Rotary is a worldwide organization with a membership of more than 1.2 million. The members join together in clubs, of which there are more than 33,000, and the clubs join together in Districts.

Spread over some 200 countries the clubs are non-political and non-religious and are open to all cultures, races and creeds.

The object of Rotary is to provide humanitarian service, to encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and to help build goodwill and peace throughout the world.

Commenced in Chicago in 1905 by Paul Harris and three colleagues, Rotary is the world's largest international service organization. The worldwide headquarters of Rotary remains in Chicago where the agreed programs are overseen. Representatives from around the world meet from time to time to set the overall program and standards but the initiatives to undertake projects around the world rest in the hands of the members themselves in their many clubs.

Each year a President of Rotary International is elected and undertakes to visit and meet as many of the members throughout the world as is possible in the year.

In  the UK  the clubs have established Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, RIBI, which brings together all of the clubs in those countries and helps with the overall  co-ordination of effort and management of Rotary International in that area.

Both Rotary International and RIBI have web sites which provide extensive information about Rotary and many of the ambitions and projects of Rotary throughout the world. The web sites are:

Rotary International - http://www.rotary.org

RIBI - http://www.ribi.org