Background Information

    The Rotary Club

Rotary International is an association of Rotary Clubs around the world. Rotary clubs select their own service projects based on local requirements.

Club projects relating to health, hunger, environmental concerns, literacy and vocational assistance, drug abuse and assisting senior citizens and youth.  Club members support projects internationally through their own contacts with Rotarians in other countries and through participation in the programs of The Rotary Foundation.  Membership in a Rotary Club is by invitation and is on the basis of a cross section of each recognised business and profession working or living in the geographic area from which the club may draw members.  This classification system ensures a wide cross section of the community's interests, vocations and activities.

    In this way each member of the Club is looked upon not only as a representative of their own business, but also of their entire industry or profession.

    Club Meetings

The Rotary Club of Blacktown City meets every Tuesday evening (except public holidays) at the Blacktown Workers' Club. Normal meetings include fellowship from 6.00 pm with a call to order at 6.30 pm and meetings generally conclude by 8.15. During the meeting a meal is served, Directors' reports are given, items of interest are discussed and an address is given by a guest speaker on a variety of informative, topical and educational subjects.

    Participation in the Club

Members are appointed each year to serve on a committee in one of the 'Avenues of Service'

These committees vary in size according to need and some projects require full member participation.  As in all involvement in Rotary, the time given is personal and voluntary.  Members are only asked to give the free time that they have available. Committee and Board involvement is far from being a daunting task; it is an enjoyable, interesting and educational with a good deal of 'back-up' information and guidance available.

    This Rotary Club

The Rotary Club of Blacktown City was formed in November 1961, originally as the Rotary Club of Wentworthville with members working in the area from Westmead to Riverstone.  The Club now draws members either working in, or living in, this area as well as surrounding municipalities.  This wide cross section of the community has been a source of great fellowship enabling people of various backgrounds, qualifications and experience to develop better understanding and tolerance of others, as well as achieving personal development beyond expectation for many members.

Some of The Clubs Projects

These projects were made possible by the talents, experience and organising skills of present and past members of our Club. Members have formed lasting friendships through these Club activities that quite often involve the members’ families.

    What is Rotary

    Rotary is an opportunity to build life-long friendships and experience the personal fulfilment of providing volunteer service to others.  An organisation of business and professional leaders who accept the ideal of service as the basis for success and happiness in their family, business and community life.  Rotary provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations and builds goodwill and peace in the world. The world’s first service, Rotary began with the formation of the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois USA in 1905.  The Club was started by a young lawyer and three of his friends.  They wished to re-capture the friendly spirit they felt among business people in the small towns in which they had lived.  Their weekly meetings ‘rotated’ among their offices providing the new service with its name.  Today, Rotary flourishes with some 31,256 clubs with 1.243 million men and women as club members providing community service in in 166 countries throughout the world. Rotary is not a secret organisation.  Rotary is non-political and non-religious.  It assumes that its program of service is in accordance with all religious and political beliefs.  Rotary encourages its members to be faithful to their beliefs and loyal to their citizenship. Members of Rotary clubs, ‘Rotarians’ endeavour to be good citizens, leaders in their particular vocation and exemplify the notion of ‘Service Above Self’ in all their business, social and civic undertakings.

    Attendance at Meetings

Attendance at weekly meetings is important for the continuity of interest and fellowship.  However, Rotary’s requirement is that you attend at least 60% of the meetings held each half-year.  If you are unable to attend your own club meeting, the opportunity exists to ‘make-up’ at any other Rotary club within this city or for that matter in any other Rotary club in our country or overseas. The place and time of Rotary meetings around the world are listed in a directory available from the Club Secretary.  The contacts made through this genuine fellowship can be extremely rewarding, often creating deep friendships extending far beyond those made in our normal environment.

 Rotary recognises the personal priorities of family, business and then Rotary.

    Fees and Costs

July 2004