Rotary Overview

Rotary is an international service organization that started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago in 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. The organization has evolved over the years bringing together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. It is a secular organization open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference.

Objective of Rotary

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

FIRST

The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service

SECOND

High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society

THIRD

The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life

FOURTH

The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service

Objective of Rotary

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

Of the things we think, say or do

  • 1. Is it the TRUTH?

  • 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

  • 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

  • 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Avenues of Service

We channel our commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service, which are the foundation of club activity.
• Club Service focuses on making clubs strong. A thriving club is anchored by strong relationships and an active membership development plan.
• Vocational Service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society. Learn more in An Introduction to Vocational Service and the Code of Conduct.
• Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest. Learn more in Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects.
• International Service exemplifies our global reach in promoting peace and understanding. We support this service avenue by sponsoring or volunteering on international projects, seeking partners abroad, and more.
• Youth Service recognizes the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs such as Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Youth Exchange.

The Rotary Club of Lakewood is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change. The club was chartered in October 1954, the same year of incorporation of the City of Lakewood. It has had many distinguished members over the years with Dan A. Boone serving as the inaugural President.

The Rotary Club of Lakewood is committed to supporting the following programs and organizations:

  • Project Shepherd – Year Round Program to support Lakewood Families in need
  • Award of Valor Recognition_City of Lakewood
  • Boy Scouts of America_Long Beach Area Council
  • Lakewood’s Meals on Wheels
  • Lakewood’s Youth Sports Hall of Fame
  • Su Casa – Ending Domestic Violence
  • Public Safety Expo_City of Lakewood
  • Public Safety Expo_City of Lakewood
  • Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
  • Scholarship Awards for Graduating High School Seniors
  • Futuro Brillante in Matapalo Guanascaste, Costa Rica
  • Summer Concerts in the Park Series_City of Lakewood
  • Volunteer Day Program_City of Lakewood
  • Weingart-Lakewood Family YMCA

The Rotary Club of Lakewood is Club #838 within Rotary District 5320 which represents 47 cities from South Los Angeles County to South Orange County. The Club and its District is within Rotary territory Zone 26.

Rotary International  |  www.Rotary.org
Rotary Zone 25 and 26  |  https://zone2627.org/
Rotary District 5320  |  www.Rotary5320.org

Types of Membership with the Lakewood Rotary Club

Qualified candidates for Rotary membership are adults of good character and good business and professional reputation, who hold or have held an executive position with discretionary authority in any worthy and recognized business or profession.

There are two types of Rotary club membership, active and honorary:

  • Associate members represent family members, community leaders and volunteers and business affiliates of the club. This membership type does not have any voting rights on club policies and cannot hold an officer position on the board.
  • Satellite members are members of a sponsored satellite club and hold membership with the sponsoring club until such time as the satellite club shall be admitted into membership of RI as a Rotary club.
  • Honorary members have distinguished them¬selves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals and are considered friends of Rotary for their permanent support of Rotary’s cause.
  • Active members must meet the above qualifi¬cations, as well as live or work within the club’s locality or surrounding area.

The Rotary Foundation

The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

Programs of the Rotary Foundation

Through Foundation grants and programs, Rotarians and other contributors can help change the world. They can finance a well for a village that lacks clean water, improve the environment, or provide scholarships to educate the next generation. The grants and programs available to Rotarians allow them to realize Rotary’s humanitarian mission throughout the world, including its number-one goal of eradicating polio.

The Rotary Foundation transforms financial gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.