Rotary was founded in 1905 by Paul Harris, a young Chicago attorney who regularly gathered a few business acquaintances for fellowship, professional camaraderie and service to their community. It was named "Rotary" because the meeting rotated among the offices of the participants. The concept spread rapidly, with the first club outside the U.S. chartered in Winnipeg, Canada in 1911.

Today there are over 30,000 Rotary Clubs located in 162 countries. One great privilege of membership is the opportunity it affords to build relationships and establish service throughout the world.

Rotarians all over the world pattern every aspect of their lives around the simple principles of:

The Rotary 4-Way Test

  • Is it the TRUTH
  • Is it FAIR to all concerned?
  • Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
  • Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?