Rotaract – January 2010
Laura Bird, our Rotex Student has been working like mad over the last month or so to contact people to start up a Rotaract Club in our area. So far, she has about 15 people interested and is well on the way to us needing to organise the Chartering of the Nepean Group Rotaract Club sponsored by the Rotary Club of Frankston Long Island. Our congratulations to Laura – she really is one in a million!
Rotaract is an international program for adults ages 18 to 30 who want to make a difference. It was founded in 1968 by Rotary International, an association of clubs made up of service-minded business and professional leaders.
Today, there are more than 7,300 Rotary club- sponsored Rotaract clubs with some 170,000 members —known as Rotaractors — in over 150 countries. Clubs are either based in the community or in a university.
Rotaract clubs enable Rotaractors to grow personally and professionally, address community needs, and promote international understanding through friendship and service.
Rotaract clubs hold meetings, usually every two weeks, which feature speakers, discussions, and visits to other clubs. Rotaractors also get together for service projects, social activities, and leadership workshops. Beyond the club level, Rotaractors can take advantage of district conferences, projects, and training seminars and participate in an international meeting prior to the annual Rotary International Convention.
Rotaract builds leaders, and leaders build strong clubs with effective programs. Toward that end, clubs organize
- Communication and public speaking seminars
- Training programs for club officers
- Workshops to organize and promote projects
- Informational sessions about Rotary
Early career decisions are critical ones. To help their members make informed choices, Rotaract clubs hold
- Marketing and management seminars
- Conferences on business ethics
- Vocational and career planning counseling
- Business technology updates
Whatever they do, Rotaractors know how to have fun, make friends, and make the world a little better in the process.
Rotaract does a world of good. Clubs carry out at least one community service project and one international service project each year. Among myriad activities of their own choice, clubs
- Mentor and tutor children and collect donated books
- Organize camps and outings for people with disabilities
- Raise funds for medical equipment and disaster relief
- Create awareness of AIDS, drug abuse, and other issues