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An association of some 31,000 autonomous clubs in 166 countries, Rotary
International is one of the world's largest service organizations. The
goal for a club's membership is an up-to-date and progressive representation
of the community's business, vocational, and professional interests.
An important distinction between Rotary and other organizations is that
membership in Rotary is by invitation. Rotary clubs invite individuals
to join and become members.
Membership is vital to a Rotary club's operations and community service
activities. A primary goal of the club is to continually expand the club
with committed members who have the interest and ability to get involved
in service and humanitarian projects. Prospective members must:
• hold — or be retired from — a professional, proprietary,
executive, or managerial position;
• have the capacity to meet the club's weekly attendance or community
project participation requirements;
• live or work within the locality of the club or the surrounding
area.
Often a person being considered for membership is invited by a member/sponsor
to attend one or more club meetings to learn more about Rotary. The sponsor
may then submit the name of the candidate to the club's membership committee.
An individual who is interested in membership but doesn't know any Rotarians
can contact the local club directly. Search the Club Locator and Rotary
Web Sites databases to find contact information for clubs. Some Rotary
clubs maintain an office and may be listed in your telephone directory.
Other resources include a Rotary club in an adjoining community, the local
chamber of commerce, the public library, or other non-profit service organizations.
Classifications: professional representation
Rotary uses a classification system to establish and maintain a vibrant
cross-section or representation of the community's business, vocational,
and professional interests among members and to develop a pool of resources
and expertise to successfully implement service projects. This system
is based on the founders' paradigm of choosing cross-representation of
each business, profession, and institution within a community.
A classification describes either the principal business or the professional
service of the organization that the Rotarian works for or the Rotarian's
own activity within the organization. Some examples of classifications
include: high schools, universities, eye surgery, banking, pharmaceutical-retailing,
petroleum-distribution, and insurance agency.
Rotary club membership carries with it certain responsibilities.
• Members are expected to attend weekly programs of the club. Opportunities
to make up attendance include attending the regular meeting of another
Rotary club, attending various other Rotary meetings, or attending a club
service project authorized by the club board of directors.
• Members are required to pay annual dues to their clubs, their
districts, and to Rotary International.
• Members are expected to participate in local or international
activities or projects of the Rotary club.
• Clubs encourage members to aspire to leadership or committee roles
within their clubs.
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