What is a Rotary Club?

Organized by attorney Paul P. Harris, the Rotary Club began as an opportunity to learn about other businesses in a friendly atmosphere to increase fellowship and understanding among people.

The very first Rotary Club met in Chicago on February 23, 1905.  The name Rotary was selected because they met in rotation at each member's place of business.

Since that time, Rotary has come to symbolize a quality that has members worldwide working together to better understand all people and to be of service beyond oneself.

The Rotary Club of Strongsville was chartered on April 4, 1978.  Our weekly breakfast meetings are held at the Strongsville Recreation and Senior Center from 7:15 am until 8:30 am.

What is a Rotarian?

Rotarians are men and women who look beyond themselves to their community, nation, and world.  They seek the truth; let fairness govern their relationships; endeavor to build goodwill and better friendships; and strive to benefit all in every interpersonal relationship.  In short, Rotarians put service above themselves.

What is expected of a Member?

Rotary is built upon fellowship and friendship that comes from active participation and attendance at meetings.

A Rotarian is expected to attend weekly meetings.  It is understood that busy people may have conflicts from time to time that prohibits their attendance at meetings.  If this is the case, a member is privileged to "make-up" at one of the more than 26,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide, whose time and place is listed on the Rotary International website.

Meeting make-ups give a Rotarian a chance to meet new friends, learn of different cultures, and to bring back to their home club a wealth of information and ideas that can broaden the Rotary experience.

Each member must attend 60% of all regular meetings during the year, unless exempted for good reason by the club's Board of Directors.

The Rotarian and Service

The Rotary Club of Strongsville undertakes a wide array of service projects each year involving youth, vocational, international, and community concerns.

A few of our programs include:

Community Involvement:
  - Senior Picnic & Concert

  - Senior Holiday Luncheon

  - Clothing Drive

  - Strongsville Food Bank

Youth:

  - Camp Cheerful Clean-up Day

  - Sponsorship of Youth Sports Leagues

  - Weekly attendance by high school students at our meetings

Charitable Giving:

  - Provide annually to area organizations, assisting thousands of northeastern Ohioans in need.

  - Hosts the largest Chili Open Golf outing in all of Rotary.

  - Involvement in countless community causes throughout the year from a very generous and active membership.

Scholarships:

  - Provide scholarships to students who are residents, for collegiate or technical training programs after high school.

International:

  - Sponsors a foreign exchange student annually to share cultures with members.

  - Sister Club to Rotary Club of Angeles, Philippines.

  - Polio Plus

Social Events:

  - Annual Golf Outing

  - Annual Clambake

  - Family Picnics

  - Rotary District Softball Champions

  - Installation Banquet

Object of Rotary

The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular:

• The development of acquaintances as an opportunity for service;

• High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying by each Rotarian of his/her occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

• The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to his/her personal, business, and community life;

• And the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional men and women united in the ideal of service.

Becoming a Member

Membership is by invitation.  Members are chosen to represent their respective business or profession.  The "Classification Principle" insures that our membership includes a qualified representative of each worthy business and profession in our community.  In this way, our Club becomes a cross-section of the community.

Your Investment:

Our initiation fee is $100 and annual dues are $100 payable in quarterly installments and include a subscription to the international magazine Rotarian.

Weekly breakfasts are $7.00, billed quarterly.

Back to Top