Rotary 101-How Rotary is Organized
Posted by Rich Kaye
We all know about Rotary Clubs, each of us is a member of one. The club is the basic building block of Rotary International; it's where the real work of Rotary is accomplished. Rotary clubs address critical issues at home and abroad by providing health care and medical supplies, clean water, food, job training, youth development, and education to millions of people in need. There some 33,000 Rotary Clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas.
Clubs are organized into districts which exist to help Rotary clubs excel. Districts connect clubs with each other and to resources from Rotary International. They also train club leaders and facilitate programs such as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and Rotary Youth Exchange to ensure that Rotarians get the most from their membership and shine as leaders in their communities.
Most of us have at least heard about Rotary districts; from time to time the District Governor has spoken to our club and assisted with installations, the district's Group Study Exchange (GSE) team has visited or we've hosted them, and there are things like the District Assembly and District Conference that many of us attend each year. There are currently 530 districts world-wide. Much like our national government where each U.S. Congressman represents approximately the same number of citizens, each Rotary district has approximately the same number of Rotarians (+/- 10%). And, like the U.S. Congress, redistricting occurs from time to time to keep this balance. The Rotary Club of Killeen Heights is a member of District 5870 which stretches from Itasca and Corsicana in the north to Shiner and Yoakum in the south, and from Marble Falls and Burnett in the west to Fairfield, Caldwell and Somerville in the East.
Most of us probably don't know that districts are organized into 1 of 34 zones for administration and support. And, as with districts, each zone has approximately the same number of Rotarians, and rezoning takes place from time to time to maintain this balance. District 5870 is currently a part of Zone 21 which includes Texas (less the pan handle), Mexico, Central America, Columbia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic (technically, District 5870 is a part of Zone 21B (Texas less the pan handle), the remainder of the countries are in Zone 21A).
Zones are paired for the purpose of selecting Directors who sit on Rotary International's governing board. Zone 21 is currently paired with Zone 27 which encompasses the majority of the U.S. west of the Mississippi River to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Each director serves a two year term, and selectees are alternated between the zones. We are proud that a member of our club, Mike Pinson, is a Past Director of Rotary International.
Questions? Please don't hesitate to contact me. The more you know about the organization you've joined, the better Rotarian you'll be.
Most of us have at least heard about Rotary districts; from time to time the District Governor has spoken to our club and assisted with installations, the district's Group Study Exchange (GSE) team has visited or we've hosted them, and there are things like the District Assembly and District Conference that many of us attend each year. There are currently 530 districts world-wide. Much like our national government where each U.S. Congressman represents approximately the same number of citizens, each Rotary district has approximately the same number of Rotarians (+/- 10%). And, like the U.S. Congress, redistricting occurs from time to time to keep this balance. The Rotary Club of Killeen Heights is a member of District 5870 which stretches from Itasca and Corsicana in the north to Shiner and Yoakum in the south, and from Marble Falls and Burnett in the west to Fairfield, Caldwell and Somerville in the East.
Most of us probably don't know that districts are organized into 1 of 34 zones for administration and support. And, as with districts, each zone has approximately the same number of Rotarians, and rezoning takes place from time to time to maintain this balance. District 5870 is currently a part of Zone 21 which includes Texas (less the pan handle), Mexico, Central America, Columbia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic (technically, District 5870 is a part of Zone 21B (Texas less the pan handle), the remainder of the countries are in Zone 21A).
Zones are paired for the purpose of selecting Directors who sit on Rotary International's governing board. Zone 21 is currently paired with Zone 27 which encompasses the majority of the U.S. west of the Mississippi River to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Each director serves a two year term, and selectees are alternated between the zones. We are proud that a member of our club, Mike Pinson, is a Past Director of Rotary International.
Questions? Please don't hesitate to contact me. The more you know about the organization you've joined, the better Rotarian you'll be.