The Rotary Club of Shenfield and Hutton is one of over 29,700 Clubs in 161 countries and geographical regions whose 1.2 million members share the common objectives of fostering high ethical standards in business and the professions, while, at the same time, initiating and supporting community service projects both locally and internationally.

Rotary Statistics           

Rotarians: 1,201,595; Clubs: 29,113; Districts: 527; Countries: 159.*

Rotaract: Clubs: 6,053; Members: 139,219; Countries: 128.

Interact: Clubs: 5,471; Members: 125,833; Countries: 93.

Rotary Village Corps: 2,396; Countries: 50.

*Represents official club membership figures from semiannual reports for the period 1 July 31-December 1997 Plus reports of new clubs and new members from the period 1 January-3O June 1998

So What is Rotary ?

Rotary International is a worldwide fellowship of business and professional people united in the ideal of service. It is acknowledged as the world's first service organisation. Rotary has more than 25,000 clubs with a membership of over 1 million men and women in more than 170 countries and geographical areas.

Rotary does not make any claim to be a philosophy of life. However through its commitment to service and international understanding it provides a channel in which a persons desire to serve - a desire inherent in all civilised philosophies and religions - may find expression and opportunity.

The spirit of Rotary, which has attracted so many people of different races, cultures and faiths, have been simply but eloquently stated in "The Object of Rotary".

Rotarians are encouraged to serve individually, and as members of their clubs, through their vocations and by the application of service to their personal, business, and community lives in the context of Rotary.

Each Rotary club is normally composed of not more than a single representative from each type of business or profession within the local community. The club meets weekly and each member is expected to attend meetings regularly. Members have the right to visit other Rotary clubs in any country and are received with warmth and friendship.

Rotary draws its membership from men and women of managerial or executive responsibility who are in a position to influence the conduct of their particular profession or business. In this way Rotary tries to achieve in each club a cross section of the local business and professional community. In choosing one representative from each classification among the available vocations it requires them to not only represent the classification in Rotary but to also represent Rotary in their vocation.

For more information on Rotary e-mail the Shenfield & Hutton Club.

e-mail:   peter@illingworth70.fresserve.co.uk

This page is an edited extract from the October 1999 Rotary Magazine the RIBI (Rotary in Britain and Ireland) magazine. It has been re-published here with the permission of RIBI as a guide to some of the international projects that RIBI are involved in. More information on any of these projects is available from District Chairmen, or RIBI in Alcester.