What is Rotary

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. Paul Harris formed the world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois, USA, on 23 February 1905. The name Rotary is derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members’ offices. Today there are approximately 1.2 million Rotary club members of more than 30,000 Rotary clubs in 165 countries.