Rotary International

Hello! We are Rotary International. Our story began a long time ago, on February 23rd, 1905, in a busy city called Chicago, Illinois. A lawyer named Paul Harris had a wonderful idea. He wanted to gather friends who all had different jobs, like doctors, teachers, and shop owners. He believed that by bringing people together, they could share ideas, become good friends, and help their community. This very first group was called a Rotary Club.

The idea of meeting and helping others became very popular. People in other cities heard about the club and wanted to start one, too. Soon, there were new Rotary Clubs all across the country. The idea then traveled across oceans, and clubs began to form in other countries around the globe. We grew from that one small club in Chicago into a huge, worldwide group. Today, our members, who we call Rotarians, are neighbors, friends, and leaders in almost every country. We all share one big goal: to work together to make the world a better place.

To make sure we always do our best, we use a special guide called The Four-Way Test. It’s not a test you take in school. Instead, it’s a set of four simple questions we ask ourselves about the things we think, say, or do. First, we ask: Is it the TRUTH? Second, we ask: Is it FAIR to all concerned? Third, we ask: Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? And finally, we ask: Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? These questions help us make good and kind choices in all of our projects.

One of our biggest and most important jobs has been to end a sickness called polio. In 1985, we started a program called PolioPlus to fight this disease, which used to harm many children. We knew we couldn't do it alone, so we worked with partners like the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Together, our teams traveled to cities and small villages to give special medicine drops to children to keep them safe. Because of this hard work, most of the world is now free from polio. We are very proud of this, and we are working hard to finish the job completely.

Today, our members continue to work on many important projects in their own towns and across the globe. We are a group of people of action, dedicated to helping others. Some of our clubs help bring clean water to villages that need it. Others support schools so that children everywhere can learn. We also work to promote peace between people. We even do projects that help care for the environment. No matter where we are, our goal is always to help make life better for everyone.