Rotary e-clubs are not 'virtual' Rotary clubs. They are real Rotary clubs comprised of real living, breathing, working Rotarians doing real Rotary projects. E-clubs simply use the Internet as a tool to manage the club and manage projects. Use of the word "virtual" in the Rotary context is deemed to be inappropriate, because Rotary works in the real world, not in the virtual world. A Rotary e-club is part of the real world of Rotary International.
A pure Rotary e-club conducts 100% of its Rotary business on the Internet. Typically, members have one face-to-face dinner meeting per year, usually at the RI Convention. Members are likely to come from a wide geographic area which may be global. Rotary service is undertaken in the community where a member lives, or groups of members collaborate and work together as teams on service projects in needy communities where no member resides. Rotary E-Club One is a good example of a pure Rotary E-club.
When Rotary E-Club One received its charter on 4 January 2002, the Board of Directors of RI prescribed 5 key goals, all of which now apply to every Rotary e-club:
- Use the Internet to retain Rotarians who would otherwise be lost to Rotary.
- Use the Internet to attract new Rotarians.
- Use the Internet to facilitate meetings.
- Use the Internet to manage service projects.
- Use the Internet for fellowship by creating a friendly community of like-minded Rotarians.
A hybrid Rotary e-club conducts most of its Rotary business on the Internet, but meets face-to-face once a month for a dinner meeting. A hybrid Rotary e-club is a good option when all the members live within a relatively compact geographic area that enables them to travel to the monthly face-to-face meeting. Rotary service projects are undertaken within the geographic area and beyond. Rotary E-Club of 3310 Singapore is a good example of a hybrid Rotary E-club.
Australia's first online Rotary club is the Rotary e-Club of Greater Sydney
The Rotary EClub of Global Super Heroes District 9600 is a new online Rotary club in our district, looking for future Rotarians who want to serve locally & globally,
In some cases, a common cause is the catalyst for a Rotary eClub : the Rotary E-Club of World Peace was established bringing together leaders to take the achievements of the Rotary World Peace Conference 2016 - read more
Every Rotary club may be an E, Hybrid E, or a Traditional club
Following the 2016 Council on Legislation, the Standard Rotary Club Constitution (which every Rotary club must adopt, including e-clubs) was amended to allow for:
- Regular meetings once each week as set out in the bylaws
- Attendance may be in person, through an online meeting, or using an online connection
- Alternatively, a club shall hold a meeting once each week ... by posting an interactive activity on the club’s website.
Importantly, the Constitution allows the club to amend this clause (and certain other clauses) but a club must meet at least twice per month.
The impact is to give clubs a great deal of leeway in how they structure themselves to fill the purpose of a Rotary Club - which is now stated as:
The purpose of this club is to pursue the Object of Rotary, carry out successful service projects based on the Five Avenues of Service, contribute to the advancement of Rotary by strengthening membership, support The Rotary Foundation, and develop leaders beyond the club level.
This club's Constitution and Bylaws are being reviewed with a view to adoption by club members in the near future.