About Rotary International

Rotary is a humanitarian service organization focused on fulfilling community needs at the local and international level.

Founded in 1905 in Chicago by Paul Harris (pictured right, a transplanted New Englander), Rotary has grown from five businessmen who met for lunch once a week, to an international organization with over one million two hundred members belonging to more than 31,000Rotary Clubsin one hundredsixty-six countries whose agenda is expressed in our motto "Service Above Self".

The Mission Statement of Rotary International is to support its member clubs in fulfilling the Object of Rotary by;

*Fostering unity among member clubs;
*Strengthening and expanding Rotary around the world;
*Communicating worldwide the work of Rotary; and
*Providing a system of international administration.