What is Rotaract?
Rotaract is a service club for young men and women aged 18 and up. Rotaract clubs are usually community-based or university-based and are sponsored by a local Rotary club. Rotaract and Rotary members are therefore "partners in service". As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 200,000 members, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon.
Through Rotaract, young adults not only build on their knowledge and skills, but they also address the physical and social needs of their communities while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service. All Rotaract efforts begin at the local grassroots level. Clubs have access to the many resources of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation to support its operation.
What is Rotary International?
Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 167 countries. For more information, visit www.rotary.org
The History of Rotaract
Rotaract was officially inaugurated during January 1968 under RI President Luther Hodges. On March 13, 1968, the Rotaract Club of the University of North Carolina, sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, was the first Rotaract club to receive its official charter. Although this club is recognized as the first Rotaract club, Rotarians have been sponsoring similar organizations for young adults since the early 1920s.
Perhaps the greatest impetus for the creation of the Rotaract program came from Rotary's youth service club for secondary school students, Interact clubs. Established in 1962, the Interact program enjoyed immediate success. However, since membership was only open to students in secondary schools, graduated Interactors and Rotarians were soon looking for ways to extend their relationship. Several proposals were brought before the RI Board of Directors to allow membership in Interact clubs to extend for a few years after graduation. Instead of extending the age requirements for Interact, the Board decided to study the feasibility of creating a new service club program for young adults at the university and young professional level.
The decision to adopt the Rotaract program came at a time when student protests worldwide were of growing concern to Rotarians. The Rotaract program was adopted not only as means of keeping former Interactors within the Rotary family, but as a means of channeling the energies of young adults into positive activities that could benefit their communities.
After polling students at the University of Houston, in Texas USA in 1966; the committee decided that "Rotaract" would be the best name for the program — a combination of the words "Rotary" and "action."
Rotaract is a service club for young men and women aged 18 and up. Rotaract clubs are usually community-based or university-based and are sponsored by a local Rotary club. Rotaract and Rotary members are therefore "partners in service". As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 200,000 members, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon.
Through Rotaract, young adults not only build on their knowledge and skills, but they also address the physical and social needs of their communities while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service. All Rotaract efforts begin at the local grassroots level. Clubs have access to the many resources of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation to support its operation.
What is Rotary International?
Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 167 countries. For more information, visit www.rotary.org
The History of Rotaract
Rotaract was officially inaugurated during January 1968 under RI President Luther Hodges. On March 13, 1968, the Rotaract Club of the University of North Carolina, sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, was the first Rotaract club to receive its official charter. Although this club is recognized as the first Rotaract club, Rotarians have been sponsoring similar organizations for young adults since the early 1920s.
Perhaps the greatest impetus for the creation of the Rotaract program came from Rotary's youth service club for secondary school students, Interact clubs. Established in 1962, the Interact program enjoyed immediate success. However, since membership was only open to students in secondary schools, graduated Interactors and Rotarians were soon looking for ways to extend their relationship. Several proposals were brought before the RI Board of Directors to allow membership in Interact clubs to extend for a few years after graduation. Instead of extending the age requirements for Interact, the Board decided to study the feasibility of creating a new service club program for young adults at the university and young professional level.
The decision to adopt the Rotaract program came at a time when student protests worldwide were of growing concern to Rotarians. The Rotaract program was adopted not only as means of keeping former Interactors within the Rotary family, but as a means of channeling the energies of young adults into positive activities that could benefit their communities.
After polling students at the University of Houston, in Texas USA in 1966; the committee decided that "Rotaract" would be the best name for the program — a combination of the words "Rotary" and "action."
