Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.

Rotary International President 2011-12
Rotary International Director 2011-12

Rotary International Rotarians provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

The Rotary Foundation The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

Joining Rotary The benefits of being a Rotarian include serving the community, networking and friendship, and promoting ethics and leadership skills.

Financials Rotary International and its Foundation work continuously to be effective financial stewards.

Rotary leadership The district and international leadership structure is designed to support the clubs and help them increase service efforts in their communities and abroad.

Service Above Self
Rotary Clubs everywhere have one basic ideal- "the ideal of service" which is being thoughtful of others and helpful to all. For this purpose Rotarians are reminded of Rotary's principal motto -"Service above Self". Designated by the 1989 Council on Legislation "Service Above Self" is Rotary's principal official motto.

Paul Harris
Born 19-Apr-1868
Died 27-Jan-1947

Paul Percy Harris was born at Racine, Wisconsin, USA on April 19, 1868. He was the second of six children of George N. and Cornelia Bryan Harris.

Along with Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey, he founded the Rotary Club of Chicago in 1905 and was elected its president in 1907.

He worked as a newspaper reporter, a business college teacher, a cowboy and a salesman for a marble and granite concern, before finally settling down in Chicago as a lawyer in 1896. On 2 July 1910 he married Jean Thompson, a Scottish girl and a co-member of the Chicago prairie club.

The first Rotary Club was formed on February 23, 1905 by:

1. Paul Harris with

2. Sylvester Schiele - a coal merchant,

3. Gustavus Loehr - a mining engineer and

4. Hiram Shorey - a merchant tailor

to bring together business and professional men in friendship and fellowship. This first club meeting formed the nucleus for the thousands of Rotary clubs that were later organised throughout the world. These new clubs were called "Rotary" because members met in rotation in their various places of business.
Club membership grew rapidly. Many members were originally from small towns and found an opportunity for fellowship in the Chicago club. Harris was convinced that the club could be expanded into a service movement and strove to extend Rotary to other communities.
In addition to his work with Rotary, Harris was involved in other civic organizations, including the Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry, City Club of Chicago, Chicago Bar Association, Prairie Club, and Easter Seals. He was also recognized by the Boy Scouts of America and honored by the governments of Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Peru.

Harris died on 27 January 1947, leaving a rich legacy of fellowship, professionalism, service, and friendship. His passing also sparked an outpouring of donations to The Rotary Foundation from all over the world, allowing the Foundation to greatly expand its programs and services.