For New Members

           
For New Members

The ABCs of Rotary

Every organization has its own “language,” and Rotary is no different. The lingo used by Rotary International helps members stay connected and communicate easily—this page is a quick reference to help you feel confident and in the loop.

  • Active Member: An active member is one who has been elected to membership under a business or professional classification and enjoys all the obligations, responsibilities, and privileges of membership as provided in the RI Constitution and Bylaws. 

  • Areas of Focus: Rotary focuses on peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. 

  • Club and District Support (CDS): Rotary staff who are knowledgeable about specific regions and specialize in member support, training, and Rotary policies and procedures. 

  • Constitutional Documents: The governing documents of RI are the RI Constitution, the RI Bylaws, and the Standard Rotary Club Constitution. These documents can be amended only by the Council on Legislation. 

  • Council on Legislation (COL): A meeting where representatives from Rotary’s 530 or more districts vote on policy that affects clubs worldwide. It takes place every three years. 

  • Council on Resolutions: A meeting held online every year to vote on proposed resolutions, which express opinions and make recommendations to the RI Board. 

  • District Conference: An annual celebration of district accomplishments and a meeting where district decisions are made. Open to all district members. 

  • District Designated Fund (DDF): Money districts use to fund projects: 50 percent of its contributions to Annual Fund-SHARE from three years prior, plus 50 percent of any spendable earnings available from its contributions to Endowment Fund-SHARE. 

  • District Governor (DG): An officer of RI who works with a district team to run and lead the district, motivating and training clubs and connecting them with resources. 

  • District Governor Elect (DGE): The person chosen to serve as district governor for the upcoming year. 

  • District Governor Nominee (DGN): The person who will serve as governor in two years. Districts are required to name their governors 24 months in advance. They then become district governors-nominee. The year before they take office, they are district governors-elect.

  • District Membership Committee: The committee that identifies strategies for strengthening membership and promotes them to clubs in the district. 

  • District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair (DRFC): The chair of the committee that teaches clubs about the Foundation and inspires them to support its programs and activities. 

  • District Training Assembly: A training event where incoming club leaders are prepared for their roles. 

  • End Polio Now Zone Coordinators: Regional leaders who serve as a resource for local polio eradication efforts. 

  • Endowment/ Major Gifts Adviser (E/MGA): A regional leader who serves as a source of expertise on major gifts and Endowment Fund matters. 

  • Family of Rotary: The family of Rotary includes all non-Rotarians who are affected by Rotary’s efforts, including alumni of Rotary programs and those who benefit from Rotary projects. 

  • General Secretary: The head of the Secretariat, the general secretary manages staff at Rotary International World Headquarters and Rotary’s international offices.

  • Governors-elect Training Seminar (GETS): An annual training event where incoming district governors are trained for their roles by their regional leaders. 

  • Honorary Member: Also referred to as an honorary Rotarian, this member has the right to visit any Rotary club, but cannot vote or serve as a club officer. Clubs can elect people to honorary membership who have distinguished themselves in humanitarian efforts or have otherwise exemplified Rotary’s values. 

  • Interact: Clubs for young people ages 12-18 who want to connect with others in their community or school. Members have fun while carrying out service projects and learning about the world. Interact clubs are sponsored by Rotary clubs. 

  • International Assembly: An annual international training event where incoming district governors, known as governors-elect, from all Rotary districts are trained together. 

  • Manual of Procedure: A concise version of Rotary’s policies and procedures, updated every three years after the Council on Legislation. 

  • Official Directory: A publication with information about Rotary’s Board, Trustees, and committees, as well as a listing of zones, alumni associations, Rotary Fellowships, and Rotarian Action Groups. An online edition includes contact information for more than 35,000 Rotary clubs. 

  • Paul Harris Fellow: A person who has contributed $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or approved Foundation grants. The Foundation recognizes fellows with a Paul Harris Fellow medallion, lapel pin, and certificate. 

  • Paul Harris Society: Members of the Paul Harris Society commit to give at least $1,000 each year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or approved Foundation grants.

  • PolioPlus: The program launched by Rotary International in 1985 to tackle global polio eradication through the mass vaccination of children. 

  • Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (PETS): A district-level seminar that trains incoming club presidents on their role and responsibilities. 

  • Quorum: The minimum number of participants who must be present when a vote is taken. Rotary’s recommended bylaws set it as one-third of the club’s members for club decisions and a majority of the directors for club board decisions. 

  • Regional Leaders: Regional Rotary Foundation coordinators, Rotary coordinators, Rotary public image coordinators, and endowment/major gifts advisers. 

  • Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator (RRFC): A regional leader who supports and promotes the Foundation’s grants and its fundraising for programs, such as PolioPlus and the Rotary Peace Centers. 

  • RI Director: A Rotarian who serves on the RI Board for a two-year term. Each director is nominated by a club in his or her zone but is elected at the convention by all the clubs, meaning that each director represents all clubs in the administration of Rotary. 

  • RI president: The member who serves as the leader of the organization for one year. 

  • RI president-Elect: The member who will serve as the leader of the organization for the upcoming year. 

  • Rotaract:  Clubs for young people ages 18-30 in universities and communities worldwide that organize service activities, develop their leadership and professional skills, and have fun. Rotaract clubs are sponsored by Rotary clubs but manage and fund their clubs independently. 

  • Rotarian: An active member of a Rotary club. 

  • Rotarian Action Group (RAG): An autonomous group of Rotarians, family members, program participants and alumni who are experts in a particular field, such as microcredit or water and sanitation, and advise clubs and districts on service projects. 

  • Rotary alumni: People who have participated in the following programs: Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Exchange, New Generations Service Exchange, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Rotary Peace Fellowships, Rotary Scholarships (funded by global grants or district grants), vocational training teams, and other programs. 

  • Rotary Citation: An award earned by clubs that accomplish a number of goals set by the RI president. 

  • Rotary Community Corps (RCC): A group of non-Rotarians who share our commitment to service, plan and carry out projects in their communities, and support local Rotary club projects. 

  • Rotary coordinator (RC): A regional leader, appointed by the RI president, who offers support and practical strategies for boosting club membership and keeping members engaged. 

  • Rotary Fellowships: International groups that share a vocational or recreational interest. An example is the International Skiing Fellowship of Rotarians. 

  • Rotary Friendship Exchange: A self-funded international exchange opportunity for Rotary members, spouses, and non-Rotarians. 

  • Rotary Global Rewards: A member benefits program that gives Rotarians and Rotaractors special offers on goods and services, including entertainment, travel, business services, insurance, dining, and retail. Rotarians can also post offers to the program.

  • Rotary International (RI):  Refers to the organization as a whole, not including The Rotary Foundation. 

  • Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI): An independent unit of Rotary International, subject to certain approvals by the RI Constitution. 

  • Rotary International Convention: The annual gathering held in a different world city each year to celebrate Rotary’s accomplishments, hear updates and inspiring stories, and learn more about Rotary. 

  • Rotary public image coordinator (RPIC): A regional leader appointed by the RI president because of their expertise in public relations, journalism, and communications to advise clubs on public image. 

  • Rotary senior leaders: Current, incoming, and past RI presidents, directors, and Rotary Foundation trustees. 

  • Rotary year: 1 July-30 June. 

  • Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): A leadership development program for students or young adults that is organized by a club, a district, or multiple districts. 

  • Secretariat: The staff of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation, which works at Rotary International World Headquarters and Rotary’s international offices and is led by the general secretary. 

  • SHARE: The system that transforms contributions to The Rotary Foundation into grants and programs. 

  • The Rotary Foundation (TRF), the charitable arm of Rotary, created for humanitarian and educational purposes, leads the charge to end polio and promote peace. Rotarians and friends of Rotary support the Foundation’s work through voluntary contributions. The Foundation works to end polio, funds projects through grants, and takes on other global initiatives. 

  • Trustee: A member of the Board of Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, appointed by the RI president-elect. 

  • Vocational training team: A team of professionals who travel abroad to build their own capacity or the capacity of the community they visit. 

  • Zone: A grouping of clubs, established by the RI Bylaws and defined by the RI Board, for the purpose of electing members of the nominating committee for president of Rotary International and for the nomination of directors.