There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.
PolioPlus
PolioPlus, the most ambitious program in Rotary’s history, is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. For more than 20 years, Rotary has led the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease. Today, PolioPlus and its role in the initiative is recognized worldwide as a model of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal.
Rotary has contributed almost $800 million to the Polio-eradification effort.
History
In 1905, a 37-year-old lawyer changed the world.
Paul Harris, along with three friends, formed the very first Rotary Club in Chicago. The earliest members included a coal dealer, a mining engineer, a merchant tailor, and a printer. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.
The second Rotary Club was formed in San Franciso in 1908. By the end of 1909, there were seven clubs from California to New York.
By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later.
The Four-Way Test
n 1943, Rotary adopted a code of ethics which has since been translated into more than 100 lanuages:
The four-way test of the things we think, say and do:
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Is it the TRUTH?
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Is it FAIR to all concerned?
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Will it BUILD GOODWILL and better friendships?
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Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
At the UN Charter Conference in 1945, 49 of the delegates were Rotarians.
The Rotary Foundation
In 1917, an endowment was established with a contribution of $26.50 for the purpose of doing good in the world . In 2007-08, The Rotary Foundation's total revenue was $201.4 million. The Rotary Foundation has received a total of more than $1 billion in contributions thoughout its history.
"Few there are who do not recognize the good work which is done by Rotary clubs throughout the free world," Winston Churchill