overview of the Rotary International
Brief history
Committed to the field and with 1.2 million members, our organization was born thanks to a visionary, Paul Harris. It was on February 23, 1905 that this Chicago lawyer decided to gather businessmen from diverse backgrounds around a mission: to exchange ideas and to create sincere and lasting friendships. Today, Rotary is the oldest of the major international service clubs. The talent, the time and the energy of rotarians and rotarians from all over the world have made it possible, since then, to carry out thousands of humanitarian projects intended to maintain a better world.
Our motto: Serve first
For more than a century, our guiding principles have shaped our values: service, camaraderie, diversity, integrity and leadership.
What we do
Rotary members believe that we must all take action to solve the world’s most pressing problems. With more than 35,000 clubs around the world, we work together to:
- Promote peace
- Fight diseases
- Bring clean water, sanitation and hygiene
- Save mothers and their children
- Support education
- Develop local economies
A lasting commitment
Rotarians were not only witnesses of history, they also played their part. Since the very first days until today, three (3) traits have remained immutable:
- We are intrinsically international. Only sixteen years after its creation, Rotary was already present on six continents. Today, Rotarians from different countries work together to provide solutions to the most pressing issues.
- We never give up, even in the worst trials. During the Second World War, the Rotary clubs of Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Japan were forced to dissolve. Yet, despite the risks, many continued to meet. In the post-war years, these Rotarians rallied to rebuild their clubs and their country.
- Our commitment to solidarity never weakens. We started our fight against polio in 1979 in the Philippines by deciding to vaccinate 6 million children. Today, polio is no longer endemic and has been virtually eradicated worldwide.
The Rotary International Foundation
The Rotary International Foundation supports the actions of Rotary International through special programs such as:
- Polio Plus – the eradication of poliomyelitis
- the most ambitious program of the Rotary Foundation that has helped immunize more than one billion children against polio
- Health, hunger and humanity
- Long-term projects to improve people’s living conditions and fight hunger
- Support Grants
- Financial Aid to Rotary Volunteers
- Grants for feasibility studies
- Grants New Opportunities for Action
- Study Group Exchanges
- Grants for professors of higher education
- Goodwill Scholars Program
- Rotary programs for peace
- Disaster Relief
Have an impact
Turn your passion for change into action, make a real impact. Rotarians do their best to find solutions.
Rotary draws its strength from the dynamism and commitment of its members in Quebec City and around the world. Together, we are changing lives in our city and around the world.
Our members are dedicated and share a common passion for service and fellowship. Volunteer engagement, a fertile and prosperous breeding ground for our society, promotes the creation of social, human, community and cultural wealth. That is why, when a Rotarian says he is committed, he makes sure to fulfill this commitment and celebrate his contribution to make our Club, a club that, in the service of humanity, has a real impact .
When you partner with Rotary, our 1.2 million members amplify your impact, position your brand, advance important causes and improve living conditions around the world.