Rotaract

Last updated
Rotaract
FormationMarch 13, 1968
FocusService
Headquarters Evanston, Illinois
Location
  • Global
Origins Rotary International
Area served
Worldwide
Membership
~120,000
Website rotary.org/rotaract

Rotaract originally began as a Rotary International youth program in 1968 [1] at Charlotte North Rotary Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, and has grown into a major organization of ~9,000 clubs and nearly 120,000 members in 189 countries and geographic areas. [2] It is a service, leadership, professional, and community service organization (often miscommunicated as a Social Service Club) for young adults aged 18 and over.

Contents

Rotaract focuses on young adults' development as leaders in their communities and workplaces. Clubs also take part in international service projects, in a global effort to bring peace and international understanding to the world.

"Rotaract" stands for "Rotary in Action", although the name originally comes from a combination of "Rotary" and "Interact" (International + Action), the high-school level program Rotary International created in 1962.

Most Rotaract activities take place at the club level. Rotaract clubs hold formal meetings in person or virtually, usually every two weeks, that feature speakers, special outings, social activities, discussions or visits to other clubs. Club members get together on designated days for service project work, social events, or professional/leadership development workshops.

To be eligible for membership, you must be 18 years of age and show that you are committed to Rotaract and of good standing in your community. After being approved by the club, members are inducted into Rotaract.

Avenues of service include Club Service, Community Service, International Service and Professional Development.

In 2019, Rotaract went from being a program of Rotary International to being a membership type of Rotary International, elevating its status to resemble that of Rotary clubs. As of 1 July 2020, Rotaract clubs can exist on their own or be sponsored by Rotary and/or Rotaract clubs. This makes them true "partners in service" and key members of the Rotary family. [3] A Rotaract club may, but is not required to, establish upper age limits if its members so desire and record it in the club's bylaws. [4]

Multidistrict communication and MDIOs

Rotaract Club de Beyrouth members during the Gala Dinner of the 6th Rotaract District 2452 conference. Rotaract Club de Beyrouth members.jpg
Rotaract Club de Beyrouth members during the Gala Dinner of the 6th Rotaract District 2452 conference.

Rotaract multidistrict information organizations (MDIOs) function as regional resource centers for Rotaractors. They comprise Rotaract clubs in two or more districts either within a country or across several countries.

Rotaract MDIOs are directly involved in preparing Rotaractors for leadership and are excellent coordinators for communicating program updates, local and international news, and event bulletins. They also facilitate uniting members from different clubs and districts within a particular region.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boy Scouts of America</span> Scouting America organization in the United States

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including 176,000 female participants. The BSA was founded in 1910; about 130 million Americans have participated in its programs, which are served by 477,000 adult volunteers. BSA became a founding member organization of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Fire (organization)</span> American youth organization

Camp Fire, formerly Camp Fire USA and originally Camp Fire Girls of America, is a co-ed youth development organization. Camp Fire was the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in America. It is now gender-inclusive, and its programs emphasize camping and other outdoor activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotary International</span> International nonprofit service organization

Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through [the] fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders". It is a non-political and non-religious organization. Membership is by application or invitation and based on various social factors. There are over 46,000 member clubs worldwide, with a membership of 1.4 million individuals, known as Rotary members.

Kiwanis International is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. In 1987, the organization began to accept women as members. Kiwanis and its affiliated clubs have more than 600,000 members. Kiwanis clubs raise over $100 million each year and report over 18.5 million volunteer hours to strengthen communities and serve children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key Club</span> Student service-leadership organization

Key Club International, also called Key Club, is an international service organization for high school students. As a student-led organization, Key Club's goal is to encourage leadership through serving others. Key Club International is the high school branch of the Kiwanis International family, classified as a Service Leadership Program and more specifically as a Kiwanis Youth Program. Many Key Clubs are sponsored by a local Kiwanis club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Chamber International</span> Organization

Junior Chamber International, commonly referred to as JCI, is a non-profit international non-governmental organization of young people between 18 and 40 years old. It has members in about 124 countries, and regional or national organizations in most of them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Generation Advisory Council</span> Non-governmental organisation

The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), in support of the United Nations Program on Space Applications, is a non-governmental organization and professional network, whose goal is to convey the perspectives of students and young space professionals to the United Nations (UN), space industry, space agencies, and academia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangalore Institute of Technology</span> Engineering college in Bangalore, India

Bangalore Institute of Technology is an Autonomous Engineering college offering Undergraduate and Postgraduate Engineering courses, Management Courses affiliated to the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi located in Bangalore. The institution came into being in August, 1979 under the auspices of Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, Bengaluru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zonta International</span> International service organization

Zonta International is an international service organization with the mission of Building a Better World for Women and Girls, in support of Sustainable Development Goal 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learning for Life</span> American youth program

Learning for Life (LFL) is a United States school and work-site based youth program that is an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America. It utilizes programs designed for schools and community-based organizations that are designed to prepare youth for the complexities of contemporary society and to enhance their self-confidence, motivation, and self-esteem, and for careers.

Youth engagement is the sentiment young people feel towards a particular person, activity, place or outcome. It has been a focus of youth development, public policy and social change movements for at least forty years. According to a Cornell University program, "Youth engagement is one of the buzzwords in the youth development field. Similar terms are youth voice, youth involvement, youth participation, and youth in governance."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert L. Gordon III</span>

Robert "Rob" L. Gordon III is a cross-sector leader in the government, military, academic, nonprofit and high tech sectors. Gordon was appointed the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy on July 19, 2010, serving under U.S. President Barack Obama. In the Defense Department he was responsible for defense-wide policy, program execution and oversight of global community support programs to care for, support, and empower 2 million Service members, 1.2 million military spouses, 2 million children, and over 2 million military families worldwide. He oversaw the Department of Defense school system (DoDEA) that at that time served approximately 90,000 students in 194 schools in 14 districts located in 12 foreign countries, seven states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. He oversaw voluntary education for over half a million active duty military service members; defense resale for over 500 commissaries and exchanges; military spouse education and career advancement for 1.2 million military spouses; child development and youth activities programs; state liaison initiatives; family assistance and non-medical counseling services; and collaborated with Congressional leaders, White House leaders, business and non profit sectors, chambers of commerce, academic communities, and a multitude of federal and state agencies to strengthen the resilience and well-being of the military community.

The Center for Social Development (CSD) is a research center at Washington University's George Warren Brown School of Social Work. Its focus is on innovations in asset-building and social development practice and policy.

A sustainability organization is (1) an organized group of people that aims to advance sustainability and/or (2) those actions of organizing something sustainably. Unlike many business organizations, sustainability organizations are not limited to implementing sustainability strategies which provide them with economic and cultural benefits attained through environmental responsibility. For sustainability organizations, sustainability can also be an end in itself without further justifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rotary Foundation</span> International nonprofit organization

The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ECyD</span> International Catholic youth organization

ECyD is an international Catholic youth organization affiliated with the movement Regnum Christi and in close contact with one of the branches of its federation, the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. ECYD membership is open to youth ages 11 to 16.

The International Hospital Federation (IHF) is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization based in Bernex, Switzerland. The IHF is a global association for healthcare management that assists healthcare organizations and facilities in improving their performance by implementing initiatives that enhance their responsiveness, efficiency, accessibility, and quality in meeting the healthcare requirements of people all over the world. The IHF also provides a platform for the global healthcare community to share knowledge, ideas, and experiences, as well as identify international partnerships and collaboration opportunities. Furthermore, the Federation encourages the creation of new national hospital organizations in order to include as many countries as possible in their activities, particularly emerging and developing nations, and to grow their network.

The College of Education is one of 15 colleges at The Pennsylvania State University, located in University Park, Pennsylvania. It houses the departments of Curriculum and Instruction, Education Policy Studies, Learning and Performance Systems, and Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. Almost 2,300 undergraduate students, and nearly 1,000 graduate students are enrolled in its 7 undergraduate and 16 graduate degree programs. The college is housed in four buildings: Chambers, Rackley, Keller, and CEDAR Buildings.

International volunteering is when volunteers contribute their time to work for organisations or causes outside their home countries. International volunteering has a long association with international development or environment, with the aim of bringing benefits to host communities. It can include a range of services, from healthcare advancement to economic development to governance.

References

  1. "Rotaract History". Rotary Global History Fellowship. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Rotaract Clubs Worldwide". Rotary international. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  3. "Recent Rotaract policy updates". My Rotary. Rotary International. November 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  4. "Rotary Code of Policies". My Rotary. Rotary International.