Although Rotary International is the world's largest private provider of international scholarships, and addresses projects around the world to eliminate illiteracy, disease, hunger, poverty, the lack of clean water, and environmental concerns, many people have little understanding of the true mission and purpose of the Rotary Club.
 
Rotary was the world's first service club, formed in the city of Chicago in 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney.  He was a young man in a big city who wished to recapture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth.  The name "Rotary" derived from the early practice of rotating the meetings among various member's offices.

Rotary clubs became popular in the United States, and by 1921 clubs had been formed across the states and on six continents.  It was a year later that the organization adopted the name "Rotary International."  As Rotary grew, the mission became more than serving the professional and social interests of the club members.  Rotarians around the world began pooling their resources and talents to help serve communities in need.

Today, more than 100 years since Paul Harris initially founded the Club, Rotary International is working to meet the changing needs of the 21st century, continuing and expanding its efforts to address such pressing issues as environmental degradation, world hunger, illiteracy, and children at risk.

In the local community, Rotary club members work diligently to promote education, provide support for those in need, and serve the community.  Living up to the tenets of the four-way test, the members endeavor to be "beneficial and fair to all concerned."