Are you aware of the responsibility or obligation most Rotarians fail to perform? Paying their dues? Attending meetings? Contributing to the club's service fund? Participating in club events and projects? No--none of these!

Of all the obligations a person accepts when joining a Rotary club, the one in which most Rotarians fail is "sharing Rotary." The policies of Rotary International clearly affirm that every individual Rotarian has an "obligation to share Rotary with others and to help extend Rotary through proposing qualified persons for Rotary club membership." It is estimated that less than 30 percent of the members of most Rotary clubs have ever made the effort to propose a new member. Thus, in every club, there are many Rotarians who readily accept the pleasures of being a Rotarian without ever sharing that privilege with another qualified individual.

The Rotary International Constitution states with respect to club membership: "Each club shall have a well-balanced membership in which no one business or profession predominates." One merely has to glance through the pages of the local telephone or chamber of commerce directory to realize that most clubs have not invited qualified members of all businesses and professions into Rotary. One of the founding principles of Rotary is a fair and equitable representation of the professional and business population of the community it supports. To remain

relevant, Rotary clubs must be inclusive of all professions and businesses within a community. 

A Few words from Will Rogers