What is Rotary?

The Rotary motto is 'Service Above Self'

Rotary is the world's largest service organisation with about 1,200,000 members in over 160 countries and in 30,000 Rotary Clubs.

There are nearly 59,000 Rotarians in Great Britain and Ireland in 1,816 clubs. Each Club is independently run and has on average about thirty members who have a variety of occupations.

The Rotary Club of Bromley has about 40 members working and/or living in the Bromley area.

It is enjoyable to be a member of Rotary International, not only for the fellowship, but also for the satisfaction of contributing to worthwhile projects both local and international, helping those in need and working towards world understanding and peace.

ROTARY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are non-political, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.

Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community's business and professional men and women.

The main objective of Rotary is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence.

They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development.

POLIO ERADICATION

Although Rotary clubs develop autonomous service programs, all Rotarians worldwide are united in a campaign for the global eradication of polio.

In the 1980s, Rotarians raised US$240 million (£170 million) to immunise the children of the world.

By 2005, Rotary's centenary year, the PolioPlus program has contributed US$ 500 million ( £350 million) to this cause.

In addition, Rotary has provided an army of volunteers to promote and assist at national immunisation days in polio-endemic countries around the world.

In recent years there has been a massive effort to raise funds for 'the final push' and every Club throughout the world has been involved.

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION of Rotary International is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes world understanding through international humanitarian service programmes and educational and cultural exchanges. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and others who share its vision of a better world. Since 1947, the Foundation has awarded more than US$1.1 billion (£770 million) in humanitarian and educational grants, which are initiated and administered by local Rotary clubs and districts.