Becoming a Rotaractor: Q&A

What is a Rotaract Club?

Rotaract clubs bring together people ages 18 and older to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service. Rotaract members decide how to organize and run their clubs, manage their own funds, and plan and carry out activities and service projects.

Can I join Rotaract?

With pleasure! We are always welcoming new members. Please contact us at rotaractgeneveinternational@gmail.com. Candidate members are asked to get to know the club and participate in meetings during a period lasting 3 months, upon which their full membership will be granted during a majority based voting session.

What is required?

We ask members to be fluent in English, as it is the official working language of the Club. We also require members to understand the purpose and values of Rotary (service above self), and to attend meetings on a regular basis : There's no fellowship in an empty chair!

What do I get?

Becoming a member offers great opportunities of experience in community service, self-development and a network of friends, both local and global. As a Rotaractor, you are a full member of the Rotary International family, a global club with more than 1.4 million members.

Ok but… What do I really get from being a member?

You get to participate in some pretty amazing events and trips, here and abroad, and will receive the monthly national Rotary magazine. Inside Rotaract Genève International and its district (Berne, Lausanne, Fribourg…), you can put forward projects you conceive or suggest a guest lecturer for our meetings. Finally as a member, you get to decide and vote on the club’s future course of action! Pretty awesome right?

What are service projects?

Rotaract Genève International conducts and participates in various projects initiated by members, with the Rotary Sponsoring Club or with the 1990 District. Contribution include visibility promotion, fundraising projects and on-site action. The main Rotarian causes are promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education, growing local economies and protecting the environment.

Can I attend events without being a Member?

Rotaract Genève International welcomes anyone interested by the club’s activity on their first meeting (unless our event is fully booked!). If you would like to get to know us, just register online to the event that interests you, and we will ask you to introduce yourself at the beginning. Don’t be shy, we all get to speak! If you would like to attend a second event, we will however ask you to pay a candidate fee of 10 CHF per month: in exchange, you will get access to a Polaris account and will be able to see and sign up for more events, in our club and related Rotaract and Rotary clubs!

How long does it take to become a Member?

Candidate Members who do not benefit from a previous Rotary, Rotaract or Interact experience are asked to attend meetings regularly during 3 months. During this time however, you are free to join almost all Rotaract activities, projects and committees. After 3 months, your candidature is voted and, if majority agrees, you become a full Member with voting rights.

How much does it cost?

Candidate Members are ask to pay a monthly fee (10 CHF) in the period before their admission, lasting up to 3 months. Members pay a quarterly (75 CHF) or annual fee (285 CHF).

How is the money used?

Part of the fees raised by the club are used to pay for Rotary's logistical infrastructure (website, magazine, etc). Another part of the fees are used to organize events and pay for snacks and beverages at meetings or dinners. Finally, another part (completed by punctual fundraising projects) allows us to fund local, national or international humanitarian projects.

What communication channel does the Club use?

Our main communication channel is our website, which you are currently navigating, and a related newsletter we sent twice a month. Candidate Members and Members get a login that allows them to see private events as well as the full member’s list. The club also regularly exchanges via WhatsApp and Slack, depending on committees and topics.

Where can I find more information about Rotary?

Despite being founded in 1905, Rotary International possesses a pretty up-to-date and practical website : Rotary.org. From learning about current global projects to understanding Rotary’s pillar values or taking an online class about fundraising, we strongly recommend spending time on it to both Candidate Members and Members.

Any other question? Help us improve this page by writing to rotaractgeneveinternational@gmail.com!