from - a professional, proprietary, executive or managerial position. And they must have the desire and ability to serve and to meet the club's attendance requirements for its weekly meetings.

Anyone who feels that they might like to become a Rotarian can indicate an interest, either by speaking to a Rotarian, or by getting in touch with a local Club - with no obligation on either side.