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Copyright
© 2003 Rotary International |
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The District Conference
Most Rotarians have
never attended a Rotary district conference, which means they have not
experienced one of the most enjoyable and rewarding privileges of Rotary
membership.
A district conference
is for all club members in the district and their spouses, not just for club
officers and committee members. The purpose of a district conference is for
fellowship, inspirational speakers, and discussion of matters that make
one’s Rotary membership more meaningful. Every person who attends a district
conference finds that being a Rotarian becomes even more rewarding because
of the new experiences, insights, and acquaintances developed at the
conference. Those who attend a conference enjoy going back, year after year.
Every Rotary district
has a conference annually. These meetings are considered so important that
the Rotary International president selects a knowledgeable Rotarian as his
personal representative to attend and address each conference. The program
always includes several outstanding entertainment features, interesting
discussions, and inspirational programs.
One of the added
benefits of attending a district conference is the opportunity to become
better acquainted with members of one’s own club in an informal setting.
Lasting friendships grow from the fellowship hours at the district
conference.
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Presidents-elect
Training Seminar (PETS)
The Bylaws of Rotary
International require that the governor-elect of each district, in
cooperation with the current governor, schedule and conduct a training
seminar for the incoming club presidents of the district, preferably in
March. This two- or three-day Presidents-elect Training Seminar, commonly
referred to by its acronym, PETS, is a motivational and leadership training
session designed to prepare the future club presidents for the office they
will assume on 1 July. Among the subjects covered are the presentation of
the RI theme for the coming year as well as information about effective
service projects and The Rotary Foundation. Time is also devoted to
reviewing the role and responsibilities of a club president. Incoming club
presidents also learn about goal-setting, selection and preparation of club
officers, club administration, membership recruitment and orientation, and
RI and district resources. In
some areas of the
world, two or more neighboring districts conduct Multidistrict PETS.
Multidistrict PETS groups have found that their larger numbers help them
attract popular Rotary speakers, provide incoming presidents with a
perspective beyond the district, and generate more diverse strategies for
effective club leadership.
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Youth Exchange
Youth Exchange is one
of the most popular programs to promote international understanding and
develop lifelong friendships. It began in 1927 with the Rotary Club of Nice,
France. Exchanges in Europe continued until World War II and resumed after
the war in 1946. In 1939, an extensive Youth Exchange was created between
California and Latin America. Since then, the program has expanded around
the world. In recent years, more than 7,000 young people have participated
annually in Rotary club- and district-sponsored exchange programs.
The values of Youth
Exchange are experienced not only by the high-school-age students involved
but also by the host families, sponsoring clubs, receiving high schools, and
the entire community. Youth Exchange participants usually provide their
fellow students in their host schools with excellent opportunities to learn
about customs, languages, traditions, and family life in another country.
Youth Exchange offers
young people interesting opportunities and rich experiences to see another
part of the world. Students usually spend a full academic year abroad,
although some clubs and districts sponsor short-term exchanges of several
weeks or months.
Youth Exchange is a
highly recommended program for all Rotary clubs as a practical activity for
the enhancement of international understanding and goodwill.
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No Personal Privileges
Frequently, friends ask
whether Rotarians receive special business benefits from their Rotary
membership. Should Rotarians expect a special discount or some preferential
service just because they are dealing with a fellow Rotarian?
The answer is clearly
“no?’ The RI Manual of Procedure expressly states the Rotary position
on this matter. The policy, originally approved by the RI Board of Directors
in 1933, is that in business and professional relations “a Rotarian should
not expect, and far less should a Rotarian ask for, more consideration or
advantages from a fellow Rotarian than the latter would give to any other
business or professional associate...Any use of the fellowship of Rotary as
a means of gaining an advantage or profit is contrary to the spirit of
Rotary.”
On the other hand, if
new or increased business comes as the natural result of friendship created
in Rotary, it is the same normal development that takes place outside of
Rotary as well as inside, so it is not an infringement on the ethics of
Rotary membership.
It is important to
remember that the primary purpose of Rotary membership is to provide each
member with a unique opportunity to serve others, and membership is not
intended as a means for personal profit or special privileges.
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Every Rotarian an
Example to Youth
In 1949, the RI Board
adopted the slogan Every Rotarian an Example to Youth as an expression of
commitment to children and youth in each community in which Rotary clubs
exist. Serving young people has long been an important part of the Rotary
program.
Youth service projects
take many forms around the world. Rotarians sponsor Boy Scout and Girl Scout
troops, athletic teams, centers for disabled children, school safety
patrols, summer camps, orphanages, recreation areas, safe driving clinics,
county fairs, child-care centers, and children’s hospitals. Many clubs
provide vocational counseling, establish youth employment programs, and
promote use of The 4-Way Test. Increasingly, drug/alcohol abuse prevention
and AIDS awareness projects are being supported by Rotarians.
In every instance,
Rotarians have an opportunity to be role models and mentors for the young
people of their community. One learns to serve by observing others. As our
youth grow to become adult leaders, it is hoped each will achieve that same
desire and spirit to serve future generations.
The slogan accepted
over 50 years ago is just as vital today.
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World Community Service
World Community Service
(WCS) is the Rotary program by which a club or district in one
country provides humanitarian assistance to a project of a club in another
country. Typically, the aid goes to a developing community where the Rotary
project will help raise the standard of living and the quality of life. The
ultimate object of World Community Service is to build goodwill and
understanding among peoples of the world.
One important way to
find a club in some other part of the world that needs help on a worthy
project is to use the WCS Projects Exchange, a list of hundreds of worthy
activities in developing areas that is published semiannually. The exchange
list is maintained at the RI Secretariat in Evanston and is readily
available upon request. It outlines projects, provides estimated costs, and
gives names of the appropriate contacts. The WCS Projects Exchange list and
the database, which is updated monthly, are accessible via the RI Web site
at
www.rotary.org.
Clubs seeking help with
a humanitarian project may register their needs, and clubs seeking to assist
a World Community Service project may easily review the list of needs
registered in the Projects Exchange. Thus, the exchange provides a practical
way to link needs with resources.
Every Rotary club is
urged to undertake a new World Community Service project each year. The WCS
Projects Exchange list is an excellent tool to find a real need, a project
description, and cooperating club in a developing area. The job then is to
go to work” to complete the project, and at the same time build bridges of
friendship and world understanding.
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Women’s Groups
Associated with Rotary Clubs
Some very significant
programs of Rotary service are not conducted by Rotarians. This is true
because of the many projects sponsored by organizations of Rotarians’ wives
and other women relatives associated with Rotary clubs around the world.
Generally organized before Rotary clubs admitted women to membership, these
groups served, and continue to serve, as a way for spouses of Rotarians to
support the Rotary ideal of service and make valuable contributions to their
community.
Women’s groups — often
called Women of Rotary, Rotary Ann Clubs, Las Damas de Rotary, or the more
formalized organization, The Inner Wheel — annually conduct hundreds of
notable projects of humanitarian service. They establish schools, baby
clinics, food and clothing distribution centers, hospital facilities,
orphanages, homes for the elderly, and other service activities, and they
frequently provide volunteer service on a day-to-day basis to operate
child-care centers for working mothers and provide necessary resources for
Youth Exchange students. In many instances, the women’s groups complement
and supplement the programs of service performed by the local Rotary clubs.
Many of the women’s groups actively conduct international service projects
as well as local projects.
The RI Board of
Directors in 1984 recognized the excellent service and fellowship of the
clubs and organizations of women relatives of Rotarians and encouraged all
Rotary clubs to sponsor such informal organizations.
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Functional Literacy
Program
It has been estimated
that a billion people — one-sixth of the world’s population are unable to
read. Illiteracy among adults and children is a global concern in highly
industrialized nations and in developing countries.
The tragedy of
illiteracy is that those who cannot read are denied personal independence
and become victims of unscrupulous manipulation, poverty, and the loss of
human dignity. Illiteracy is demeaning. It is a major obstacle for economic,
political, social, and personal development and a barrier to international
understanding, cooperation, and peace in the world.
Many Rotary clubs are
thoughtfully surveying the needs of their community for literacy training.
Some clubs provide basic books for teaching reading. Others establish and
support reading and language clinics, provide volunteer tutorial
assistance, and purchase reading materials. Rotarians can play a vitally
important part in their community and in developing countries by promoting
projects to open opportunities that come from the ability to read. For
example, Australian Rotarians developed Lighthouses for Literacy projects in
four schools in Thailand. This innovative teaching method proved so
successful that the Thai government adopted it for all the nation’s schools.
Other Rotary clubs have used this model to develop literacy projects in
Bangladesh, South Africa, Brazil, and other countries.
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International
Conventions
Each May or June,
Rotary International holds a worldwide convention “to stimulate, inspire,
and inform all Rotarians at an international level.” The convention, which
may not be held in the same country for more than two consecutive years, is
the annual meeting to conduct the business of the association. The planning
process usually begins about four or five years in advance. In selecting the
site, the RI Board determines a general location and invites cities to make
proposals.
The conventions are
truly international events that 20,000 to 35,000 Rotarians and guests
attend. In addition to being fun events, international conventions offer
Rotarians unique opportunities for vacation travel. Upcoming conventions are
scheduled for Brisbane, Australia (2003); Osaka, Japan (2004); and Chicago,
Illinois, USA (2005). All members should plan to participate in a Rotary
International convention to discover the real internationality of Rotary. It
is an experience you’ll never forget.
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Presidential
Conferences
From time to time,
Rotarians see promotional literature announcing a presidential or regional
peace conference to be held some place in the world. Such a conference is
quite similar to the annual Rotary International convention but smaller in
attendance and serving Rotarians and guests in a region that is a
considerable distance from the site of the international convention.
The purpose of an RI
presidential conference is to develop and promote acquaintance, friendship,
and understanding among the attendees, as well as to facilitate the
development of international service projects, and provide a forum to
discuss and exchange ideas about Rotary and activities to promote goodwill
and understanding. A few peace conferences have actually initiated peaceful
relations among nations with historic conflicts. Presidential conferences
are considered special events on the Rotary calendar and are not held on
any regular schedule. The conferences are arranged by a committee appointed
by the RI president.
Rotarians from all
parts of the world are always welcome to attend. Participating in a
presidential conference in another region is an enjoyable, rewarding, and
fascinating experience that provides another opportunity to enjoy the
international fellowship of Rotary.
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Intercountry Comittees
In 1931, Rotarians in
France and Germany organized the petit corn ite, a small group with
the goal of fostering better relations between the people of these two
neighboring nations. Since that time, Rotarians throughout Europe have led
the way in creating Intercountry Committees to encourage contacts between
Rotarians and Rotary clubs across national boundaries.
Intercountry Committees
have now been established in many parts of the world to promote friendship
as well as to cooperate in sponsoring World Community Service projects,
student exchanges, and other activities to improve understanding among
nations. Frequently, the Intercountry Committees sponsor visits of Rotarians
and their families across national borders and arrange intercity meetings
and conferences.
In some instances,
Intercountry Committees are created between countries separated by great
distances in an effort to encourage goodwill and friendship with matched or
partner areas of the world. The Intercountry Committees coordinate their
efforts with the district governors of their countries and always serve in
an advisory capacity to districts and clubs.
Intercountry Committees
provide an additional means for Rotary clubs and Rotarians to fulfill the
responsibilities of the fourth Avenue of Service international
understanding, goodwill, and peace.
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RIBI
The structure of Rotary
International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) forms an interesting
chapter in our history. In 1914, after Rotary expanded across the Atlantic
to Great Britain and Ireland, a British Association of Rotary Clubs was
established as part of the International Association of Rotary Clubs. During
World War I, there was little contact between the international clubs, and
the British association held the small number of Rotary clubs together in
Great Britain, Ireland, and a few other European communities.
Following the war, a
new Rotary International Constitution was adopted in 1922 that established
the principle that whenever a country had 25 Rotary clubs it could become a
“territorial unit” and thus have a representative on the RI Board and
receive other specific powers. The clubs in Great Britain and Ireland
immediately petitioned for and received the status of a territorial unit. No
other group in the world made such a request or received that status.
In 1927, Rotary
International terminated the territorial unit concept and organized Rotary
clubs by “areas” of the world. However, all of “the rights, privileges, and
powers of existing territorial units” were forever protected and
perpetuated. Thus, RIBI has continued to function as an independent unit of
Rotary International, subject to certain approvals by the RI Constitution.
The RIBI form of
administration is uniquely appropriate to Great Britain and Ireland because
of geography, language, tradition, and custom. Because of this historic
relationship, RIBI maintains a slightly different administrative structure
from all the other Rotary clubs and districts in the world, even though it
is a full member of Rotary International.
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Council on Legislation
In the early days of
Rotary, any change in the RI Bylaws or Constitution was proposed and voted
upon at the annual convention. As attendance at conventions increased and
open discussion became more difficult, a Council on Legislation was created
in 1934 as an advisory group to debate and analyze proposals before they
were voted on by the convention.
Finally, at the 1970
Atlanta convention, it was decided that the Council on Legislation would
actually become the legislative or parliamentary body of Rotary. The council
is composed of one delegate from each Rotary district as well as several ex
officio members. It was agreed that the council would meet every three years
at a site and time other than the RI Convention.
The council has the
responsibility of considering and acting upon all “enactments,” which are
proposed changes in the Rotary International Bylaws and Constitution and the
Standard Rotary Club Constitution, and “resolutions which are
recommendations to the RI Board for policy, program, and procedural changes.
Proposals may be submitted by any Rotary club, district, or the RI Board.
The council’s actions are subject to review by all the Rotary clubs of the
world before they become final. If 10 percent of the voting strength of the
clubs oppose a council action, such legislation is suspended and it is
submitted to all the clubs for a final vote.
The Council on
Legislation provides the membership of Rotary with a democratic process for
legislative change in the operations of Rotary International.
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Rotary Fellowships
From stamp collecting
to ballroom dancing, the interests of Rotarians are as diverse as the
membership itself. Yet, among the more than 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide,
an amateur-radio enthusiast or a chess player is bound to find others who
share the same passions. But Rotary Fellowship members share more than just
their common interest in sport diving, golf, fishing, or scouting; they
share an interest in fellowship and service and in promoting world
understanding. As such, it’s no wonder that the International Skiing
Fellowship of Rotarians donates the profits from ski events to The Rotary
Foundation or that the Flying Rotarians help ferry medical personnel and
supplies.
Rotary Fellowships also
unite Rotarians who have shared professional interest in such fields as arts
and communication and finance/banking. Members exchange technical
information and seek opportunities to employ their expertise in service not
just to their own communities and countries, but to their professions as
well.
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Rotary Friendship
Exchange
An interesting Rotary
program of fellowship is the Rotary Friendship Exchange. This activity is
intended to encourage Rotarians and their families to visit with Rotarian
families in other parts of the world. It may be conducted on a club-to-club
(individual Rotarians and their families) or district-to-district (four to
six Rotary couples) basis.
The idea is for several
Rotarian couples to travel to another country on the Rotary Friendship
Exchange. Later, the hospitality is reversed when the visit is reciprocated.
After a successful pilot experiment, the Rotary Friendship Exchange became a
permanent program of Rotary in 1988.
The Rotary Friendship
Exchange is frequently compared to the Group Study Exchange program of The
Rotary Foundation, except that it involves Rotarian couples or families who
personally pay for all expenses of their intercountry experience. Doors of
friendship are opened in a way that could not be duplicated except in
Rotary.
Rotarians seeking an
unusual vacation and fellowship experience should learn more about the
Rotary Friendship Exchange. Some unusual Rotary adventures are awaiting you!
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Rotary Youth Leadership
Awards (RYLA)
Each summer, thousands
of young people are selected to attend Rotary-sponsored leadership camps or
seminars in the United States, Australia, Canada, India, France, Argentina,
Korea, and numerous other countries. In an informal atmosphere, groups of
outstanding young people in the 14-30 age range spend a week in a
challenging program of leadership training, discussions, inspirational
addresses, and social activities designed to enhance personal development,
leadership skills, and good citizenship. The official name of this activity
is the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program (RYLA), although these events
are sometimes referred to by other names, such as Camp Royal, Camp
Enterprise, youth leaders seminars, or youth conferences.
The RYLA program began
in Australia in 1959, when young people throughout the state of Queensland
were selected to meet with Princess Alexandra, the young cousin of Queen
Elizabeth II. The Rotarians of Brisbane, who hosted the participants, were
impressed with the quality of the young people. It was decided to bring
youth leaders together each year for a week of social, cultural, and
educational activities. The RYLA program gradually grew throughout all the
Rotary districts of Australia and New Zealand. In 1971, the RI Board adopted
RYLA as an official program of Rotary International. RYLA is generally
conducted as a district activity.
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Rotary Community Corps
One of the programs in
Rotary’s panoply of worldwide service activities and projects is the Rotary
Community Corps. Formerly known as Rotary Village Corps (or Rotary Community
Service Corps in urban areas), this form of grassroots self-help service was
initiated by RI President M.A.T. Caparas in 1986 as a means of improving the
quality of life in villages, neighborhoods, and communities. The program is
built on the premise that there is frequently an abundance of available
labor in an area but no process for mobilizing men and women to conduct
useful projects of community improvement.
A Rotary Community
Corps is a Rotary club-sponsored group of non-Rotarians who want to help
their own community by conducting service projects. Rotarians provide
professional expertise, guidance, encouragement, organizational structure,
and some of the material assistance for the Rotary Community Corps, whose
members contribute the manpower and knowledge of community needs to help
their own community. Thus, the Rotary Community Corps is another way for
Rotarians to serve in places of great need.
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Rotary Volunteers
You can find them
working in remote clinics, refugee camps, makeshift hospitals, primitive
villages, and in their own communities. They are experts in administration,
community development, education, food production, health care, and water
and sanitation. They’re Rotary Volunteers.
The Rotary Volunteers
program operates under the umbrella of Vocational Service at the club,
district, and international level. Rotarians and non-Rotarians who wish to
serve as international volunteers can register with RI World
Headquarters for
inclusion on the Rotary Volunteers International Volunteers List. The Rotary
Volunteers International Site List and the Rotary Volunteers Resource List
can help volunteers locate their own projects and make arrangements directly
with project coordinators.
The Rotary Foundation
provides funds, to cover air transportation and a modest per diem, to
registered Rotary Volunteers who are Rotarians, Rotaractors, and qualified
Foundation alumni and who have an invitation from a Rotary club in the host
country. Volunteers do not receive a salary or honorarium for their
services. Rotary Volunteers have shared their expertise in a multitude of
humanitarian projects around the world.
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Interact
Interact, a
Rotary-sponsored youth service club, was launched by the RI Board of
Directors in 1962. The first Interact club was established by the Rotary
Club of Melbourne, Florida, USA. Interact clubs provide opportunities for
young people of secondary school age to work together in a world fellowship
of service and international understanding. The term “Interact” is derived
from “inter;’ for international, and “act,” for action. Every Interact club
must be sponsored and supervised by a Rotary club and must plan annual
projects of service to its school, community, and the world.
Today, there are more
than 8,600 Interact clubs with about 200,000 members in some 110 countries.
Interactors develop skills in leadership and attain practical experience in
conducting service projects, thereby learning the satisfaction that comes
from serving others. A major goal of Interact is to provide opportunities
for young people to create greater understanding and goodwill with youth
throughout the world.
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Rotaract
After the success of
Interact clubs for high-school-age youth in the early 1960s, the RI Board
created Rotaract in 1968. The new organization was designed to promote
responsible citizenship and leadership potential in clubs of young men and
women, aged 18 to 30. The first Rotaract club was chartered by the Rotary
Club of Charlotte North in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. In 2002, there
were 170,000 members in more than 7,300 Rotaract clubs in 153 countries.
Rotaract clubs
emphasize the importance of individual responsibility as the basis of
personal success and community involvement. Each club is required to
complete at least two major service projects each year, one to serve the
community and the other to promote international understanding. Rotaract
also provides opportunities leading to greater leadership and professional
development. Rotaractors enjoy many social activities as well as programs to
improve their community. A Rotaract club can exist only when continuously
sponsored, guided, and counseled by a Rotary club.
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