Rotary International is a humanitarian service organization that brings together business and professional leaders in order to provide community service, promote integrity, and advance goodwill, peace, and understanding in the world.
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Rotary International has worked with the UN since the UN started in 1945.
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In 1985, Rotary International launched its PolioPlus program to immunize all of the world's children against polio.
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Rotary International Club is the basic unit of Rotary International activity, and each club determines its own membership.
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Clubs originally were limited to a single club per city, municipality, or town, but Rotary International has encouraged the formation of one or more additional clubs in the largest cities when practical.
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In 2019, Rotaract went from being a program of Rotary International to being a membership type of Rotary International, elevating its status to resemble that of Rotary clubs.
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Rotary International is governed by a board of directors composed of the international president, the president-elect, the general secretary, and 17 zone directors.
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Rotary International has a general secretary, who acts as chief executive officer and leads the Rotary Foundation.
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One can contact a Rotary International club to inquire about membership and it was a traditional method that a person can join a Rotary International club only if invited; there is the ability to join without an invitation but it is recommended to attend a meeting to ensure a suitable fit to the club.
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Clubs such as Rotary International were predated by women's service organisations, which started in the United States as early as 1790.
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Gender equity in Rotary International moved beyond the theoretical question when in 1976, the Rotary International Club of Duarte, California, admitted three women as members.
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The Duarte club filed suit in the California courts, claiming that Rotary International Clubs are business establishments subject to regulation under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination based on race, gender, religion or ethnic origin.
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Rotary International then appealed the decision to the U S Supreme Court.
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Rotary International then removed the gender requirements from its requirements for club charters, and most clubs in most countries have opted to include women as members of Rotary Clubs.
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Rotary International's had previously held the offices of Assistant Governor, District Administrator and President of The Rotary Club of Highlands .
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The first female to be President of Rotary International will be Jennifer E Jones of the Windsor Roseland Rotary Club in Windsor, Ontario Canada.
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Female spouses of Rotary International members are traditionally called "Partners" or "Spouse".
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Now a partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative with WHO, UNICEF and the U S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rotary is recognized by the United Nations as the key private partner in the eradication effort.
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In 2008, Rotary International received a $100 million challenge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Together, the Gates Foundation and Rotary International have committed $555 million toward the eradication of polio.
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RYLA, or Rotary International Youth Leadership Awards, is a leadership program for young people aged 14 to 30.
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In July 2009 the Rotary International Foundation ended funding for the Cultural and Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships as well as Rotary International Grants for University Teachers.
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Some Rotary International clubs raise funds for schools and other literacy organizations.
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Some Rotary clubs participate in book donations, both locally and internationally.
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Rotary International publishes an official monthly magazine now named Rotary in English .
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