What Is Rotary?

Rotary is an organisation of business and professional people, united world-wide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.  First formulated in 1910, the Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

FIRST:

The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.

SECOND:

High ethical standards in business and professions.  The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupation as an opportunity to serve society

THIRD:

The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to their personal, business and community life.

FOURTH:

The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional people united in the ideal of service.

 

The (original) Four Avenues Of Service

CLUB SERVICE

To promote and strengthen the club through attendance and fellowship, to build membership through the classification principle, interesting programs, active public relations and rotary information, also to stimulate interest in the club bulletin and the official national and international magazine.

VOCATIONAL SERVICE

To stimulate positive employer/employee relations; provide career information to young people entering the job market; encourage the use of the four way test, and promote ethical trade and professional relations.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

To encourage members, individually and collectively, to participate in those community enterprises for which they are best suited in order to advance civic, educational, moral and physical welfare - specifically involvement in environmental, rural/urban, and safety programs, work with the handicapped, youth and the elderly.

 

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

To promote understanding of international relations and intelligent goodwill as an essential ingredient of good will.  Activities centre on international youth projects, world community service, educational and other activities of the Rotary Foundation.

YOUTH
SERVICE

In recent years, Youth Service has been adopted as an additional Avenue of Service to reflect the importance Rotary places on the development of our young people towards becoming the future leaders of our world. There are many ways by which Rotary offers services and opportunities to our youth.

 

THE FOUR WAY TEST

Of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as RI President) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. The company subsequently thrived after adopting this test. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, the 4-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages.