What Is Rotaract?
No More Boring Weekends!

ROTARACT offers men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 a unique opportunity to get together in an atmosphere of fun and friendship without any social, political, religious or vocational constraints. Being a Rotaractor means you can apply your skills and ideas to community services while having an awesome time.

Rotaract is about young adults working together as a team while providing an opportunity to meet people and enjoy an active social life of: parties, restaurant nights, dances, BBQs, car trials, sports days, wine and cheese tasting, weekends away, etc. We are not a church group, nor are we a political party or profit making organisation. 

We're out to enjoy ourselves and make the most of youth, and hopefully, do some good in the community as well.

Rotaract has an enviable record of active community service, ranging from such activities as the exciting "Project Santa" (Santa's for hire) to simple car washes. Swim-a-thons and other social activities raise money for local, national and international charities. 

Rotaract also supports other fund raising groups and community functions. Rotaract doesn't just talk about Service, it acts upon it.

Rotaract also offers self-improvement opportunities in an environment of fun and friendship, as each Rotaract Club provides every member with the opportunity to be involved in many areas of self-development and leadership. Rotaract Club activities include: seminars, conferences, club meetings, public speaking and also teaching the ability to organise. Rotaract Clubs arrange guest speakers, undertake tours to places of interest and organise international exchanges.

Rotaract is Australia wide, has clubs throughout the world and is associated with Rotary International.

A Brief History of Rotaract

Since 1968, Rotaract has made it possible for thousands of young adults to live out the Rotary ideal. Today, some 155,000 members are working together to build a better future in 146 countries. The latest statistics show 6,747 Rotaract clubs worldwide, sponsored by 6,876 Rotary clubs. Everywhere in the world, Rotaractors have remarkable humanitarian projects to their credit, and have been able to acquire knowledge they can use for their personal growth within a framework of friendship. In this way, they have been able to meet the social and material needs of their community while striving for improved relationships between peoples.

March 13, 2000 marked the 32nd anniversary of the first Rotaract Club to have received its Rotaract certificate of organisation - the club of Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. Many events, however, had taken place prior to the official creation of Rotaract.

Back in the 1950s, many clubs made up of young adults or students had been created and sponsored by Rotary clubs. They functioned in a non-official manner and under different names. As early as 1935, Rotary Founder Paul Harris discovered a youth organisation based on Rotarian principles during a trip to Australia.Take, for example, the "Paul Harris Circles" created in Europe and in particularly significant numbers in Belgium and Italy, or the "Rotors" clubs created in some American universities. What these organisations had in common is that they were made up of young people, mostly children of Rotarians and their friends. Their functioning and objectives were similar to those that are the main features of Rotaract clubs today.

As from 1965, these organisations experienced significant growth linked to the creation of the Interact Program by Rotary International, three years earlier. In fact, many Interactors, having reached the age limit, decided to create a new type of club: "Senior Interact clubs". It took very little time for the leaders of Rotary International, particularly then President Luther H. Hodges, to realise the importance of these clubs and of their action. Then, in 1968, the RI Board of Directors decided to adopt the program officially and to make it one of the most important programmes among the different services that Rotary International offers young adults.

The new programme was baptised Rotaract, which comes from the contraction of the words Rotary and Action. The first charter was awarded on March 13, 1968 to the club of Charlotte. Although officially Rotary International announces that this club was the first Rotaract club, and therefore that Rotaract was born in the USA, we should bear in mind that a significant number of clubs for young adults affiliated to Rotary changed names and thereby joined the new organisation immediately after the creation of the club in Charlotte. These clubs were the foundation that allowed Rotaract to spread immediately throughout the world, and to have higher membership today on other continents than in North America.

After its official creation, the Rotaract organisation was for many years considered by Rotary International as nothing more than Rotary clubs´ community programme. The 1990s marked a turning point in Rotaract history with the creation of Multidistrict Organisations in Europe, Australia and South America. These groups, of which ERIC, the European Rotaract Information Centre, is today the largest, have made it possible for Rotaract to become the " Partners in Service " of Rotary Clubs, as described by Past RI President Rajendra Saboo. This change in the way Rotaract is considered by Rotary was enhanced in 1996/97 by RI president Luis Vicente Giay, who made the development of Rotaract one of his top priorities. Thanks to Rotaract, Rotary is now represented in age groups which will be the driving force of communities in less than twenty years, thereby Building the Future with Action and Vision.

In 1959, André Geubel, founder president of the Paul Harris Circle of Péruwelz in Belgium, described his club as "A huge ship sailing toward peace and understanding, flying the flag of friendship, with a rudder of " Service " and a crew made up of all young people of goodwill". Today, this description still applies to Rotaract, which, like Rotary International, allows young adults to Act with Consistency, Credibility and Continuity.

Text by Magali Füss and Cyril Noirtin

Our District

Welcome to District 9790 of Rotary International. Our District encompasses an area from the northern suburbs of Melbourne to the border of New South Wales and Victoria. The area is a mixture of agricultural, industrial and leisure country including the immense River Murray the Victorian Alps and many lakes. Our area includes significant National and International manufacturing companies, extensive agricultural regions and sporting and tourist attractions.

Rotaract Exchange Team

What better way to promote the internationality of Rotaract and to strengthen its worldwide network than by Rotaractors visiting each other? It is believed that such visits or "exchanges" are a positive way to fulfill the purpose and goals of Rotaract through the promotion of and understanding and goodwill toward people. Although Rotaract exchanges were originally undertaken with an international focus, they may be carried out at the national level to promote and expand the Rotaract program within the country, and to establish and strengthen communication links between clubs in the same country. Rotaract Exchange Teams is not an official program of Rotary International but is one of several activities that can be undertaken by Rotaract clubs, with the approval of their sponsoring Rotary Club and the R.I. district governors of the districts involved.

The objectives of Rotaract Exchange Teams are :

Duration of Exchange :

It is recommended that the duration of Rotaract exchanges should be 3 weeks, but no longer than 4 weeks maximum.

Size of Team :

It is suggested that the team be comprised of five Rotaractors, plus a team leader. This does not mean the necessarily 6 Rotaractors will be on the team, each Team member must be suitable for selection.

Each candidate should have the following qualifications :

Ideas Behind Rotaract

Rotaract is an international organisation of service clubs for men and women aged 18-30 that fosters leadership and responsible citizenship, encourages high ethical standards in business and promotes international understanding and peace. Rotaract is a program of Rotary International. Rotaract Clubs work under the guidance of their local Rotary Club, and take their name from a combination of the words Rotary and action. The first officially chartered Rotaract Club was in North Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1968, but clubs of young people associated in service with local Rotary Clubs had existed for several years in India and Europe.

Today, there are some 155,000 members in more than 6,750 Rotaract Clubs in 146 countries. Clubs draw members from the community or are organized as an extracurricular activity for college students.

Rotaract Clubs conduct formal meetings, usually every two weeks, which feature speakers, tours of local businesses, cultural activities, discussions, and visits to other clubs. Rotaractors utilise weekends for service project work, social events, and professional and leadership development workshops.

Every Rotaract Club is part of a District Rotaract organization, run by elected representatives with support from sponsoring Rotarians. The district organization plans regional conferences, develops regional projects, holds club leadership training programs, and sponsors special events to strengthen the bond among clubs.

Rotaract functions internationally through a committee of Rotaractors and Rotarians. This committee works with Rotary International to plan an annual two days-long forum held prior to the Rotary international convention. This event offers Rotaractors from all over the world the chance to meet, discuss issues of mutual interest, and develop friendships based on international goodwill and understanding. Every three years Rotaractors conduct another international meeting called Interota, named from the words international and Rotaract.

Cyril Noirtin 21/5/2000

The Main Activities of Rotaract

Rotaract was formed in 1968 by Rotary in the USA and has now spread worldwide with over 140, 000 members in 6, 053 clubs across 128 countries. The organization is based on small clubs which can vary in size from 15 to 50 members.

Through community and international service projects, Rotaractors help improve the lives of the people around them. In so doing they develop leadership skills and professional skills and establish a network of friends.

Rotaract is friendship in action.

The club basically revolves around the four main activities;

• Leadership Development :

Rotaract builds leaders and leaders build strong clubs with effective programs. Rotaract clubs organize communication and public speaking seminars

• Community Service :

Rotaract clubs are keen to help the community and we achieve this in various ways. Each local club selects the projects it wants to support. These can range from caring for the environment to helping the under-privileged.

• Professional Development :

Rotaract clubs help their members make the most informed choices through marketing and management seminars; conferences on business ethics; vocational counseling and career planning programs; and business technology updates.

• International Service :

Because Rotaractors want to learn more about other cultures and do their part to promote world peace and understanding, they undertake at least one International Service project each year. Such activities take many forms.

Rotaractors raise money for international disaster relief programs; make exchange visits from other Rotaract clubs; and volunteer their professional skills in international development and assistance projects.

Not many social organizations span the globe, benefiting not only their own local communities but the worldwide community. Rotaract succeeds in doing this.

Cyril Noirtin 22/5/1998

The FastTrack Plan for Starting a new Rotaract Club

As Developed by PP Robert Spaull and PDRR Jonathan Nish

Timeline:

1. "Starter" meeting

2. Program at the Sponsor Rotary Club´s (Rotary) regular meeting

3. "Gathering" phase

4. "Core" meeting

5. "Info" gathering

6. "Charter" meeting and induction

1. The "Starter" meeting:

This is a meeting between the person/people (the A-Team) who is/are championing the idea of having a Rotary Club officially sponsor a Rotaract Club in that community and at least 1 representative of that Rotary Club (preferably someone interested in being the Rotary Liaison). The meeting is held in a relatively informal setting and is an opportunity for the A-Team to lay out the nuts and bolts of how to go about getting a club started. The objectives for the meeting are to convince the Rotarian that his/her club should sponsor a Rotaract Club, an understanding of what that commitment will entail; identification of the Rotary/Rotaract liaison; and the identification of potential ´core´ leaders. A positive outcome of this meeting will be an invitation to the A-Team to be the guest speakers at the next convenient regular Rotary meeting.

2. Rotary Program:

Ideally this should occur no more than 2 weeks after the "Starter" meeting. It is a ´selling´ opportunity in which the A-Team (and any ´core´ leaders already identified) and the Rotary Liaison gets the Rotary Club excited about the concept of their OWN Rotaract Club. It should be professional, concise and very much a ´teaser´. There is no need to detail the nuts and bolts - what is needed is to encourage ´buy in´. The objectives are to convince enough of the club to agree to the idea that the Rotary Board can get approval to go ahead with the organizational plan and to get an undertaking from the Rotarians that they are individually going to support the fledgling club. The ´stinger in the tail´ should be telling them once they indicate their agreement that every one of them is therefore responsible for providing their President with the names of at least two (2) people aged 18-30 who they know that will make good Rotaractors - and that it becomes their responsibility to ensure that at least one of the people they name becomes a member or to continue providing names until one does. These names can be family members, friends, colleagues, employees etc. A positive outcome will be a firm Rotary decision to charter and an agreement to provide the names within 2 weeks of this meeting. NOTE: Once the Board has approved the idea, the Liaison should immediately initiate the Charter Administration process and buy the manuals and badges for 15-20 members.

3. ´Gathering´ phase:

This is the period during which the Rotary Liaison (with decreasing levels of assistance from the A-Team) and any already-identified core leaders contact prospective members to invite them to an "info" gathering to learn more about the idea of Rotaract. Apart from the names provided by the Rotary members, other sources of potential members are:

returned exchange students; former RYLA students; former Interact members; friends; family; colleagues; employees; college student bodies; church groups etc. Apart from the direct contacts this is also the phase at which flyers about the interest meeting can be posted on community boards; public places and announcements placed in the local media. The date for the gathering should be no more than 2 weeks after the Rotary Board gives its approval. A successful outcome of this phase will be to get undertakings from at least 20 potential members to attend the "info" gathering. A secondary objective of this phase is to attempt to identify which of the prospective members may be willing/able to assume leadership roles within the Rotaract Club and to invite them to the ´core´ meeting.

4. ´Core´ meeting:

Normally held at the home or business of the Rotary Liaison one week prior to the "Info" meeting being held (or sometimes at the home of one of the ´core´). This meeting is VERY informal and social - an opportunity for the Liaison and the ´core´ to get to know each other and plan the logistics of the remainder of the Charter process. Objectives for this meeting are to get to know each other better; to plan a structured agenda for the "info" meeting and assign responsibilities for: setting up the meeting venue, snacks and drinks, welcoming the prospective members, and reminders to the prospective members about the meeting; decide on a regular meeting venue for the club; and decide tentatively on meeting frequency. This discussion should be led by the Liaison. Indications of success in this meeting include a decision to get together on a purely social basis between this meeting and the ´info´ one; an understanding of the way forward; and the emergence of leaders from within the ´core´.

5. ´Info´ gathering:

Normally held at a well-known central community location, the Liaison´s home/business; or the home/business of a ´core´ member this meeting should be held no more than 2 weeks after the Rotary Board gives its approval. It is a gathering of all the interested prospective members and the liaison. Although it should be relaxed and social there should be a structured part of the gathering where the liaison, the A-Team, visiting Rotaractors and even members of the ´core´ sell the concept of Rotaract to the prospective members. Objectives at this meeting are to introduce them all to Rotaract and to get them excited enough about being members to commit to being inducted as Charter Members; to obtain ´buy-in´ on their part by having them agree to begin sourcing new potential members immediately; and to plan the Charter Meeting date and details.

6. The Charter meeting:

This should be a formal function (normally but not necessarily) held at the regular meeting venue. All prospective members should be present with families etc, and the Rotarians and spouses should be on hand too. The DRR if one exists in the district, the DG and the DRChair should also be on hand. Members of the media should be invited and the meeting should be run by the Liaison. The meeting should include a speech by the DG and also by the Rotary Club President; the formal induction of the members and the presentation of their Rotaract Badges; the "Official" handover of the Charter from the DG/Rotary President to the Liaison and new members; and group photographs. It should not last long and should include snacks and drinks afterwards.

Thereafter the Club should meet and elect officer and begin projects!

What is Rotaract?

Rotaract is a worldwide organisation of young men and women between the ages of 18 and 29 inclusive whose purpose is to provide an opportunity for them to enhance the knowledge and skills that will assist them in personal development, to address the physical and social needs of their communities and to promote better relations between people worldwide through a framework of friendship and service.

Rotaract within Rotary International

Rotaract's position in the worldwide organization of Rotary International

• Rotaract Program Policies

Rotary International, RI, is the name of the international association of Rotary clubs. Rotaract is an official program of Rotary International and each club is considered as a community service project of at least one Rotary club. Rotaract should not be considered as a parallel organization of RI

Guiding policies for the Rotaract program come from the RI Board which consists of 18 directors from around the world and the RI President.

Rotaractors and Rotarians wishing to propose changes to the Rotaract program should work through the RI Rotaract committee or the Board member from their region to bring their suggestions to the attention of the Board.

• The R.I. Rotaract Committee

It is customary for the RI president to appoint a Rotaract committee whose role is to advise the Board on any proposed changes in program policy.

The members of the committee (Rotarians and Rotaractors) are appointed at the discretion of the RI President to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board.

• R.I. Secretariat and Rotaract

The day-to-day operations of Rotary International´s Secretariat are under the supervision of the general secretary, the top professional officer of Rotary. He oversees the operations of Rotary´s World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, and its service centers. Although the general secretary is responsible for implementing the policies of both the RI Board of Directors and the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation, he provides the ongoing management for nearly 500 staff members who compose the Secretariat of Rotary International.

The current general secretary is Ed FUTA.

The general secretary is appointed by the RI board for a term of not more than five years and can be reelected.

The RI Secretariat acts as a central administrator for Rotaract clubs.

Rotary International staff from the community programs section at the RI World Headquarters in Evanston are committed to providing service in administering the Rotaract Program worldwide.

The program coordinator is currently John Gherardini.

With more than 6,500 Rotaract clubs worldwide and an estimated membership of close to 160,000, an obvious part of the mission of the community programs division centers on the enormous amount of correspondence John receive daily.

He is also working with several other groups to coordinate the Rotaract Pre-Convention Meeting that will take place during two days, prior to the Rotary International Convention. While the registration and housing section of the Meetings Department is helping to secure affordable housing and space for workshops and presentations, John is collecting and using the surveys and other input from the RI Rotaract Committee and Rotaractors to put together a program agenda for approval by the President´s Office. Following an okay, he is sending out invitations, secure speakers and make any needed revisions to the program.

Another responsibility is the coordination of mailings to clubs, districts and special target groups. It is quite a thing when we consider the coordination of 15,000 names, 5 languages, 11,000 folders, and thousands of pieces of paper and handbooks.

He also works with Membership Communications and other target groups to realize the Rotaract Newsletter which has been reinstalled by the RI Board of Directors and create new Rotaract materials such the Rotaract Handbook, the District Rotaract Training Manual and the Rotaract brochure. As the Rotaract Program coordinator, John is acting as the contact person of the RI Rotaract Committee. Because the committee does not meet face to face, interaction is done via mail and fax and John is the liaison between the chairman and committee members. Much of his time with the committee is spent researching Board decision, consulting the Manual of Procedure, clarifying program and policy issues and communicating these issues to the chairmen and committee members.

• R.I. President´s Theme

Each year the RI president introduces a special theme that aims to unite the services projects around the world.

Through this theme, the president invites Rotaract clubs to take part in a global effort to improve world understanding and peace.

Brett Perston
(M)0417 582 271
(H)(02) 6056 9696
Rotary Club of Albury
rotaract@rotary9790.org.au

The Rotary name and logo are the exclusive property of Rotary International
and are used here under Rotary International Internet Policy Guidelines.

Special thanks to Tord Elfwendahl of the Stockholm Strand Rotaryklub (Sweden) for
his incredible Rotary graphic images which we have used throughout this web site.

Material on this site is Copyright
Rotary International; Rotary International District 9790 Inc; Tony Ladgrove, Phil MacDonald and Robin Chapple
and may not be reproduced without permission