The Obligations and Responsibilities of Rotarians

LIVING THE FOUR-WAY TEST Each Rotarian undertakes to apply The Four-Way Test in his daily life and relationships of all kinds.

SERVICE Rotary is a service club, above all else. Each Rotarian must undertake to provide his sincere best efforts to work together with his or her fellow Rotarians, both local and worldwide, to achieve the Object of Rotary, to strive to make the world a better place for all people everywhere in all ways possible, and to always be in the vanguard, leading the way. A Rotarian never says "no" when asked by Rotary to serve or help in any task or endeavor which is within his or her capabilities and not an unreasonable burden.

FELLOWSHIP Each Rotarian participates fully in the warm fellowship with other Rotarians - in his or her local Rotary Club week by week and also with Rotarians from other Rotary Clubs whenever possible. District Assemblies, District Conferences and the International Convention provide regular opportunities to expand a Rotarians fellowship with other Rotarians. Visiting other Rotary Clubs while travelling is a privilege accorded to all Rotarians in good standing around the world - the local Club Secretary should have a Rotary International book listing meeting information for all Rotary Clubs, and that information is also provided on-line by Rotary International (RI) in the When and Where Clubs Meet section of the RI website. The internet now provides a wonderful opportunity to communicate with other Rotarians around the world without the burden of travel - for example the Rotarians Online! Conference Center (ROCC) of the International Computer Users Fellowship of Rotarians.

GOODWILL The spreading of goodwill and friendship is the hallmark of Rotarians in every Rotary Club in the world - with those one sees every day, with those one works with or sees in his or her business or profession, with those in the same community, city or town, with those in the same country, and with all of humankind around the world, including all races, nationalities, creeds, religions, philosophies and heritages.

TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING Rotary is non-sectarian - there is no place in Rotary for religious conflict or the urging of ones religious beliefs on others. Rotary is non-political - there is no place in Rotary for political campaigning of any kind. Rotary embraces every major religion, every political philosophy, every person - and shows favoritism to none. Rotary has accomplished marvelous things around the world over the past 90+ years, and has done so, in no small part, because of its universal appeal and dedicated furtherance of religious and political tolerance and of world understanding among all faiths, nations and peoples.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT Each Rotarians pays dues to his or her local Rotary Club. Part of those dues provide funds for the operation of the Club and for some part of the Club's local projects, while part goes to the Rotary District and to Rotary International for operational expenses and projects at those levels of the organization. The Rotary dues include a component for the Rotarian's subscription to "The Rotarian" - the official monthly magazine of Rotary. Each Rotarian pays an admission fee to the local Rotary Club on becoming a member.

ATTENDANCE The local Rotary Club's regular weekly meetings are the heart and soul of Rotary anywhere in the world. The Club needs its members present and participating - the Rotarian needs the regular weekly fellowship with his or her fellow Rotarians. When a member is absent from a meeting, the Club loses, the member loses and the fellow Rotarians each lose. Dedicated Rotarians routinely record 90% attendance. Any Rotary Club Secretary can testify that those whose memberships terminate by failure to meet the attendance requirements are almost always individuals who did not participate in Rotary projects when they were in the Club; and that those members whose attendance routinely hovers around the minimum 60% are generally not very active in Club projects. One of the great strengths of Rotary has always been that it provides for automatic "pruning" of the "dead wood" of inactive members.

Each Rotarian should attend his or her local Club meeting as nearly 100% as is possible. Rotary does not require 100% attendance, nor even 75% attendance - Rotary International (RI) rules, and the Constitution of every Rotary Club, do require that each member attend at least 60% of the regular meetings in each semi-annual period (Jan 1 - Jun 30, and Jul 1 to Dec 31); at least 30% must be in the home Club, and that no more than three (3) consecutive regular Club meetings be missed at any time. Make-Up may be accomplished by visiting other Rotary Clubs when away from the local town or city - the Secretary at the Club being visited can provide a card or other document which should be given to the home Club upon return there ("make-ups" at other Clubs can count for specific missed meetings within a specified time period before or after the regular Club meeting back home).

Failure to meet the minimum attendance requirements in either semi-annual period, or missing a fourth (4th) consecutive meeting results in automatic termination of the membership, unless the local Rotary Club Board of Directors approves one or more "excused absences" or authorizes a special Leave of Absence, based on the provisions of the Rotary Club Constitution and By-Laws. Many Rotary Clubs also provide for a former member to apply for reinstatement within a specified period of time (usually 30 days) after the membership has terminated, based on sincere personal assurances that the attendance requirements can and will be met in the future; reinstatement is at the pleasure of the Board of Directors in such cases.

Honorary members are not subject to the attendance requirements. Rotary also provides a special membership status commonly called "Senior Active Excused" (Senior Active members who qualify by having their age and total years in Rotary total to 85 or more); when the Board of Directors approves the Senior Active member's application, that member is no longer subject to the attendance requirements. This enables older Rotarians who face unreasonable burdens for attendance to continue to be Rotarians in good standing.