Discover Rotary - Clubs

ROTARY CLUBS

There are more than 33,000 Rotary Clubs around the world and although they all share the same object, you will not find two that are the same. This is because our greatest strength is our diversity and Rotary Clubs are autonomous when it comes to how they serve their community, what projects they take on and who they support.

Rotary Clubs implement projects that not only serve their local community, but they also support national and international projects too. Who they serve and how is entirely up to them.  Rotary also has its own projects. Some Rotary projects provide humanitarian aid on an international basis; others are more locally based. We also facilitate projects for young people, such as our Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Youth Exchange and competitions such as Rotary Young Writer, Rotary Young Photographer, and Rotary Young Chef, etc. 

The list of projects that Rotary Clubs facilitate is endless and many are very creative and inspiring.

Rotary Clubs also work together on global initiatives and collectively have managed to achieve great things.  One of the projects where Rotary International is at the forefront is Polio eradication. We launched our PolioPlus programme in 1985. We have contributed more than $1.5 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.  Our efforts to eradicate polio have been described as one of the finest humanitarian projects the world has ever known and Rotary has even been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.  

In terms of structure, Rotary Clubs have a President, Secretary and Treasurer. They will also have members that chair their various committees or have a specific role, such as Health and Safety officer.

Some Clubs may have similar traditions others do not.  Some Clubs share a meal as part of their meeting, some do not and other Clubs have both dining and non-dining members.

Although Clubs are autonomous, there is a standard Rotary Club constitution. All professional organisations have policies and procedures and we are no different. The constitution deals with how the Club is run. It ensures fairness and professionalism. It is renewed every three years following resolutions to amend and improve.

Innovative and Flexible Clubs however are allowed to adopt their own procedures. We are an innovative organisation so we have to adapt and change and try new ways of doing things. It is our ability to adapt and change that secures our survival.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership of Rotary is by invitation and offers many benefits. It provides great opportunities for personal development and friendships. You can read about the benefits of membership on this site.

There is an old adage that says the more you put into something; the more you will get out.  This is very true with Rotary.

Time Commitment

Although our traditional Clubs meet weekly, members DO NOT have to meet every week. There has never been such a rule.

Recognising the pressures of time and external commitments, we are now becoming more innovative and flexible. The fantastic projects we do around the world, such as ridding the world of Polio would not happen without our members, so it is important for us to adapt to today’s pressures and make membership a lot more flexible.

To this end we are forming new innovative and flexible Clubs that can organise themselves to meet on their own terms and in ways in which suits them best.

These innovative and flexible Clubs are proving popular with younger people in work, with people just starting their own business and with young married couples with children etc. The scope for networking, socialising and doing some great community projects is proving to be very exciting for our pioneers who are taking these Clubs forward.

Financial Commitment

With 1.2 million members around the world, we need communications and administration. Rotary Club events are also insured.  This comes from membership fees and we are proud that 100% of funds we raise goes to where they are intended.  Rotary can cost as little as £10 per month.  See FAQ page for further information.

Joining Rotary

The best way to get involved is to find a local Rotary Club near you.  Rotary Clubs will normally suggest you go along and attend a few meetings to see if it is for you.  If there is more than one Rotary Club in your area, you may like to visit that one too. If you click on the Make An Enquiry button at the bottom of this page, we will be happy to put you in touch with a Club near you.

In addition to this, we are also forming new Clubs and again you can see on this site where we are currently forming new Clubs. It is intended that these Clubs will be innovative and flexible satellite Clubs.

If you would be interested in being part of these developments, or have any questions about membership, please click on the enquiry button below.