Rotary Code of Polices.
Article 41.020 (Related to Rotaract Program)
Hello my friends, I am sending you this resume of the Article 41.020 that is part of the Rotary Code of Polices were you can find interesting information that can help you to improve your relationship with your sponsor Rotary Club and also let them know that there are several recommendations and suggestion that are already written in the Rotary Code of Polices referring responsibilities and other issues regarding Rotaract.
I strongly recommend to read all the article, since is very interesting and take the time to read the rest of the code, I guarantee you that by doing this, will give you a better understanding of the Rotarians and how they work.
41.020. Rotaract
This is a structured program of Rotary International, adopted by the Board in 1968.
There are 9 official Rotary International structured programs, RYLA, Rotaract, Interact, Youth Exchange, Rotary Community Corps, World Community Service, Rotary Volunteers and Rotary Friendship Exchange.
Rotaract Statement of Policy
22. Governors are requested to appoint district Rotaract committees, composed of Rotarians
from various parts of the district, to assist the governor in publicizing the Rotaract program,
promoting the organization of new Rotaract clubs, and administering the program of Rotaract within the district. Where feasible and practicable in the appointment of district Rotaract committees, there should be provision for continuity of membership by appointing one or more members for a second term.
This point is very important since the District Committee chair is the link between what is happening in a Rotaract District and the Governor.
23. Rotaract organization and meetings beyond the club level:
e) The purpose of the district-wide meeting of Rotaract clubs is to promote community
service projects, increase international understanding and enhance professional development in a context of friendship and camaraderie.
Note in this point the purpose of the meetings beyond club level, “promote community service projects and international understanding” in these last years in many places a degeneration has occurred in this kind of meetings, being more parties than rotaract instruction.
25. Leadership Training
a) All incoming Rotaract club officers shall be provided with Rotaract club officers
leadership training at the district level, such training to include a one to two-day
leadership training seminar conducted by the district Rotaract committee in coordination
with the RI district Rotaract committee for all incoming Rotaract club officers, directors,
and committee chairs to be paid for by the sponsoring Rotary clubs, or where
circumstances dictate, by a mutually agreed-upon financial arrangement involving the
sponsoring Rotary clubs, Rotary district, and the Rotaract participants.
Here are two points that needs to be discussed with your governor, first Rotaract club officers need training and is responsibility of the District Rotaract Committee to provide it and second there is a strong recommendation for sponsoring Rotary clubs, to pay or help financially these officers to attend to the training.
41.020.1. Purpose of the Program
The purpose of Rotaract is to provide an opportunity for young men and women to
enhance the knowledge and skills that will assist them in personal development, to
address the physical and social needs of their communities and to promote better relations
among all people worldwide through a framework of friendship and service. (June 1998
Mtg., Bd. Dec. 348)
For those who didn’t know it, this is the purpose of Rotaract.
41.020.3. Rotaract Training
All incoming governors-elect are encouraged to provide adequate training to their
incoming Rotaract club presidents and, where appropriate, include such training as part of
the program of the Rotary district assembly. (June 1998 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 348)
41.020.7. Rotaractors at Conventions
There shall be provision for full participation by registered Rotaractors at the
international conventions, including opportunities for attendance at all plenary, ticketed
and discussion group sessions.
As a part of the official program of the convention, there should be a Rotaract
preconvention meeting prior to the commencement of the convention, to be arranged and
implemented by RI and to include discussion of issues identified by the RI Rotaract
committee as important to Rotaractors. The preconvention meeting should be conducted
in accordance with RI policy regarding convention operations and procedures. The
general secretary should ensure that Rotaractors have opportunities to participate in the
development of the Rotaract preconvention meeting program. The preconvention
meeting should include a separate district Rotaract representative training session. Such
training session should focus on the roles and responsibilities of district Rotaract
representatives. Governors are encouraged to defray all or part of the costs associated
with the attendance of district Rotaract representatives-elect at the annual Rotaract
preconvention meeting. (March 2005 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 214)
Again we can see that RI encourage the participation of Rotaractors in international convention and encourage governors to help the Rotaract Representative elect to attend at the annual Rotaract Preconvention meeting.
41.020.10. Rotary/Rotaract Relations
Clubs that sponsor Rotaract clubs are encouraged to invite Rotaractors on at least a
quarterly basis to their regularly scheduled meetings, project planning meetings and special
events. It is recommended that at least once a month, each sponsoring Rotary club
designate one or more of its members to attend the meetings of its Rotaract club. Rotaract
clubs are encouraged to cooperate with their sponsoring Rotary clubs in carrying out
community programs and projects. Sponsoring Rotary clubs are encouraged to do the same
with their Rotaract clubs. Members of Rotary clubs are encouraged to invite qualified
Rotaractors and past Rotaractors into membership of their clubs or consider sponsoring a
new Rotary club. However, membership in both a Rotary club and a Rotaract club
simultaneously is not permitted under the RI Bylaws. (June 2004 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 236)
This article strongly supports the Rotary- Rotaract Relationship and we should used it to promote it in clubs were this relationship is weak or non existent. Also note the part of inviting qualified Rotaractors and past Rotaractors to become members of Rotary clubs or helping them by sponsoring a new Rotary Club.
41.020.15. Rotaract Finances
3) Sponsoring Rotary clubs shall pay for the attendance of their Rotaract club officers, directors and committee chairs at district-level leadership training meetings (or, when circumstances dictate, these meetings shall be paid for through mutually agreed upon
financial arrangements involving the sponsoring Rotary clubs, the Rotary district and the
Rotaract participants).
4) Rotary districts shall pay for the attendance of their districts’ Rotaract representatives
at district-level or multidistrict leadership training meetings.
Again reinforcing that the DRR’s training should be paid by sponsoring Rotary clubs, we should ask for a part of the budget to be assigned to this issue, so it won’t become a problem later or a last time expense as usually happens.
41.020.18. Make-up Attendance at Rotary Clubs
Rotaractors should be allowed to make-up Rotaract club attendance at meetings of Rotary
clubs at the discretion of the individual Rotary club.
Rotary clubs that sponsor Rotaract clubs are encouraged to invite to their regularly
scheduled meetings individual Rotaractors desiring to make up absences from their
regularly scheduled Rotaract club meetings. (November 2000 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 111)
This article creates a way to promote a better relationship and understanding between Rotary and Rotaract clubs and its members.
Regards
Alvaro Ortega Noel
Rotaract Committee for RI 2007-2008
Rotaract Club of Panamá
