ROTARY is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians, members of more than 30,000 Rotary clubs in 166 countries and geographical areas.

Rotarians across the world share in a desire for World Peace and Understanding. Rotarians conduct their world and community service in a quiet and selfless manner. The underlying motto of Rotary is "Service Above Self."

One of Rotary's most proud accomplishments has been the 10-year crusade against polio in the World. The moneys and energies of individual Rotarians have vaccinated over 500 million children. Polio has been virtually eliminated in the Western Hemisphere and will be totally eradicated by the year 2005.

Rotarians meet weekly for fellowship and interesting and informative programs dealing with topics of local and global importance. Membership reflects a wide cross-section of community representation.

Object of Rotary

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 occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.

Third -- The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business and community life.

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

International Responsibilities of a Rotarian

As an International organization, Rotary offers each member unique opportunities and responsibilities. Although each Rotarian’s first responsibility is to uphold the obligations of citizenship of his or her own country, membership in Rotary enables one to take a somewhat different view of International affairs. In the early 1950’s, a Rotary philosophy was adopted to describe how a member may think on a global basis. Here is what it said.

A world-minded Rotarian:

• Looks beyond national patriotism and considers himself sharing responsibility for the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace
• Resists any tendency to act in terms of national or racial superiority
• Seeks and develops common grounds for agreement with peoples of other lands
• Defends the rule of law and order to preserve the liberty of the individual so that he may enjoy freedom of thought, speech and assembly, and freedom from persecution, aggression, want and fear
• Supports action directed toward improving standards of living for all peoples, realizing that poverty anywhere endangers prosperity everywhere
• Upholds the principles of justice for mankind
• Strives always to promote peace between nations and prepares to make personal sacrifices for that ideal
• Urges and practices a spirit of understanding of every man’s beliefs as a step toward international goodwill, recognizing that there are certain basic moral and spiritual standards which will ensure a richer, fuller life.
  

Avenues of Service

For more than seventy years (since 1927), the program of Rotary has been carried out on four Avenues of Service (originally called channels). These avenues — club service, vocational service, community service and international service — closely mirror the four parts of the Object of Rotary:

Club Service includes the scope of activities that Rotarians undertake in support of their club, such as serving on committees, proposing individuals for membership, and meeting attendance requirements.

Vocational Service focuses on the opportunity that Rotarians have to represent the their professions as well as their efforts to promote vocational awareness and high ethical standards in business. For decades, Rotarians having been applying the "4-Way Test" to their business and personal relationships and in recent years, a "Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions" has given expression to their concerm for ethical standards in the workplace. From offering career guidance in high schools, to seeking ways to improve conditions in the workplace, Rotarians and their clubs engage in many different kinds of vocational service.

Community Service includes the scope of activities which Rotarians undertake to improve the quality of life in their community. Many official Rotary programs are intended to meet community needs, whether it be to promote literacy, help the elderly or disabled, combat urban violence or provide opportunities for local youth.

International Service describes the activities which Rotarians undertake to advance international understanding, goodwill and peace. The spread of Rotary clubs across the globe allows for the concerted Rotary support of humanitarian efforts worldwide.

4-Way Test

One of the most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics in the world is the Rotary 4-Way Test. It was created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. Taylor looked for a way to save the struggling company mired in depression-caused financial difficulties. He drew up a 24-word code of ethics for all employees to follow in their business and professional lives. The 4-Way Test became the guide for sales, production, advertising and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy.

Herb Taylor became president of Rotary International in 1954-55. The 4-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways. Here it is in English:

"Of the things we think, say or do:

1. Is it the Truth?
2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?"

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Healdsburg Rotary Club, we would like to hear from you. Please send an e-mail to Richard.Dow.Hbg@att.net or call Richard Dow at 477-6419.

The Rotary Foundation

The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to support the efforts of Rotary International in the fulfillment of the Object of Rotary, Rotary’s mission and the achievement of world understanding and peace through local, national, and international humanitarian education and cultural programs.

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