What is Rotary?
Rotary is a service organisation of business and professional men and women, united worldwide who help those in need, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and work toward understanding and peace.
Rotary is more than 1.2 million service minded men and women belonging to over 31,000 Rotary clubs in 166+ countries. Membership is by invitation.
Rotarians meet weekly to enjoy each others fellowship and discuss ways to serve others.
Rotary is compassion for the underprivileged, the ill and the disabled, who benefit from over 50,000 Rotary club service projects in the world each year.
Rotary runs the biggest non-government scholarship scheme in the world
In 2000/01 The Rotary Foundation (Rotary's own charity) gave more than £75 million to educational and humanitarian programmes which promote international understanding.
Rotary began in 1905 in Chicago. The world headquarters are in Evanston, Illinois, USA, and the secretariat of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland is at Kinwarton Road, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 6BP
The object of Rotary may sound rather high minded and a bit pompous! But read on and you will find that it is not. Rotary is not a closed social club either, but it does provide plenty of opportunity to meet new acquaintances and to do something positive to help others.