Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

There are more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.
As signified by the motto "Service Above Self," Rotary's main objective is service-in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

Local Rotary Clubs
Rotary clubs-such as the Meridian Rotary-are the cornerstone of Rotary, and share a key mission: to serve their community and those in need throughout the world. By participating in club service projects, members learn about their club's involvement in local and international projects and can volunteer their time and talents where they are most needed.

Individual Rotary clubs belong to Rotary International. Individual members, or Rotarians, belong to a club. The club is where most of Rotarians' meaningful service work is carried out. Clubs can be engaged not only in their communities, but also internationally. What Rotarians get out of Rotary depends largely on what they put into it.

Individuals must be sponsored or proposed for membership into a Rotary club. Typically, a person being considered for membership is invited by a club member to attend one or more club meetings to learn more about Rotary. If there is a match of interests and goals, the club member submits the candidate's name to the club's membership committee. A qualified candidate for Rotary club membership must be an adult of good character and good business, professional, or community reputation. The candidate must fit one of the following criteria:

• Hold (or be retired from) an executive position with discretionary authority in any worthy and recognized business or profession
• Serves or has served as a community leader
• Is a Rotary Foundation alumna

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.

Avenues of Service
Based on the Object of Rotary, the Avenues of Service are Rotary's philosophical cornerstone and the foundation on which club activity is based:

• Club Service focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club.
• Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards.
• Community Service covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community.
• International Service encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary's humanitarian reach around the globe and to promote world understanding and peace.

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?

Want more information?
Check out Rotary FAQ's