I need general advice. I'm new to Rotary (2 years) and younger than my club members (in my 40s). I'll be incoming 2027 (We run on financial years).

I've been the media coordinator on the board for two years. So that's not a worry. But we have an AGM in three weeks and apparently I need to have my board appointees settled?

We are a small club. Almost dying. There has been some stagnation. We are a fundraisers club, but not really for RI endeavours. Local issues. However the club has big ideas. Like one for building a massive walkway which will cost millions of dollars. It's pie in the sky and the club is mixed on it. It's a founding initiative and nothing I can really do about it. It's not my interest, we have no money in the bank for such things. Whilst I won't squash it, I will just let it quietly exist in the background.

For my year I want to get back to basics. I joined Rotary to help people. Not network, get pins or shake hands with pollies. I want to do like maybe 6 community initiatives. Food drive for the local pantry, maybe assist meals on wheels, things that will let us be seen in our community helping people. I'm hoping this may drive membership? I'm also just wanting to do simple things without costing the club.

I want to attract people my age and younger and I feel these kind of things will help. I guess for me, this feels more tangible than raising money to sit in RI coffers before being funneled out. Our club is very casual and regional, so we don't even attend district conferences let alone global.

I also want to get our tech sorted in my year. Get online meetings going, cloud tech, emails. Our district is great. We have 1TB share points for each club, for prez and secretary access but no one them know how to use them. As a breakfast club I think we could get more members if they could listen in while on the school run instead of physically attending.

Anyways, just looking for advice for my first prez run. What worked for you? What didn't? What do you wish your club could do?

Sono uno studente italiano, sono stato a un incontro che spiegasse come funziona questa breve intervista. Hanno detto che chiederanno cos'è il rotary, un po di informazioni sul paese e altro. Non so se dovermi preparare studiando qualcosa o andarci con le mie conoscienze attuali. Qualcuno ha consigli? Grazie

I'm a Rotarian and I proposed an idea in my district that I'd love input on. Cause-based clubs are already an option, but what if we leaned into them as cloud clubs? Members join because of the cause, not because they live near each other.
And here's the bigger shift: what if they join because of the cause, not because they set out to join Rotary? They're already committed to something they care about. All they need is to be introduced to what Rotary brings: over a century of history, a global network, grants, and mentorship from experienced Rotarians, while they keep working on the cause they're already passionate about. Rotary becomes the engine behind their cause instead of one more obligation.
A few I've been working on: a human trafficking survivor advocacy club, a club for people with ADHD (lots of creative energy, needs good structure), one supporting foster youth who are aging out of the system, and one focused on a sustainable earth. Honestly there are hundreds of causes this could work for.
Cost is part of it too. From the checking I've done, without weekly breakfasts or lunches to pay for, annual dues for a cloud club can be a lot more reasonable, which opens the door to younger members and people who could never swing a traditional club.
The attraction for Rotary seems obvious to me: new, younger, more diverse members who show up already motivated, plus Rotary's structure, grants and network behind them.
Questions for anyone who's been down this road:
Has your district chartered a cause-based or cloud club? How did it go?
What made it stick, or what killed it?
How do you keep a cloud club engaged when members never meet in person?
What do cloud club dues actually look like where you are?
Any pitfalls with district or RI approval I should know about?
Would love to hear what's worked.

My district interview is quickly coming up. It will be virtual and both my parents and I are supposed to be in attendance. I am told that I will need to know basic history of rotary, my district, and global events. I was wondering if there are any more tips or advice that Alumni have?

Thank you!!

What online payment platforms are you using for events and fundraisers? We are trying to presell tickets online for a fundraiser we are hosting, and the only option we have right now is Zelle. But the QR code doesn't work unless you're in the app. We don't have an EIN or anything like that, so Square doesn't work, and I believe the same is true for PayPal. What are other clubs using (that hopefully have little or no fees)?

Update #2 - Well, it got more awkward. He followed me around before and after lunch while I was hosting guests and setting out announcements, wanting to know what precisely he said bc sensed something shifted bc I didn't answer his call or text yesterday. I pointed out I was getting lunch ready and have a very busy schedule. While I was on stage giving a Club announcement, he distracted me by making the "call me" hand gesture. I told him to look at our 4 Way Test and discuss his interest in becoming a Club leader with leadership, then excused myself without shaking his hand. I'm so disappointed I let him upset me / embarrassed that I anxiously asked Club director and interim President again for help bc I felt scared by his following me around ❤️‍🩹 I remember being new in Rotary and slowly figuring out my place through service; I want to be kind tho I miss feeling like Rotary is my happy place.

Update - thx you all for feedback; I think I was overwhelmed by the shock, ick and sadness of it all, I wasn't thinking clearly. I informed our President Elect for next year, who assured me there's no way he's going to be invited to serve on his Board and he'll see when President comes back how best to handle. Thank you!

Original Post -

I feel awful even asking however my President is away for a Family emergency -&- this whole situation has me feeling ick.

New Rotarian joined this fall heard I was hosting veterans for a citywide charity event & asked for 3 tix saying he, his wife and son all are military veterans. Purchased tix in their names and sent over. He insisted we had to meet during the event. I changed my own Family plans to accommodate them.

Son & wife laughingly told me none of them are vets. He just "knows how to get whatever and whoever he wants."

Painful 2 hours of hearing him brag about himself and how he will be on our Club Board next year "for the prestige" bc he's so "elite and belongs with the superior people"; then was rude to the volunteers working the event; never thx'd me for tickets; and kept inserting himself in my photos/convos with others.

I just don't know what if anything I should do or say. Clearly, a grandiose narcissist / fails our 4 way test. What would You do?

This is my first convention. What should I look for? Are there activities to sign up for? Should I stay near the venue or in the city center?

It is my first time being Secretary. I have been asked to keep a log of volunteer hours for every project. I got told there is a way to log our club's activities into MyRotary.

I have been looking all over the site and cannot find how to log my club's hours and projects.

Could someone please give me an idiot's guide to logging hours please.

Hey everyone,

I'm an 11th-grade student and I'm currently trying to establish an Interact Club at my high school. Where I live, there are currently no active Interact clubs, so this would be a first for our area.

I’ve already prepared an official information dossier for our school administration to explain what Interact and Rotary are, emphasizing that it requires zero budget from the school and operates entirely under a local Rotary sponsor's guidance.

For those of you who have experience with this or are part of Rotary/Interact:

What is the best way to pitch this to school principals or vice-principals so they take it seriously?

How should I properly approach a local Rotary club to secure a sponsor?

Are there any hidden administrative hurdles or specific bylaws I should watch out for during the certification process?

Any tips, advice, or shared experiences would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Hello! I am one of the founding members of the brand new Rotary Club of Global Exchange and Connections. Our founding members are all former exchange students who met at the end of their year on a bus tour through the USA. We are members from 16 countries and 6 continents. Our goal is to help the Rotary Exchange program by helping local clubs and districts, offering support to exchange students through mentorship.
Our charter party is coming up and we would love to invite youth exchange officers/ counselors and youth exchange chairs to learn more about our club and how we might be able to work together.

Please send me a message so I can share more information regarding sign up for the charter party.

What can you tell me about this?

¿Qué me pueden decir de esto?

https://www.masoneria-argentina.org.ar/presencia-del-gran-maestre-en-el-rotary-club/

so ive know about this program for a year and I think im finally ready to apply but I have no idea how to go ahead with it. on the website it says to contact your local rotary club but I can find any near me. if anyone's been a part of the youth exchange program it would be good if you could share your experience and how you went about the process of applying. it would be helpful if anyone had the email address of some one so that I can ask them.

Rotary International loves talking about the Four Way Test. So here’s a fairly simple question: How much does RI actually tell its members when something goes seriously wrong at the top?

Take the Mário César Martins de Camargo affair. Mário was selected to become RI President for 2025–26, was publicly promoted throughout 2024 and early 2025, appeared alongside senior RI leadership, and was presenting the incoming presidential message at the 2025 International Assembly.

Then, on 8 June 2025, he “resigned” as president-elect. The official story was “personal reasons and business obligations.” A few googles reveals he was being sued in Brazil and there was references in court to his rotary status and attempts to have his travel restricted. I’ve heard rumours that there was more to it, and there was a blow up between Mario and Hewko and it was a matter of who got their first as to who won out.

It’s definitely not as simple as Rotary being mentioned in court. There was an Australian court case a few years back when the judge was scathing of Rotary International and there was no public fall out from that… the difference being it was about the staff, not a member.

So, do we trust them to be fair to all concerned and let members know when things go wrong? Or is it more that there is a highly paid ceo who has been around for 15+ years, is definitely of retirement age but still hangs around to collect awards for “power and influence”?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1My8o7ZS24/

Incoming club president here, trying to write down things that have always run on habit. Right now our giving committee recommends, the board approves, the treasurer writes the check, and somebody eventually posts about it. Each step works, but nothing connects them: the treasurer sometimes hears about an approval secondhand, and public image finds out when the photo shows up.

For clubs that have a clean process: who notifies whom, in what order, and is there a single form or email that carries the decision through all three steps? And do you announce at the time of the board vote or only once the check is delivered? Would love to hear what actually works, not what the manual says.

Hello, I am a high school student who recently discovered Rotary Youth Exchange. I am currently at the application stage, where I have been asked to write a host family letter. I thought this would be fairly easy, especially since I am a National Security Language Initiative for Youth alumnus, but after reading the questions and requirements, I realize I may have overestimated myself. 😅

Does anyone have any tips or recommendations for drafting the letter?

EDIT: I have finished writing my essay and submitted my application. Technically, I started writing my eassy weeks before I posted this message, but I have been very nervous to submit it. After reading everyone's tips and revising/reviewing my essay multiple times, I decided to submit it. Thank you to everyone who gave me advice!

Sincerely, Lily Manning P.S. I'll keep you posted on the results!!

For people who have done interact club, how many hours of community service did you get? Is there a range number of hours that is common among most clubs? I'm starting one at my school and want to put an educated guess in our slideshow so people wanna stay in our club since most people are in it for community service hours

Hello everyone

Im from a medical college in UP and in 2nd year.

Would love to have someone guidee about how I can join the rotary club and have setup camps nd everything near my college and area.

Thankyou

Hi, I wanted to check if this idea is possible to execute here.

I want to.conduct weekly 1hr Google meet where Rotarians share their Rotary success stories.

- How they managed to execute large projects

- How they overcome hurdles they faced

All within 10min, with a presentation. 5 people can present in each meeting.

The Google meet can be on Sundays.

What do you think?

And please mention in comment it you are interested to present in the meeting.

We can make it a sort of international service of friendship through Reddit.

Thank you.