Rotary Clubs: what are they really for?

[raccoon]

"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."

http://www.rotary.org/aboutrotary/index.html

But what are they really for? My guess is networking.

Anybody out there ever belong to one/used to?

[ClintonTyree]

1. They built a playground in our town.....

from donations, of course so we actually payed for it ourselves......other than that I know they get together and drink a lot. At least the Rotary members I know do. :shrug:

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Good ole boy networking.

Why do you think that George Bush made a special stop to thank the Rotary Clubs in Florida?

[porphyrian]

3. The sacrifice of virgins to Muglador!

No, they're groups of business and community leaders that do a bunch of charity work. While some shitty people end up being Rotarians, the group itself is overall good.

[medeak]

4. we were turned down as members

as told only one member of each profession is allowed. We had just moved to town and hoping to meet people. Don't know if that's true..or we were small towned.

[raccoon]

8. Gosh, I didn't realize they did that sort of thing.

Sounds like a country club. At least that chapter does.

But as you say, you might've been small towned.

[Finder]

15. Usually you need to be invited to join, however...

anyone is free to request to be considered.

[LisaM]

5. They helped eradicate polio

I have no intention of ever joining, but they are a service organization and helped raise a lot of money to fight polio when the government wouldn't.

I never heard that they were picky about their membership, though. I don't care for organizations that turn people down.

[bryant69]

6. Well back in the olden days there was a prejudice against things that

rotated. People felt uncomfortable around things that spun round and round, because it reminded them of Galielos theory that the earth went around the sun. They were used to wheels, but other rotating things made them very angry and irrational.

Complicating matters Charles Von Gear invented the Gear which he called the Charles. The obvious utility of the CHarles was so great, that the great powers of Europe determined that they would create a new organization dedicated to rotating things - called the Rotarians. This was around the time the Ferris Wheel and the Merry Go Round were invented, further greating positive impressions about rotating things in peoples minds.

The above information may not be historically accurate.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[raccoon]

9. Are you giving Bobby Henderson a run for the money?

(FSM and all that.)

[NoPasaran]

16. "The above information may not be historically accurate"

:rofl:
Probably close enough for Wikipedia though!

[bluestateguy]

7. They sent me to a leadership camp when I was 17

They took care of all the costs. I'll always be grateful to them for that.

[Finder]

10. Good organization...

They have wonderful programs for youth leadership and entrepeneurship.

There are so many different organizations today that the Rotary Club does not have the membership it once did.

[Poiuyt]

13. I don't believe that is true (unless it's changed recently)

A few years ago, Rotary was the only civic organization that was growing.

[Finder]

14. I mean compared to the 70s.

I know in my area(NE), many chapters have teamed up with other chapters.

[melm00se]

11. from their website

http://www.rotary.org/

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 32,000 clubs in 168 countries.

[Poiuyt]

12. I used to be a member

I think you're right in that a lot of people join Rotary for networking and business connections. That said, Rotary is a service organization that does a lot of charity work both locally and internationally. My club had a project of collecting unused medical supplies (like wheelchairs) and sending them to southern Africa. The Rotary clubs over there would receive and distribute them to the very poor districts. That is only one example. The number of charities and scholarships that we supported was huge. Most of the members were quite well off, so collecting money was not a problem.

The club I was in didn't automatically deny membership if there was already a member in your profession. When a new member was proposed, his/her name would pass through a membership committee, and then circulated to the general membership. Unless someone objected in writing, he/she would be admitted. You would have to be a real jerk to deny someone membership because he was in your field.

[medeak]

18. thanks

guess we had a real jerk. Terrified of competition I presume.

edited to say we were invited to apply by a member. Would have liked to have been in meeting when we were voted on. This was 20 yrs ago when small town was on the verge of enormous growth from gold mining. Think the locals felt threatened by new businesses coming in.

[dysfunctional press]

17. i used to work at their world headquarters in evanston-

i worked in the travel department, making travel arrangements for rotary execs, as well as exchange students and "group study exchange". i had a fantastic office- 15th floor, southern exposure- great un-obstructed view of the chicago skyline- and i could even see the lights at wrigley field when they were on.

one time i had to fly from chicago to new york, and stay overnight- for the sole purpose of meeting the head of rotary(at the time, Mr. Brown- the guy who owned Checkers hamburgers among other things) when he and his wife arrived at jfk- riding in the limo to laguardia, and then waiting in the terminal for two hours to check their bags in for their flight home...there was a seven-hour time difference between the time they arrived jfk and the time they departed Laguardia- and mrs. brown wanted to use the time to go shopping in the city...but the airline won't let you check bags in more than 4 hours before a flight. solution- the limo drops me and the luggage off at laguardia, then heads into manhatten w/the browns...i sit in the usair terminal for a couple hours, until i can check the bags in(pre-9/11 obviously), then i drop the browns' boarding passes off at the red-carpet club, and catch my own flight home.

there are some bad apples- but all-in-all, they're a very well-meaning organization.