Rotary International

As the world’s first social network, Rotary was founded in 1905 by Paul Harris in Illinois. Harris called together three business acquaintances in downtown Chicago. The name, Rotary, was chosen because the meeting rotated each week. Gathering more and more participants, the meeting became so large in Chicago that they needed to establish a regular meeting place. The next four clubs were soon established in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles in California and in Seattle, Washington.

As of 2025 there are over 45,000 clubs worldwide, with 1.2 million members in more than 200 countries.  Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status offered to a non-governmental organization by the UN’s Economic and Social Council.


The Operating Ethic of Rotary is Illustrated in The Four-Way Test:

Of The Things We Think Say or Do:

  1. Is it the Truth?
  2. Is it Fair to all concerned?
  3. Will it Build Good Will and Better Friendships?
  4. Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

These guiding principles provide an ethical yardstick for everything Rotarians consider and act upon.

 

Each year the Rotary International Convention is held in a different city throughout the world. Up to 30,000 members attend. The trade show aspect of the convention is called the House of Friendship. Most booths are hosted by the project developers and are delighted to collaborate with other members visiting the convention. H2OpenDoors often displays the SunSpring water purification system and offers consultation on ways to set up a system among villages, schools, and medical facilities.

The Rotary Foundation was founded 120 years ago, is one of the most respected charitable foundations in the world. Most visible over the past 36 years is Rotary’s efforts to eradicate Polio in the world. In collaboration with the Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization and the UN, this insidious and crippling disease is near an end.

The Foundation has seven areas of focus:

  1. Disease Prevention and Treatment
  2. Maternal and Child Health
  3. Education and Literacy
  4. Water and Sanitation
  5. Economic and Community Development
  6. Peace and Conflict Resolution
  7. Protecting the Environment