Rotary International is the worldwide association of all Rotary clubs. A Rotary club is a group of community leaders, each in a different profession or business. The association supervises member clubs and works for the advancement of Rotary. Members provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards, and help build good will and peace in the world.
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International sponsors scholarships for study abroad and the exchange of young business and professional people between countries. The foundation also sponsors projects to improve worldwide health. For example, it funds immunization projects in developing countries to protect children against infectious diseases, especially polio.
Paul P. Harris, a lawyer in Chicago, founded Rotary in 1905. It got its name from an early practice of members meeting in rotation at their places of business. The official Rotary magazine is called The Rotarian. Rotary headquarters are in Evanston, Illinois.
