Jan 15, 2009

RC Basilan Gift-Giving to City Inmates

The Rotary Club of Basilan as part of its Christmas Celebration together with BJMP personnel have distributed toiletries and three chessboards to 59 inmates at the Isabela City Jail last December 16, 2008. Past President Dick Brown personally donated the chessboards while the toiletries came from members contributions. Past President Laura Alano, chairman of gift-giving, have initiated the purchase and the packing of the goods.

After the gift-giving activities, the Rotarians proceeded with its weekly meeting at Twin's Ice Cream House and Restaurant.

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Welcome to the Rotary Club of Basilan Blogsite!

The Rotary Club of Basilan is on its 50th year of "Service Above Self".

It is an honor to take on the task of President of the Rotary Club of Basilan whose commitment and goals we have set for ourselves will ensure that we in Rotary will make a difference. In the 50 years of existence of this organization, we will continue to learn from our experiences and to build upon our successes. I ask you all to continue to work for the well-being of not only children but their families and people everywhere.

Our call to lead comes at an opportune time, when our province faces a critical juncture in our history – beset by a global economic downturn that brings down the prices of our agricultural products, faced with protracted armed struggles, kidnappings, bombings and extortions that threaten to wreck havoc in our communities.

As we consider these risks we face, we need to think of how we can best help our fellow Basilenos who are in need.

This Rotary Year 2009-2010, I would like to invite our Officers and my fellow Rotarians to be my partners in forging a common sense of purpose. Let us Re-affirm our sense of service both to our club and the communities we serve through our priority projects. By the work we do, Rotary brings hope in small and big ways to everyone whose lives we touch.

Under my leadership as your President, we pledged to engage in emphases that in general will help improve the lives of the poor and the disadvantaged. The following are my priorities for this Rotary Year 2009-2010.

• WATER, HEALTH, EDUCATION & LITERACY

But over and above these priorities, I will dedicate to the best of my capability as president of our club and as public servant of this beloved island province of Basilan to promote peace and development for the general welfare of all Basilenos.

The question for you and me today, for Rotary’s leadership is how we can contribute our share to help realize this vision – in this critical year when we are called to both serve and lead.

Our challenge is to make our Rotary Club strong in terms of membership base and improved Rotary fellowship. We need to develop committed and passionate Rotarians in our Club who will dedicate their time, talent and treasure to rebuilding and helping our poorer communities. We must develop sustainable service projects that will greatly impact on the economic, social and moral well being of our fellow Basilenos.

2010 happens to be a defining year in which Basilenos are once again called to choose their national and local leaders who will lead us through these difficult times. If we navigate these troubled waters well, we can emerge stronger and more united as Basilenos. Thus, let us promote peaceful and honest, credible and clean 2010 national and local elections.

I call on each and every Rotarian to be a beacon of hope. Through our example we can give witness to the practice of high ethical standards in our businesses or professions; we can likewise demonstrate our readiness to help those in need, to help provide a better life for all.

I believe that we are all called to greatness, each in his or her own way—ordinary Rotarians doing ordinary things that are timely and significant, in an extraordinary way. We can be great Rotarians, who do things well in dedicated and joyful ways. That is the reason why I have enjoined you all to be of service to the needs of others.

If we work together, we cannot fail. If we work with big and generous hearts, we will prevail.

Let me quote what our Rotary International President John Kenny said in his Speech when I attended the RI Convention in Burmingham, England last June 20-25, 2009. “In every one in our communities, there is work to be done. As Rotarians, we will not stand idle. As Rotarians, we will accept our responsibility. We can, and we must. For we know that Rotary is only as great as its club – and our club is only as great as the members within it“.

Together we will go far for “The Future of Rotary is in our Hands!

Thank you and God bless Rotary!

(Al-Rasheed Sakkalahul - President)

RI President

RI president

Travelogue

"It is our daily actions, and our daily decisions,
that determine the course of Rotary for us all.
The Future of Rotary Is in Your Hands."

View the Latest Photos

Travelogue -- August 2009

I began this Rotary year the same way I began in Rotary, with a visit to my own club in Grangemouth, Scotland. I will always appreciate my Rotary club since I would not be president of Rotary International if someone had not invited me to become a member of this club.

This was followed by a trip to Rotary's first club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, and then I spoke at three breakfast clubs near Rotary's Evanston headquarters.

Besides visiting Rotary clubs, this summer I went to a Youth Exchange conference. It's always uplifting to visit them, and the Central States conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, was no exception.

Next, my wife, June, and I traveled to the New England area, where I spoke at an outdoor meeting on a gloriously sunny afternoon to the Rotarians of South Portland, Maine, and surrounding districts. We then continued to Montréal, Québec, Canada, the site of the 2010 RI Convention , where we attended the Rotary regional magazine editors seminar.

Our next visit was to Nova Scotia, where we participated in an intercity meeting. Incidentally, Nova Scotia means “new Scotland” in Latin. There is a strong Scottish connection in Canada, and we enjoyed the opportunity to visit Pictou, site of the first Scottish settlement, where the Scottish tradition is very much alive.

We returned to the United States, and I gave the keynote address at Boxborough, to the Rotarians of Massachusetts where they are celebrating 100 years of Rotary in that state. We then returned to Evanston so I could attend to Rotary business and meetings with my aide, Past RI Director Tony de St. Dalmas.

In August, we began an Asian trip, which started in Taiwan. We met several dignitaries, most notably President Ma Ying-jeou, who is a Harvard-educated lawyer. I spoke at the Council of Past District Governors in Taiwan and at a Rotary Foundation dinner for Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge , and participated in the chartering of new clubs. While visiting Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers, I suggested that Rotarians publicize Rotary’s polio efforts by beaming the End Polio Now message on it, something that has been done with landmarks in other parts of the world.

As I reflect on this trip, I am struck by the enthusiasm of the Taiwanese Rotarians and the amount of service projects being done there. The governors of the seven districts have joined together to promote what they call “The Great Project” to make Rotary better, and it covers the Avenues of Service . I am particularly impressed with two projects that provide public transportation to the disabled.

I was sad to learn that the day after we left Taipei, the island was hit by the worst typhoon in 50 years, causing great devastation and loss of life. Taiwanese Rotarians are working now to help those in need .

Hong Kong was our next stop, and we heard about the impressive hepatitis B immunization program taking place in this area. Their goal is to immunize 100 million children in China. In the company of the district governor, we visited the Honorable Donald Tsang, the chief executive of Hong Kong. I also met members of the Extension of Rotary – China Committee.

After Hong Kong, we traveled to Shanghai and spoke to the Rotary Club of Shanghai. Its members have been working closely with the Shanghai Charity Foundation, and they partnered with the organization in a program to train migrant workers to care for the growing number of the city's elderly.

We traveled on to Beijing where I spoke to the Rotary Club of Beijing and met with service partners Soong Ching Ling Foundation, UN Global Outreach, and the British Council.

A memorable part of this trip was a visit to the Sun Children's Village Project. The Beijing Rotary club helps to financially support this orphanage, which is the home to 130 children whose parents are either dead or imprisoned. We met so many beautiful children, including one memorable little girl named Tutu. She had the brightest eyes and smile. While there, June and I held two babies who were abandoned on a train. We were happy to know that this facility provides a much-needed service.

From Beijing, we went back to Evanston where I spent the week planning future events. June and I are looking forward to our upcoming trip to South America in September.

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL 2010-2011 OFFICERS

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RAY KLINGINSMITH

ROTARY DISTRICT 3850
District Governor . . . . . . . . . . . JAMES CESAR MAKASIAR
Asst. District Governor . . . . . . .OSCAR ZARAGOZA
Zone 10

ROTARY CLUB OF BASILAN
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EDUARDO F. TAN
Vice-President . . . . . . . . . . . . . MICHAEL P. ARAGONES
Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PP FERNANDO CARIAGA
Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PP LAURA ALANO
Auditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MA. THERESA SAKKALAHUL
Board of Directors:
AHMAD AL-AMIN
SUSAN B. YU
DANET R. MANIGOS
IPP AL-RASHEED SAKKALAHUL
President-Elect . . . . . . . . . . . . . .JESSICA EISMA FLORES

ROSTER OF MEMBERS

ROTARIANS CLASSIFICATION

1. Al-Amin, Ahmad - GS Public Service
2. Alano, Laura W. - Corporate Administration
3. Aragones, Michael P. - Land Banking
4. Brown, Richrd S., RFSM - Farm Management
5. Buckly, James B., PHF - Social Security Service
6. Bucoy, Reginaldo O., RFSM - Cable TV Management
7. Bucoy, Danilo M., PHF - GS Judiciary
8. Cariaga, Fernando S. - Insurance Non-Life
9. Dans, Arnulfo G. - Agriculture
10. Eisma, Arleigh W. - GS City Legislator
11. Flores, Jessica Eisma - GS Public Service
12. Handang, Lennie Adjain - GS Public Service
13. Lahaman, Perry S. - Print Media
14. Legaspi, Salustiano R. - Civil Law
15. Lintag, Raymond N., RFSM - GS Land Reform
16. Manapol, Michael M. - NGO Consultancy
17. Manigos, Arnulfo H. - Law
18. Manigos, Danet R. - Teacher-Elementary
19. Martin, Cecilio G. - Law
20. Mendoza Jr., Antonio P. - Law Enforcement
21. Muarip, Muctar C. - Entrepreneur
22. Muarip Ahmad, Hazar A. - GS Public Service
23. Pamaran, David H., RFSM - GS Local Government
24. Pantaleta, Edwin A., RFSM - Agri-Business Trading
25. Puri, Jr., Joaquin P. - GS Public Service
26. Sabado, Luisito T. - GS Government Insurance
27. Sakkalahul, Al-Rasheed M., RFSM - GS Public Service
28. Sakkalahul, Ma. Theresa R. - Nursing Services
29. Salomon, Bartolome B. - Medicine Orthopedic
30. Tan, Eduardo F. - Restaurant Management
31. Tan, Lycel C. - Law
32. Tupay, Miskuddin S. - GS Provincial Legislator
33. Yu, Agnes Ouida P. - Family Medicine
34. Yu, Susan B. - GS City Legislator
35. Yu, William F., RFSM - Hardware Retailing
36. Zerna, Wilfredo M., PHF - Civil Engineering

HONORARY MEMBERS

1. Sec. Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro
2. Gov. Jum J. Akbar
3. Mayor Roderick Furigay
4. Mayor Cherrylyn S. Akbar

ROSTER OF PAST PRESIDENTS

RY - Past Presidents - Rotary Theme

1959-61 - Artemio "Art" Bayas - Your Rotary, Express,
Expand
1961-62 - Regino "Jun" Hermosisima, Jr. - Aim for Action, Communications for Understanding, Test for Leadership
1962-63 - Rodolfo "Rudy" Karaan - Kindle in the Space Between
1963-64 - Onofre "Grin" Griño - Rotary in Space Age
1964-65 - Abelardo "Abel" Barreto - Live Rotary
1965-66 - Alejandro "Chu" Infante - Develop Programs for Action, Consolidation, Continuity
1966-67 - Rafael "Raf" Esmundo - Better World Through Rotary
1967-68 - Emilio "Andy" Andrion - Make your Rotary Membership Effective
1968-69 - Carlos "Charlie" Tan - Participate
1969-70 - Isidro "Sid" Sta. Elena - Renew and Review
1970-71 - Anastacio "Tani" Kwan - Bridge the Gap
1971-72 - Ricardo "Carding" Mon - Goodwill Begins with You
1972-73 - Rodolfo "Roding" Matias, Felix "Gulf" Gulfin, Jr. - Let's Take a New Look and Act
1973-74 - Aurelio "Lito"La Guardia - Time for Action
1974-75 - Richard "Jack" Jacaria - Renew the Spirit of
Rotary
1975-76 - Felix "Gulf" Gulfin, Jr. - To Dignify the Human Being
1976-77 - Leopoldo "Polding" Manapol - I Believe
1977-78 - Cesar "Sar" Principe- Serve to Unite Mankind
1978-79- Adolfo "Dolf" Luistro- Reach Out
1979-80- Rafael "Paeng" Barrios,Sr - Let Service Light the Way
1980-81 - Reginaldo "Dodie" Bucoy- Take Time to Serve
1981-82 - Vicente "Jun" Yu, Sr. - World Understanding and Peace Through Rotary
1982-83 - Aniceto "Monding" Mon - Mankind is One, Build Friendship through the World
1983-84 - Pedro "Jun" Araneta, Jr. - Share Rotary - Serve People
1984-85 - Felino "Feling" Albert - Discover a New World of Service
1985-86 - Pio "Boy" Dumadaug - You are the Key
1986-87 - Jose "Joe" Tomboc - Rotary Brings Hope
1987-88 - Fernando "Dan" Cariaga - Rotarian - United in Service - Dedicated to Peace
1988-89 - Manuel "Noli" Pagayucan - Put Life into Rotary - Your Life
1989-90 - Sangkula "Sanny" Tindik - Enjoy Rotary
1990-91 - Cecilio "Cil" Martin - Honor Rotary with Faith and Enthusiasm
1991-92 - Maximo "Maxie" Eisma - Look Beyond Self
1992-93 - Harry "Rey" Amerin - Real Happiness is in Helping Others
1993-94 - Cornelio "John" Cauba, Jr. - Believe in what you do - Do what you believe in
1994-95 - Roncesvalles "Ronces" Filoteo - Be a Friend
1995-96 - Agnes "Ouida" Yu - Act with Integrity, Serve with Love, Work for Peace
1996-97 - Salustiano "Salus" Legaspi - Build the Future with Action and Vision
1997-98 - Agnes "Ouida" Yu - Show Rotary Care
1998-99 - Nida "Nids" Dans - Follow your Rotary Dream
1999-2000 - Richard "Dick" Brown - Act with Consistency, Credibility, Continuity
2000-01 - Gregorio "G3" Dela Peña - Create Awareness - Take Action
2001-02 - Omar "Mar" Basiri - Mankind is Our Business
2002-03 - Laura "Lau" Alano - Sow the Seeds of Love
2003-04 - Florito "Toto" Mabras - Lend a Hand
2004-05 - Arnulfo "Nonong" Manigos - Celebrate Rotary - 100 Years
2005-06 - David "Dave" Pamaran - Service Above Self
2006-07 - Danilo "Danny" Bucoy - Lead the Way
2007-08 - Wilfredo "Wil" Zerna - Rotary Shares
2008-09 - Raymond "Ray" Lintag - Make Dreams Real
2009-10 - Al-Rasheed "Al" M. Sakkalahul -The Future of Rotary Is In Your Hands
2010-11 - Eduardo "Nonoy" Tan - Building Communities Bridging Continents

History of Rotary International

The first four Rotarians: (from left) Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey, and Paul P. Harris Courtesy of Rotary Images

T he world's first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.

Rotary's popularity spread, and within a decade, clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York to Winnipeg, Canada. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later.

As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving club members’ professional and social interests. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its motto: Service Above Self.

By 1925, Rotary had grown to 200 clubs with more than 20,000 members. The organization's distinguished reputation attracted presidents, prime ministers, and a host of other luminaries to its ranks — among them author Thomas Mann, diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, and composer Jean Sibelius.

The Four-Way Test

In 1932, Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor created The Four-Way Test, a code of ethics adopted by Rotary 11 years later. The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, 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?

Rotary and World War II

During World War II, many clubs were forced to disband, while others stepped up their service efforts to provide emergency relief to victims of the war. In 1942, looking ahead to the postwar era, Rotarians called for a conference to promote international educational and cultural exchanges. This event inspired the founding of UNESCO.

In 1945, 49 Rotary club members served in 29 delegations to the UN Charter Conference. Rotary still actively participates in UN conferences by sending observers to major meetings and covering the United Nations in its publications.

"Few there are who do not recognize the good work which is done by Rotary clubs throughout the free world," former Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain once declared.

Dawn of a new century

As it approached the 21st century, Rotary worked to meet society’s changing needs, expanding its service efforts to address such pressing issues as environmental degradation, illiteracy, world hunger, and children at risk.

In 1989, the organization voted to admit women into clubs worldwide and now claims more than 145,000 female members in its ranks.

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Rotary clubs were formed or re-established throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The first Russian Rotary club was chartered in 1990, and the organization underwent a growth spurt for the next several years.

More than a century after Paul Harris and his colleagues chartered the club that eventually led to Rotary International, Rotarians continue to take pride in their history. In honor of that first club, Rotarians have preserved its original meeting place, Room 711 in Chicago’s Unity Building, by re-creating the office as it existed in 1905. For several years, the Paul Harris 711 Club maintained the room as a shrine for visiting Rotarians. In 1989, when the building was scheduled to be demolished, the club carefully dismantled the office and salvaged the interior, including doors and radiators. In 1993, the RI Board of Directors set aside a permanent home for the restored Room 711 on the 16th floor of RI World Headquarters in nearby Evanston.

Today, 1.2 million Rotarians belong to over 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

The Rotary Foundation

T he mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

Programs of The Rotary Foundation

T hrough Foundation grants and programs, Rotarians and other contributors can help change the world. They can finance a well for a village that lacks clean water, improve the environment, or provide scholarships to educate the next generation. The grants and programs available to Rotarians allow them to realize Rotary’s humanitarian mission throughout the world, including its number-one goal of eradicating polio.

PolioPlus

To eradicate polio, Rotarians have mobilized by the hundreds of thousands. They’re working to ensure that children are immunized against this crippling disease and that surveillance is strong despite the poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and civil strife of many countries. Since the PolioPlus program’s inception in 1985, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine.

PolioPlus Grants – Primarily applied for by National PolioPlus Committee chairs or a major partner agency, such as the World Health Organization or UNICEF. Support is available for eradication efforts in polio-endemic, recently endemic, and high-risk countries, including National Immunization Days, poliovirus transmission monitoring, and other activities.

Humanitarian Grants Program

Disaster Recovery – Allows Rotarians to donate money in response to specific disasters. Funds are distributed to local committees to support recovery efforts. The program was created in 2005-06, and the Foundation currently administers four Disaster Recovery accounts: Hurricanes Stan and Wilma (Guatemala and Mexico), Hurricane Wilma (United States), the Earthquake in India and Pakistan, and Solidarity in South Asia. Total contributions to the accounts were $6.4 million.

District Simplified Grants – Support the service activities of districts locally and abroad. Since this program began in 2003-04, more than 1,160 grants totaling over US$17 million have been awarded to districts in almost 60 countries.

Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants – Fund large-scale, two- to four-year projects that improve health, alleviate hunger, or promote human development. Since 1978, more than 280 projects in 75 countries have been funded through The Rotary Foundation at a cost of $74 million.

Matching Grants – Provide matching funds for the international service projects of Rotary clubs and districts. Since 1965, more than 24,000 Matching Grant projects in 167 countries have been funded at a cost of more than $257 million.

Volunteer Service Grants – Support the international travel of qualified Rotarians and their spouses to provide a needed service or plan a necessary project in a community. This program began in 2006-07, and more than 200 projects in over 40 countries have been funded at about $1 million.

Educational Programs

Ambassadorial Scholarships – The Foundation sponsors one of the largest international scholarship programs in the world. Scholars study in a different country, where they serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill. Since 1947, more than 47,000 scholars from 110 countries have received scholarships of more than $476 million through The Rotary Foundation.

Group Study Exchange (GSE) – Annual awards are made to paired Rotary districts to cover travel expenses for a team of non-Rotarians from a variety of professions. Rotarian hosts organize a four- to six-week itinerary of vocational, educational, and cultural points of interest. Since 1965, more than 57,000 individuals (almost 12,000 teams) from 100 countries have participated at a cost of more than $92 million.

Rotary Grants for University Teachers – These grants are awarded to university faculty members to teach in a developing nation for 3 to 10 months. Since 1985, more than $4 million in grants has allowed over 430 teachers to share their expertise with a college or university in a developing country.

Rotary World Peace Fellowships – Each year, up to 110 scholars are sponsored to study at one of the seven Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution for a master’s-level degree. Sign up for the Peace Net newsletter, which provides a forum for the Rotary Centers community.

Structure

Overview of Rotary International's leadership structure

Clubs

Rotarians are members of more than 32,000 Rotary clubs, which belong to the global association of Rotary International (RI). Each club elects its own officers and enjoys considerable autonomy within the framework of Rotary’s constitution and bylaws.

Districts

Clubs are grouped into approximately 530 RI districts, each led by a district governor, who is an RI officer and leads about 50 clubs. The district administration, including assistant governors and various committees, guides and supports the clubs.

The RI Boards

The 19-member RI Board of Directors , which includes the RI president and president-elect, meets quarterly to establish policies. Traditionally, the RI president, who is elected annually, develops a theme and emphasis for the year.

The Secretariat

RI is headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, USA, with seven international offices in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland. The office of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI), located in England, serves clubs and districts in that region.

The Secretariat’s active managing officer is the general secretary, who heads a 650-member staff working to serve Rotarians worldwide. Contact the Secretariat .

Adapted from Rotary Basics

Council on Legislation

The Council on Legislation, Rotary’s “parliament,” meets every three years to deliberate and act upon all proposed enactments and resolutions submitted by clubs, district conferences, the RIBI Conference or General Council, and the RI Board. The Council itself also makes proposals. Read more about the Council on Legislation .

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation

The 15 directors of The Rotary Foundation are appointed by the RI president, with the agreement of the RI Board. The Trustees manage all business of the Foundation. The trustee chair, who serves for one year as chair, is the head of the Trustees. Each trustee is appointed to a four-year term.

Guiding Principles

Guiding principles

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.

Avenues of Service

Based on the Object of Rotary, the Avenues of Service are Rotary’s philosophical cornerstone and the foundation on which club activity is based:

Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club.
Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards.
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 globe and to promote world understanding and peace.

The Four-Way Test

The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, 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?

Mission

The mission of Rotary International, a worldwide association of Rotary clubs, is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Moving toward the future

In 2001-02, Rotary International began developing a strategic plan to guide the organization as it entered its second century of service. In June 2007, the Board of Directors approved the RI Strategic Plan 2007-10, which identifies seven priorities:

Eradicate polio.
Advance the internal and external recognition and public image of Rotary.
Increase Rotary’s capacity to provide service to others.
Expand membership globally in both numbers and quality.
Emphasize Rotary’s unique vocational service commitment.
Optimize the use and development of leadership talents within RI.
Fully implement the strategic planning process to ensure continuity and consistency throughout the organization.

Programs of Rotary International

The programs of Rotary International

R otary International’s programs and service opportunities, listed below, are designed to help Rotarians meet the needs of their own communities and assist people worldwide.

Global Networking Groups encompass Rotary Fellowships (vocational and recreational interest groups) and Rotarian Action Groups (groups focused on service activities). The more than 90 Global Networking Groups are open to all Rotarians, spouses of Rotarians, and Rotaractors.

Interact is a service organization organized and sponsored by Rotary clubs for youth ages 14-18. It has more than 10,900 clubs in 121 countries.

Rotaract is organized by Rotary clubs to promote leadership, professional development, and service among young adults ages 18-30. There are more than 7,000 clubs in 162 countries.

Rotary Community Corps (RCC) are groups of non-Rotarians who work to improve their communities. There are more than 6,400 RCCs in 76 countries, all organized and sponsored by Rotary clubs.

Rotary Friendship Exchange encourages Rotarians and their families to make reciprocal visits to other countries, staying in each other’s homes and learning about different cultures firsthand.

Rotary Volunteers allows Rotarians and other skilled professionals to offer their services and experience to local and international humanitarian projects.

Rotary Youth Exchange offers students ages 15-19 the chance to travel abroad for cultural exchanges of one week to a full academic year. Rotary clubs and districts sponsor and host about 9,000 Youth Exchange students a year.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) are seminars sponsored by clubs and districts to encourage and recognize the leadership abilities of youth and young adults ages 14-30.

World Community Service (WCS) allows Rotary clubs and districts from at least two countries to implement community service projects together.

Board-recommended service opportunities, listed in the Menu of Service Opportunities, are major areas of need or concern that the RI Board has encouraged clubs to consider when planning projects:

Children at risk
Disabled persons
Health care
International understanding and goodwill
Literacy and numeracy
Population issues
Poverty and hunger
Preserve Planet Earth
Urban concerns

The Rotary Foundation also offers several programs, such as PolioPlus .

Learn more in Rotary Basics.

Joining Rotary

R otarians are members of Rotary clubs. Rotary clubs belong to Rotary International. To become a Rotarian, you must be invited to join a Rotary club by a member of that club.

A qualified candidate for Rotary club membership is an adult of good character and good business, professional, or community reputation. The candidate fits one of the following criteria:

1. Holds or has held an executive position with discretionary authority in any worthy and recognized business or profession

2. Serves or has served as a community leader

3. Is a Rotary Foundation alumna

Rotarians are business and professional leaders who take an active role in their communities while greatly enriching their personal and professional lives. A Rotary club contains a diverse group of professional leaders from the community that the club serves.

Benefits of membership

Rotary is Humanity in Motion.

There are many reasons to join a local Rotary club:

Networking

An original goal of Rotary was to allow club members to meet periodically and enlarge their circle of business and professional acquaintances. As members of the oldest service club in the world, Rotarians represent a cross-section of their community’s business owners, executives, managers, political leaders, and professionals – people who make decisions and influence policy.

Service

Club members have many opportunities for humanitarian service, both locally and internationally. Service programs address concerns such as health care, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and the environment. Rotarians regularly experience the fulfillment that comes from giving back to the community.

Friendship

Rotary was founded on fellowship, a cornerstone that continues to attract members today. Rotarians enjoy camaraderie with like-minded professionals, and club projects provide opportunities to develop enduring friendships. Club members who travel have friendly contacts in almost every city of the world.

Family

Rotary sponsors some of the world’s largest exchange and educational programs. Rotary clubs provide innovative training opportunities and mentoring for young leaders, and they involve family members in a wide range of social and service activities.

Ethics

Encouraging high ethical standards and respect for all worthy vocations has been a hallmark of Rotary from its earliest days. In their business and professional lives, Rotarians abide by The Four-Way Test:
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?

Leadership

Rotary is an organization of successful professionals. Team-building, fundraising, public speaking, planning, organization, and communication are just some of the leadership skills that club members can exercise and enhance. Being a Rotary leader provides further experience in motivating, inspiring, and guiding others.

Responsibilities of club membership

The club is the cornerstone of Rotary, where the most meaningful work is carried out. All effective Rotary clubs are responsible for four key elements: sustaining or increasing their membership base, participating in service projects that benefit their own community and those in other countries, supporting The Rotary Foundation of RI financially and through program participation, and developing leaders capable of serving in Rotary beyond the club level.

What Rotarians get out of Rotary depends largely on what they put into it. Many membership requirements are designed to help members more fully participate in and enjoy their Rotary experience.

Attendance

Attending weekly club meetings allows members to enjoy their club’s fellowship, enrich their professional and personal knowledge, and meet other business leaders in their community. Many larger communities offer clubs with different meeting times, including early morning, the lunch hour, after work, and evening.

If members miss their own club’s meeting, they’re encouraged to expand their Rotary horizons by attending make-up meetings at any Rotary club in the world — a practice that guarantees Rotarians a warm welcome in communities around the globe. Find meeting places and times in the Official Directory or through the Club Locator.

In some cases, Rotarians can make up meetings by participating in a club service project or attending a club board meeting or a Rotaract or Interact club meeting. Members can also make up online at one of several Rotary e-clubs.

Service

All Rotary clubs share a key mission: to serve their community and those in need throughout the world. By participating in club service projects, members learn about their club’s involvement in local and international projects and can volunteer their time and talents where they are most needed.

Finding and keeping members

To keep clubs strong, every Rotarian must share the responsibility of bringing new people into Rotary. Even new members can bring guests to meetings or invite them to participate in a service project. The value of Rotary speaks for itself, and the best way to spark the interest of potential members is by letting them experience fellowship and service firsthand.

Keeping members interested in Rotary is another responsibility. Good club fellowship and early involvement in service projects are two of the best ways to sustain the club’s membership.

The ideal composition of a Rotary club reflects the community’s demographics, including professions, gender, age, and ethnicity. Such diversity enriches every aspect of the club’s fellowship and service.