What is the Rotaract Movement?

The Rotaract movement is the youth wing of the Rotary Movement touching about 192 shores across the globe. With more than 160,000 members in over 6,800 clubs – clubs organized for young men and women (ages 18 to 30) to serve for the social needs of the community, widen their friendship and professional contacts, and increase their understanding of the world.

The Kolkata chapter of the Rotaract Movement is known as Rotary International District 3291 and has more than 300 active members in its role. This is a market of talented brains and young individuals between the ages 18 and 30. Adventurous yet caring, exuberant yet disciplined and human being yet Rotaractors, they are the who’s who of the Kolkata ‘youth brigade’.

Rotaract, the youth wing of Rotary, is an International voluntary service organization of students and young professionals aged between 18 and 30 years who like to make a difference in their local and global community.

The purpose of Rotaract is development of youth. The activities revolve around: organizing service projects and humanitarian aid projects to make a worthwhile contribution for the underprivileged; organizing seminars and workshops to aid professional development; encouraging high ethical standards in business and to promote international peace and understanding. Through its various projects, Rotaract aims towards a better and cheerful tomorrow, a better and progressive quality of life and evolvement of a compassionate self.

More than 6,800 clubs with over 160,000 members in 192 countries work towards common goals of world peace and understanding - one step at a time, one project at a time. It is a movement that has initiated fledging friendships, promoted better interactions and an unrestricted exchange of ideas and thoughts. 


Paul Percival Harris named the new club ROTARY because the members met in ‘ROTATION’ in their various places of business.

Paul P. Harris, the founder of Rotary, was born at Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.A. on April 19, 1868. When he was three years old he was taken to Wallingford, Vermont, to live with his paternal grandparents. The Black River Academy at Ludlow, Vermont and Vermont Academy at Saxtons River prepared him for his studies at the University of Vermont, Princeton University and the University of Lowa. Following his graduation from the law school of the University of lowa in 1891, he spend the next five years in seeing the world and in coming to know his fellow men before setting down to practice law in Chicago.

He worked as a newspaper reporter, a business college teacher, a stock company actor, as a cow-boy and as a salesman for a granite concern and settled down as a lawyer in 1896.

For the next several years he devoted a great deal of time to reflection on condition of life and business and by 1905 he had formulated a definite philosophy of business relations. Taking it over with three of his law clients-Silverster Schiele, a coal merchant, Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer and Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor, he conceived the idea of organising a club which came into being on the 23rd of February 1905. This was the nucleus for the thousands of Rotary Clubs which were later organised throughout the world.

During his life time, he received many recognitions and awards from different countries including the coveted legion of Honor Award by France.

He was elected President Emeritus of Rotary International in 1912 and was active in Rotary until his death on 27th January, 1947.

Since 1905, the ideas on Paul Harris and his friends have become ideals which have been accepted by people of practically all nationalities, and of many political and religious beliefs. Today there are Rotary Clubs in Austria and American Samoa, in Brazil and Brunei, in India and Italy, in Russia and Poland, in Scotland and South Africa-in some 176 countries and geographical regions. The universal acceptance of Rotary principles has been so great that there are now more than 25,000 Rotary Clubs, which have a membership of over 1,100,000 in 501 Districts.

The general objectives of Rotary Clubs in every country are the same: the development of fellowship and understanding among the business and professional leaders in the community, the promotion of community betterment endeavours and of high standards in business and professional practices and the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace. Rotary clubs every where have one basic ideal, the ‘Ideal of Service’ which is thoughtfulness and helpfulness to others.