What is Rotary International?

Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community's business and professional men and women. The world's Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. The main objective of Rotary is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self.

How is Rotaract connected to Rotary?

Rotaract can be described as the "younger" version of Rotary. Rotaract clubs are sponsored by Rotary clubs and are true partners in service. The Rotaract Club of Greater Louisville is sponsored by three local Rotary clubs: the Rotary Club of East Louisville Sunrise, the Rotary Club of Prospect/Goshen, and the Rotary Club of Louisville. We have an open invitation to attend the weekly meetings of our sponsoring Rotary clubs, and their members drop by our meetings as well. We also participate in projects of our sponsoring Rotary clubs as well as the projects of other Rotary clubs in the metro Louisville area. Rotarians are the business and civic leaders of our community, and interacting with them through service provides Rotaract members with unique opportunities to learn and be mentored.