ABOUT ROTARY

The world's first service club was the Rotary Club of Chicago, IL, formed in 1905 by lawyer Paul Pl Harris and three friends - a merchant, a coal dealer, and a mining engineer.  Harris wanted to recapture the friendly spirit of the businesspeople in the town where he grew up.  The name "Rotary" was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among its member's offices.

Today there are approximately 1.2 MILLION Rotarians working in some 29,000 rotary Clubs in 160 Countries and 35 geographical regions worldwide.

First admitted in 1987, women are the fastest growing segment of Rotary's membership.  There are nearly 2,000 female club presidents and women are rapidly assuming regional leadership roles.

Rotary 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."

Rotary Membership:
Rotarians are professional men and women who work as volunteers to improve the quality of life in their home and work 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.