The self-declared 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".

[5][6] In addition to Harris and Loehr (a mining engineer and freemason[7]), Silvester Schiele (a coal merchant), and Hiram E. Shorey (a tailor) were the other two who attended this first meeting.

The next four Rotary Clubs were organized in cities in the western United States, beginning with San Francisco,[8] then Oakland, Seattle,[9] and Los Angeles.

[19] During this same time, the monthly magazine The Rotarian was published mere floors below by Atwell Printing and Binding Company.

In hopes of helping resolve these issues, a leading Japanese international statesman, Prince Iyesato Tokugawa, was chosen as the Honorary Keynote Speaker at Rotary's 25th Anniversary Convention held in 1930 in Chicago.

Prince Tokugawa held the position of president of Japan's upper house of congress, the National Diet, for 30 years.

[28][citation needed] During the Third Reich, Rotary Clubs were grouped with Freemasonry as secret societies associated with Jews, and Nazi officials were banned from joining them.

In order to survive, the members tried to show their loyalty to the Nazi leadership, inviting government officials and high-standing businesspeople.

After 1945, the Rotary club tried to control the damage by preventing members such as Hans Globke and Wolfgang A. Wick from being appointed presidents.

On January 11, 1951, a decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, published by L'Osservatore Romano, forbade Catholics clergy to accept membership of Rotary clubs.

[citation needed] In order to carry out its service programs, Rotary is structured in club, district and international levels.

They take action through community and international service, learn leadership skills, and participate in professional development.

She is active on numerous community boards and committees and has been honored by organizations including Zonta International and the Sons of the American Revolution.

[43] Active membership is by invitation from a current Rotarian, to professionals or businesspersons working in diverse areas of endeavour.

[citation needed] In 1963, it was noted that the Rotary practice of involving wives in club activities had helped to break down female seclusion in some countries.

[16]: 50 The first Irish clubs discussed admitting women as members in 1912, but the proposal foundered over issues of social class.

[52] In 2013, Anne L. Matthews, a Rotarian from South Carolina, began her term as the first female vice-president of Rotary International.

She had previously held the offices of Assistant Governor (2006–08), District Administrator (2008–09) and President of The Rotary Club of Highlands (2005–06).

Rotary's office in Illinois immediately began encouraging the Rotary Club of Shanghai to recruit Chinese members "believing that when a considerable number of the native business and professional men have been so honoured, the Shanghai Club will begin to realize its period of greatest success."

As part of considering the application of a Club to be chartered in Kolkata (then Calcutta), India in January 1920 and Tokyo, Japan in October 1920, Rotary formally considered the issue of racial restriction in membership and determined that the organization could not allow racial restrictions to the organization's growth.

[59] This project later gave rise to the NGO "Nuovi Spazi al Servire" co-ordinated by Luciano Ravaglia (RC Forlì, Italy).

In a 2006 speech at the Rotary International Convention, held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Bruce Cohick stated that polio in all its known wild forms would be eliminated by late 2008, provided efforts in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India all proceed with their current momentum.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill.

RYLA program content and format can be customized to target limited age groups in order to address varying needs and interests within the community.

Rotex members and exchange students act as peace ambassadors, based on the idea that when two countries know each other (by their citizens sharing experiences together), they are very unlikely to be in conflict.

In 2014, the 2nd Convention took place in Brussels, where these Rebounds got together with the aim of improving this association, but still they were not recognized by Rotary as a part of the organization.

[79] When it comes to the District 4851 of Rotex in Argentina, it was officially founded on June 15, 2023.The certificate issued to the association by Rotary International is herein cited.

Rotex participants’ responsibilities imply ensuring that Outbound, Inbound, and Rebound students from the RYE program are well-supported, share practices and are informed about the values that have to be followed.

[78] Rotex's authorities of District 4851 are hierarchically organized into three constitutive parts: Board of Directors, Committees and Assemblies.

One of them is Rotary Norden which is distributed in four language editions in five countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.