Constitution of Rotary International
Article 1 Definitions
1. Board:

The RI Board of Directors.

2. Club:

A Rotary club.

3. Governor:

A governor of a Rotary district.

4. Member:

A member, other than an honorary member, of a Rotary club.

5. RI:

Rotary International.

6. Rotaract club:

A club of young adults.

7. Rotaractor:

A member of a Rotaract club.

8. Year:

The twelve-month period beginning 1 July.

Article 2 Name and Description
The name of this organization shall be Rotary International. RI is the association ofclubs and Rotaract clubs throughout the world.
Article 3 Purposes
The purposes of RI are:(a) To support the clubs, Rotaract clubs, and districts of RI in their pursuit ofprograms and activities that promote the Object of Rotary;(b) To encourage, promote, extend, and supervise Rotary throughout the world;(c) To coordinate and generally direct the activities of RI.
Article 4 Object
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:First. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
Second. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of theworthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’soccupation as an opportunity to serve society ;Third. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business,and community life;
Fourth. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace
through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in theideal of service.

(July 2019)1Article 5 Membership
Section 1 — How Constituted. The membership of RI shall consist of clubs andRotaract clubs which continue to perform the obligations as set forth in thisconstitution and the bylaws.
Section 2 — Composition of Clubs.
(a) A club shall be composed of adult persons who demonstrate good character,integrity, and leadership; possess good reputation within their business,
profession, occupation, and/or community; and are willing to serve in theircommunity and/or around the world and having their place of business orresidence located in the locality of the club or the surrounding area. A member
moving from the locality of the club or the surrounding area may retain
membership in the club where the member’s board grants such permission andsaid member continues to meet all conditions of club membership.
(b) Each club shall have a well-balanced membership in which no one business,
profession, occupation, type of community service, or other classification
predominates.
(c) The bylaws of RI may provide for active membership and honorary membership inclubs and shall prescribe the qualifications for each.
(d) In countries where the word “club” has an inappropriate connotation, Rotary clubs
or Rotaract clubs, with the approval of the board, will not be obliged to use it intheir names.
Section 3 — Composition of Rotaract Clubs. Rotaract clubs shall be composed ofRotaractors as determined by the board.
Section 4 — Ratification of Constitution and Bylaws. Every club and Rotaract club
granted a certificate of membership in RI and accepting the same thereby accepts,ratifies, and agrees to be bound in all things, not contrary to law, by this constitution
and the bylaws of RI, and amendments thereto, and to faithfully observe the provisions
thereof.
Section 5 — Exceptions. Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution or of
the bylaws of RI or the standard club constitution, the board, as a pilot project, mayadmit into membership or permit the reorganization of up to 1,000 clubs with
provisions in their constitutions not in accordance with this constitution and bylaws ofRI. Such pilot project may extend for a period not exceeding six years. Upon theconclusion of any such pilot project, the constitutions of all clubs admitted into
membership or permitted to reorganize shall be the standard club constitution as ineffect at that time.
Article 6 Board of Directors
Section 1 — How Constituted. The board of directors shall be nineteen in number.
The president of RI shall be a member and chair of the board. The president-elect ofRI shall be a member of the board. Seventeen directors shall be nominated and electedin accordance with the provisions of the bylaws.
2Section 2 — Powers. The affairs and funds of RI shall be under the direction andcontrol of the board in conformity with this constitution and the bylaws and the Illinois
General Not-for-Profit Corporation Act of 1986, and any amendments thereto. In
exercising such direction and control over the funds of RI , the board may, as fixed by
the budget or budgets provided for in the bylaws, expend in any fiscal year the current
income and such amount from the RI reserve as may be necessary to accomplish thepurposes of RI. The board shall report to the next convention as to the special
conditions under which expenditures have been made from the reserve. The board
shall at no time incur an indebtedness in excess of the then net assets of RI.
Section 3 — Secretary. The general secretary of RI shall be secretary of the board andshall have no vote in the proceedings thereof.
Article 7 Officers
Section 1 — Titles. The officers of RI shall be president, president-elect, vicepresident, treasurer, other directors, general secretary, district governors, and thepresident, immediate past president, vice-president and honorary treasurer of RI in
Great Britain and Ireland.
Section 2 — How Elected. The officers of RI shall be nominated and elected asprovided in the bylaws.
Article 8 Administration
Section 1 — The clubs located in Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and theIsle of Man shall comprise an administrative territorial unit of RI which shall beknown as “Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland” whose powers, purposes,and functions shall be those set forth in the articles of constitution of RI in GreatBritain and Ireland, as approved by the council on legislation and in the constitution
and bylaws of RI.
Section 2 — The administration of clubs shall be under general supervision of theboard together with one or other of the following forms of direct supervision, whichshall be at all times in conformity with the provision of this constitution and thebylaws:(a) Supervision of a club by the board.
(b) Supervision of clubs by a governor in a constituted district.
(c) Such supervision, as may be deemed advisable by the board and approved by thecouncil on legislation.
(d) Supervision of clubs in Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle ofMan by RI in Great Britain and Ireland.
Section 3 — The administration of Rotaract clubs shall be under the generalsupervision of the board or under such other supervision as the board may determine.
Section 4 — RI and clubs are encouraged to computerize their business operations to
speed up and economize the operation of the Rotary organization.
3Article 9 Convention
Section 1 — Time and Place. A convention of RI shall be held annually within the last
three months of the fiscal year, at a time and place to be determined by the board,subject to change by the board for good cause.
Section 2 — Special Conventions. In case of emergency, special conventions may becalled by the president with the approval of a majority of the members of the board.
Section 3 — Representation.
(a) In any convention, each club shall be entitled to be represented by at least one
delegate. Any club with a membership of more than fifty (50) shall be entitled tobe represented by an additional delegate for each additional fifty of its members ormajor fraction thereof. For this purpose, representation shall be determined on
the basis of membership in the club on 31 December immediately preceding theconvention. A club may authorize a delegate to cast one or more of the votes towhich the club is entitled.
(b) It shall be the duty of each club to be represented at each convention of RI either
by one of its own members as a delegate or by proxy and to vote on each proposal
submitted for determination.
Section 4 — Delegates-at-Large. Each officer and each past president of RI, still
holding membership in a club, shall be a delegate-at-large.
Section 5 — Electors and Voting. The duly accredited delegates, proxy holders, anddelegates-at-large shall constitute the voting body of the convention and shall beknown as electors. Voting shall be as provided in the bylaws.
Article 10 Council on Legislation
Section 1 — Purpose. The council on legislation shall constitute the legislative body ofRI.
Section 2 — Time and Place. The council on legislation shall convene triennially inApril, May, or June, but preferably in April. The board will determine the date andplace of the meeting, provided that, except for compelling financial or other reasons as
determined by a two-thirds vote of the entire board, the meeting shall be held in thevicinity of the RI world headquarters.
Section 3 — Procedures. The council shall consider and act upon proposals which are
duly submitted to it, and its action shall be subject only to action by clubs as provided
in the bylaws of RI.
Section 4 — Membership. The membership of the council shall be as provided in thebylaws.
Section 5 — Extraordinary Meeting to Adopt Legislation. The board, by a 90 percent
vote of the entire board, may call an extraordinary meeting of the council onlegislation. The board will determine the time and place for the meeting and specify itspurpose. The meeting may consider and act only on legislation proposed by the board.
Legislation to be considered at the meeting is not subject to the submission deadlines
4and procedures elsewhere in the constitutional documents of RI, except that those
procedures shall be followed to the extent time permits. Any action of the meetingshall be subject thereafter to action by the clubs as provided in section 3 of this article.
Article 11 Dues
Every club and Rotaract club shall pay to RI per capita dues semiannually, or on suchother dates as established by the board.
Article 12 Foundation
Section 1 — There shall be a Foundation of RI to be established and operated inaccordance with the provisions of the bylaws of RI.
Section 2 — All gifts, devises, or bequests of money or property or income therefrom
received by RI and any surplus funds of RI as may be authorized by the convention
shall become the property of the Foundation.
Article 13 Membership Title and Insignia
Section 1 — Active Members. Every active member of a club shall be known as aRotarian, and shall be entitled to wear the emblem, badge, or other insignia of RI.
Section 2 — Honorary Members. Every honorary member of a club shall be known as
an honorary Rotarian, and shall be entitled to wear the emblem, badge, or otherinsignia of RI as long as that member holds honorary membership in the club.
Section 3 — Rotaract Members. Every member of a Rotaract club shall be known as a
Rotaractor and shall be entitled to wear the emblem, badge, or other insignia ofRotaract.
Article 14 Bylaws
Bylaws not inconsistent with this constitution embodying additional provisions for thegovernment of RI, shall be adopted, and may be amended by the council on legislation.
Article 15 Interpretation
Throughout this constitution and the bylaws of RI, and the standard club constitution
the following rules of construction shall apply: The words “shall,” “is,” and “are” aremandatory, and the words “may” and “should” are permissive. Pronouns of either themasculine or feminine gender shall include the other gender. The terminology “mail,”“mailing,” and “ballot-by-mail” will include utilization of electronic mail (e-mail) andinternet technology to reduce costs and increase responsiveness.

5Article 16 Amendments
Section 1 — Circumstances. This constitution may be amended only by a two-thirdsvote of those present and voting in the council on legislation.
Section 2 — Who May Propose. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed
only by a club, by a district conference, by the general council or the conference of RI
in Great Britain and Ireland, by the council on legislation, or by the board inaccordance with the procedures contained in the bylaws.

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