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.

The 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.

The Four-Way Test:

The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, asks the following questions:

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?