About Rotary
Rotary is an organization of both active and retired businessmen and women throughout the world who come together to serve their community and enjoy great fun and fellowship. Rotarians are a diverse, energetic, successful and friendly group of leaders who provide their time, expertise and resources to help their local and world communities.
A Rotarian is an adult of good character and reputation who is a proprietor, partner, corporate/executive officer or manager of a recognized business or who is a member of a profession.
Rotary clubs represent a cross-section of occupations and professions. A vocational "classification" system of membership ensures that any one profession or occupation cannot dominate a Club.
The Rotary motto, "Service Above Self", guides the actions of individual clubs as they plan to feed the hungry, fight disease, assist the handicapped and elderly, combat illiteracy and fund scholarships. Membership is by invitation and is open to all businesspersons, irrespective of color, creed or race. This is born out by the fact that there are currently some 1.2 million men and women belonging to over 29,500 Clubs in virtually every nation in the world!
Derivation of the Rotary name
The name Rotary was chosen to reflect the custom, in the early days of
the first Rotary Club in Chicago, of rotating the site of club meetings
among the members' places of business. This rotation, an integral part
of the founder's original concept, was designed to acquaint members with
one another's vocations and to promote business, but the club's rapid
growth soon made the custom impractical.
Mottos
Rotary's principal motto, "Service Above Self" and its other
official precept, "He Profits Most Who Serves Best", evidence
the enthusiam with which Rotarians embraced the ideal of service. The
roots of both of these adages, adopted as official mottos at the 1950
RI Convention, can be traced back to the first decade of Rotary's existence,
when "He profits most who serves his fellows best and Service not
self were both put forth as slogans. In 1989, the RI Council on Legislation
designated "Service above Self" as the principal motto.
The Rotary emblem
Rotary's first emblem was a simple wagon wheel (in motion with dust) representing
civilization and movement. Montague Bear, a member of the Chicago club,
who was an engraver, designed it in 1905 and many Rotary clubs of the
time adopted the wheel in one form or another.
In 1922, authority was given to create and preserve an official emblem,
and the following year the present gear wheel with 24 cogs and six spokes
was adopted. A keyway was added to signify that the wheel was a "worker
and not an idler." At the RI Convention in 1929, royal blue and gold
were chosen as the official colors.