WHAT IS ROTARY On February 23, 1905 a young lawyer, Paul P. Harris, founded the first Rotary Club in Chicago, Illinois. The first Rotary Club in the world gathered together a group of five men, each of whom was engaged in a different form of service to the public. These men met in a spirit of friendship and understanding. Their meetings were held at each other’s place of business in rotation, hence the name Rotary came into being. Since that historic date, clubs have been established all over the world under Rotary International. As of the end of 2017, there are over 34,000-member clubs worldwide representing over 200 countries and over 1.2 million individuals, known as “Rotarians.” The acceptance of the principles of Rotary has been universal and the sun never sets on the ring of clubs around the world. Rotarians usually gather weekly to fulfill our first guiding principle to develop friendships as an opportunity for service. “It is the duty of all Rotarians, states our Manual of Procedure,“ outside our clubs, to be active as individuals in as many legally constituted groups and organizations as possible to promote, not only in words but through exemplary dedication, awareness of the dignity of all people and the respect of the consequent human rights of the individual. The Rotarian’s primary motto is “Service Above Self.” Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organizations dedication to this ideal is best expressed in the motto: Service Above Self.

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