There is nothing in the Rotary International Manual of Procedure (lovingly referred to as “The MOP”) that states that Rotary Clubs are required to include the Pledge of Allegiance and/or an Invocation during their meeting openings.
The definition of an invocation is the action of invoking something or someone for assistance or as an authority. It does not have to be of a religious nature. An invocation can also include inspirational messages.
In our district, I know of at least one club that doesn’t include the Pledge of Allegiance in their openings. Instead they have a club member with sufficient boldness to stand up and lead the club in singing “God Bless American” or any of a number of songs in a Rotary Songbook. (Yes, there really is such a thing as a Rotary Songbook. They can be ordered through the RI website.)
In summary, the content of each club’s opening ceremony is up to each club! Since the Superstition Mountain Rotary Club has never (to the best of my knowledge) formally addressed this issue, our meeting moderators have the option of using an invocation, a Rotary thought, or a thought for the day during the opening of our meetings.
Jay Jones, Club Member