Our Guiding Principles

Rotary’s 100-year track record of Rotarians joining together to use their skills and passion to make a difference in their communities is one that fosters pride worldwide. In addition to our governance documents, Rotary clubs and districts should be familiar with Rotary’s guiding principles and values statements to carry out Rotary’s mission and understand our history of commitment to professionalism and service. 

Our Core Values

Rotary adopted the core values in 2007 as part of the Rotary Strategic Plan, understanding that these five values are fundamental traits of a Rotarian. Since their adoption, the Board has reaffirmed the core values and are strongly supported by Rotarians worldwide. (RCP 26.010.2.) Rotary International’s core values are:

• Fellowship
• Integrity
• Diversity
• Service
• Leadership

The Object of Rotary

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

• The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
• High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
• The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
• The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service. (RIC 3; SRCC 5)

• Club Service, the first Avenue of Service, involves actions a member should take within this club to help it function successfully.
   
• Vocational Service, the second Avenue of Service, aims to promote high ethical standards in businesses and professions, recognize the worthiness of all dignified occupations, and foster the ideal of service in the pursuit of all vocations. The role of members includes conducting themselves and their businesses by Rotary’s principles and lending their vocational skills to club-developed projects to address the issues and needs of society.
   
• Community Service, the third Avenue of Service, comprises varied efforts that members make, sometimes in conjunction with others, to improve the quality of life of those who live within this club’s locality or municipality by striving for positive peace in the community.
   
• International Service, the fourth Avenue of Service, comprises those activities that members do to advance international understanding, goodwill, and positive peace by fostering acquaintance with people of other countries, their cultures, customs, accomplishments, aspirations, and problems, through reading and correspondence and through cooperation in all club activities and projects designed to help people in other lands.
   
• Youth Service, the fifth Avenue of Service, recognizes the positive change implemented by youth and young adults through leadership development activities, involvement in community and international service projects, and exchange programs that enrich and foster positive world peace and cultural understanding. (SRCC 6)