Frequently Asked Questions

These are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Rotary and our club.

Q. What is Rotary?

• 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. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 30,000 Rotary clubs.

• The world's first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA, was formed on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to recapture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The name "Rotary" derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.

• Rotarians are business and professional leaders who take an active role in their communities while greatly enriching their personal and professional lives. A Rotary club contains a diverse group of professional leaders from the community that the club serves. Rotary membership provides the opportunity to:

• become connected to your community
  
• work with others in addressing community needs
  
• interact with other professionals in your community
  
• assist with RI's international humanitarian service efforts
  
• establish contacts with an international network of professionals
  
• develop leadership skills
  
• involve family in promoting service efforts

• Rotary International's 10 Answers to the Question "Why Join Rotary?"

• The goal for a club's membership is an up-to-date and progressive representation of the community's business, vocational, and professional interests. An important distinction between Rotary and other organizations is that membership in Rotary is by invitation. Rotary clubs invite individuals to join and become members. That having been said, we'd like to invite you to come join us for breakfast, on us. If you feel that Rotary is for you, submit an application and we'll take it from there.

• Rotary Club membership carries with it certain responsibilities.

• Members are expected to attend weekly programs of the club. Opportunities to make up attendance include attending the regular meeting of another Rotary club, attending various other Rotary meetings, or attending a club service Program authorized by the club board of directors.
  
• Members are required to pay annual dues to their clubs, their districts, and to Rotary International.
  
• Members are expected to participate in local or international activities or Programs of the Rotary club.
  
• Clubs encourage members to aspire to leadership or committee roles within their clubs.

• The Burke Rotary Club plans and organizes various fund-raising activities throughout the year.

[FAQs based on information from Rotary.org and Swen Larsen]