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Membership
Info
How
Members are Chosen
New
members must be sponsored by an existing club member
who invites you to attend three club meetings as a
guest. Your sponsor also familiarizes you with
Rotary's purpose, and the mission and activities of
that particular club. After attending three
meetings, the prospective member skips a meeting at
which time the prospect's name is brought before the
club for membership. If no objections are made
regarding the prospect's personal or business
reputation, the individual is approved for membership.
Membership
Principles
- Rotarians
are selected for membership from business and
professional people who are:
- Managers,
proprietors, partners, officers, or executives in
any worthy and recognized business or profession;
- Of
good character and good business or professional
reputation;
- Engaged
in a classification of business or profession not
represented by any other active member of the
club;
- Residents,
or have their place of business within the
territorial limits of the club.
Membership
Rules
There
are four kinds of membership in Rotary: Active, Senior
Active, Past Service and Honorary. About 95% of
members fall into the first two categories.
Active
-- This class of membership identifies the majority of
Rotarians. Each active member represents a job
classifications and has a place of business or
residence within the territorial limits of the club.
Senior
Active -- Active members automatically become Senior
Active after 15 years of active membership. In
addition those who have 10 years of service and who
reach the age of 60 with 5 years of service, or who
reach the age of 65 also automatically become senior
active members. An officer of Rotary
International also automatically acquires this status.
Past
Service -- An active member who retires after 3 years
of service or any involuntary retirement after age 55
can become a past service member.
Honorary
-- This membership honors men and women who have
distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the
furtherance of Rotary ideals. Honorary members
pay no fees or dues, cannot hold Rotary office, but
are entitled to attend all meetings and enjoy other
privileges of the club. They do not have rights
or privileges in any other club.
Club
Territorial Limits
Each
club in Rotary has specific limits granted by Rotary
International, and this territory can only be altered
by RI approval. A club's active membership is
restricted to these limits and the corporate city
limits and territorial limits of adjacent clubs.
Once territorial limits are granted, no additional
club may be chartered within these limits unless the
club assigned to the territory either cedes a portion
or agrees to share the territory. No person can
simultaneously hold membership in more than one
club. Rotarians are members of a local Rotary
Club, not Rotary International. Clubs are
members of Rotary International.
Principles
of Classification
Active
membership in Rotary consists of one person from each
classification of business or profession. The
classification covers the principal and recognized
activity of the firm, company, or institution with
which the individual is connected. A
classification is simply a short description of a
person's business or profession. If someone is
engaged in a business or profession not represented in
the club, then there has to be a classification
available. In the case of large organizations
engaged in multiple activities with components
operating with a degree of independence (ex: a
university), more than one classification may be
established.
Attendance
Rules
Basic
attendance requirements: A club member must not
miss four meetings in succession and you must attend
60% of all the meetings of a club in each half of the
Rotary year. A 'leave of absence' or 'excuse' from
attendance may be granted by the Board in rare cases
where some situation makes it virtually impossible for
a member to attend or make-up. However, this
only serves to protect the member from loss of
membership due to the 60% or 4 absences in a row
rule. It does not help the club's attendance
record.
Absences
for protracted ill health -- Any member who is absent
due to protracted ill health or impairment may be
excused and the absence ignored in the club's
attendance record. However, in such cases a
temporary 'leave of absence' must be approved by the
Board.
Attendance
exemption for older members -- members who are 65 or
older and who have 20 years of membership in Rotary or
who are 70 years with 15 years of service may ask to
be excused from all attendance requirements
permanently. When approval is granted by the
Board, the Attendance Chairman no longer keeps any
records on the member and does not include the
individuals in the club's attendance computations.
Honorary
members have no attendance requirements.
Make-ups
are required in order to receive credit for any
absence. Make-ups are expected to be completed
within a two week period of the absence and may be
made up in advance prior to vacations, etc.
Credit for a makeup is given for attendance at another
club's meeting. The weekly "Rotary
Rooster" lists the places and times of nearby
club meetings. If you are going to be in a more
distant town, you may locate a club meeting in advance
through the Rotary International web site at: http://www.Rotary.org/support/clubs/index.html.
You will always be welcomed at any club meeting and
you will seldom be the only visiting Rotarian.
Usually you will receive a card to be mailed or
carried back to your club, but, if not, just report
the make-up to your Secretary. Also, attendance
at district or international level meetings also
counts as make-ups, as do club events such as
committee meetings and so forth. If you are
pressed for time, you can also make-up meetings easily
at any time on-line through Rotary E-Club One at: http://www.RotaryEClub.org.
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