How do you describe the organization called "Rotary?"  There are so many characteristics of a Rotary club as well as the activities of a million Rotarians.  There are the features of service, internationality, fellowship, classifications of each vocation, development of goodwill and world understanding, the emphasis of high ethical standards, concern  for other people and many more descriptive qualities.

In 1976 the Rotary International Board of Directors was interested in creating a concise definition of the fundamental aspects of Rotary.  They turned to the three men who were then serving on Rotary's Public Relations Committee and requested that a one-sentence definition of Rotary be prepared.  After numerous drafts the committee  presented this definition, which has been used ever since in various Rotary publications.

"Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encouraged high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world."

Those 31 words are worth remembering when someone asks, "What is a Rotary club?"
                                                                           

                                                             From the ABCs of  Rotary by Cliff 0. Dochterman

The president does not run a Rotary club; rather, it is run by a board of directors through committees appointed by the president and approved by the board.  This is called the committee system of club administration.

Committee assignment is the most important part in the life of a Rotarian. Imagine a watch with one small time piece that is not working. That watch cannot keep time.  Likewise, a member of a Rotary club who is without committee assignment is not a Rotarian, and a Rotary club with no working committees is more of a luncheon club.

Rotary builds leaders from below - from committee chairman to club director to club secretary to club president.

The by-laws of RI provide for the adoption of a "standard club constitution" by all clubs admitted to membership and that any club constitution existing at the time of adoption of the present by-laws of R.I. shall not be changed except to make it conform to the new standard club constitution.

The board of R.I. recommends a set of club by-laws.  These by-laws, before or after adoption, may be changed by any club to meet its own conditions, provided the changes are not out of harmony
with the club constitution or with the constitution and by-laws of R.I.