What is Rotary?
What is Rotary?
Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are non‑political, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the Rotary motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service – in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.
Guiding Principles
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 by each Rotarian of their occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
THIRD: The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to their personal, business and community life.
FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional people united in the ideal of service.
The Four-Way Test
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and non-sectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships:
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?
Avenues of Service
We channel our commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service, which are the foundation of Club activity. These include:
- Club Service
- Vocational Service
- Community Service
- International Service
- Youth Service
For further details, refer to our “What do we do?”