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EXPLANATION
OF DOCUMENT NUMBERING SYSTEM Within
the RI constitution and standard Rotary club constitution, the various elements
of the documents are identified as follows: Article
IV Section
2 (a)
(sub-section)
(1) (sub-sub-section)
6 (paragraph)
(iv) (sub-paragraph) Within
the text, subordinate elements are generally indented further than those in the
text above them to make them easier to identify. Any part of the document may be
divided directly into paragraphs or sub paragraphs Examples of this are
the RI constitution article XVI, section 3, paragraph .1, and standard Rotary
club constitution, article V, section 3, paragraph .1, sub paragraph (i). CONSTITUTION
OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL Article
Subject Page I
Definitions......................................................................................................173 II
Name and Description
.................................................................................173 III
Purposes
.........................................................................................................173 IV
Object
..............................................................................................................173 V
Membership...................................................................................................173 VI
Board of Directors
.........................................................................................174 VII
Officers............................................................................................................175 VIII
Administration
..............................................................................................175 IX
Convention.....................................................................................................175 X
Council on Legislation
.................................................................................176 XI
Dues
................................................................................................................176 XII
Foundation.....................................................................................................176 XIII
Membership Title and Insignia
...................................................................177 XIV
Bylaws.............................................................................................................177 XV
Interpretation.................................................................................................177 XVI Amendments .................................................................................................177. Constitution
of Rotary International Article
I Definitions As
used in the constitution and bylaws of Rotary International, unless the context
Other wise clearly requires, the words in this article shall have the following
meanings: 1.
Board: The Board of Directors of Rotary International. 2.
Club: A Rotary club. 3.
Member: A member, other than an honorary member, of a Rotary club. 4.
Year: The twelve-month period that begins on the first day of July. 5.
RI: Rotary International. 6.
Governor: A governor of a Rotary district. Article
II Name and Description The
name of this organization shall be Rotary International. RI is the association
of clubs throughout the world. Article
III Purposes The
purposes of RI are: i)
To encourage, promote, extend and supervise Rotary throughout the world; (ii)
To coordinate and generally direct the activities of RI. Article
IV Object The
Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of
worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster: First.
The
development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; Second.
High
ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of
the worthiness of all useful occupations;
and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve
society; Third.
The
application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business
and community life; Fourth.
The
advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace
through a world fellowship of business and
professional persons united in the ideal of service. Article
V Membership Section
1 — How
Constituted. The
membership of RI shall consist of clubs which continue
to perform the obligations as set forth in this constitution and the bylaws. Section
2 — Location.
Except
as otherwise provided in the bylaws, not more than
one club shall be admitted to membership from any one city, borough or municipal
area. Section
3 — Composition
of Clubs. (a) A club shall be composed of active members who are adult persons of good (i) engaged as proprietor, partner, corporate officer, or manager of (ii) holding an important position in any worthy and recognized business
and having
their places of business or residence located within the territorial limits of
the club or within the corporate limits of the city in which the club is located
or within the territorial limits of an immediately adjoining club, or within an
immediately adjoining community not part of the territory of an existing Rotary
club. An active member moving from the territorial limits of the club may retain
membership in the club where the member’s board grants such permission and
said active member continues to stay active in the same classification. (b)
There shall be not more than one active member in each classification of
business or profession, excepting the religion, news media, and diplomatic
service classifications, and excepting the provision for additional active
members as provided in the bylaws. (c)
The bylaws of RI may provide for kinds of membership in addition to
active membership in clubs to be designated as senior active, past service, and
honorary membership and shall prescribe the qualifications for each. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution or of the bylaws of (e)
In countries where the word “club” has an inappropriate connotation,
Rotary clubs, with the approval of the board, will not be obliged to use it in
their names. Section
4 — Ratification
of Constitution and Bylaws.
Every
club granted a certificate
of membership in RI and accepting the same thereby accepts, ratifies and agrees
to be bound in all things, not contrary to law, by this constitution and the
bylaws of RI, and amendments thereto, and to faithfully observe the provisions
thereof. Article
VI Board of Directors Section
1 — How
Constituted. The
board of directors shall be nineteen in number.
The president of RI shall be a member and chairman of the board. The
president-elect of RI shall be a member of the board. Seventeen directors shall
be nominated and elected in accordance with the provisions of the bylaws. Section
2 — Powers.
The
affairs and funds of RI shall be under the direction and control
of the board in conformity with this constitution and the bylaws and the
Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation
Act of 1986, and any amendments thereto.
In exercising such direction and control over the funds of
RI, the board may, as fixed by the budget or budgets provided for in the bylaws,
expend in any fiscal year the current income and such amount from the general
surplus fund as may be necessary to accomplish the purposes of RI. The board
shall report to the next convention as to the special conditions under which
expenditures have been made from the surplus. The board shall at no time incur
an indebtedness in excess of the then net assets of RI. Section
3 — Secretary.
The
general secretary of RI shall be secretary of the board and
shall have no vote in the proceedings thereof. Article
VII Officers Section
1 — Titles.
The
officers of RI shall be president, president-elect, vice-president,
treasurer, other directors, general secretary, district governors, and the
president, immediate past president, vice-president and honorary treasurer of RI
in Great Britain and Ireland. Section
2 — How
Elected. The
officers of RI shall be nominated and elected as provided
in the bylaws. Article
VIII Administration Section
1 — The
clubs located in Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the
Isle of Man, shall comprise an administrative territorial unit of RI which shall
be known as “Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland” whose
powers, purposes and functions shall be those set forth in the articles of
constitution of RI in Great Britain and Ireland, as approved by the council on
legislation and in the constitution and bylaws of RI. Section
2 — The
administration of clubs shall be under general supervision of the
board together with one or other of the following forms of direct supervision,
which shall be at all times in conformity with the provision of this
constitution and the bylaws: (i)
Supervision of a club by the board. (ii)
Supervision of clubs by a governor in a constituted district. (iii)
Such supervision, as may be deemed advisable by the board and approved by the
council on legislation. (iv)
Supervision of clubs in Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle
of Man by RI in Great Britain and Ireland. Article
IX Convention Section
1 —
Time
and Place. A
convention of RI shall be held annually within the last
three months of the fiscal year, at a time and place to be determined by the
board, subject to change by the board for good cause. Section
2 —
Special
Conventions. In
case of emergency, special conventions may
be called by the president with the approval of a majority of the members of the
board. Section
3 — Representation. (a)
In any convention, each club shall be entitled to be represented by at least one
delegate. Any club with a membership of more than fifty shall be entitled to be
represented by an additional delegate for each additional fifty of its members
or major fraction there of. For this purpose, representation shall be determined
on the basis of membership in the club on 31 December immediately preceding the
convention. A club may authorize a delegate to cast one or more of the votes to
which the club is entitled. (b)
It shall be the duty of each club to be represented at each convention of RI
either by one of its own members as a delegate or by proxy and to vote on each
proposal submitted for determination. Section
4 — Delegates-at-Large.
Each
officer and each past president of RI, still holding
membership in a club, shall be a delegate-at-large. Section
5 — Electors
and Voting. The
duly accredited delegates, proxy holders, and delegates-at-large shall
constitute the voting body of the convention and shall be known as electors.
Voting shall be as provided in the bylaws. Article
X Council on Legislation Section
1 — Purpose.
The
council on legislation shall constitute the legislative body of RI. Section
2 — Time
and Place. The
council on legislation shall convene triennially in April, May or June, but
preferably in April. The board will determine the date and place of the meeting,
provided, however, that no council shall meet in the same country a second time
until at least two council meetings have intervened, unless the board shall, for
compelling financial or other reasons, decide otherwise by a two-thirds vote of
the entire board. Section
3 — Procedures.
The
council shall consider and act upon proposals which are duly submitted to it,
and its action shall be subject only to action by clubs as provided in the
bylaws of RI. Section
4 — Membership.
The
membership of the council shall be as provided in the bylaws. Section
5 — Extraordinary
Meeting to Adopt Enactments and Resolutions. The
board, by a 90 percent vote of the entire board, may determine that an emergency
exists, such that an extraordinary meeting of the council on legislation is
required in order to adopt legislation. The board will determine the time and
place for such a meeting and specify its purpose. Such a meeting may consider
and act only upon legislation proposed by the board related to the emergency for
which the meeting is called. Legislation to be considered at such meetings is
not subject to the submission deadlines and procedures specified elsewhere in
the constitutional documents of RI, except that those procedures shall be
followed to the extent that time permits. Any action of such a meeting of the
council shall be subject thereafter to action by the clubs as provided in
section 3 of this article. Article
XI Dues Every
club shall pay semi annually to RI, per capita dues, as provided in the bylaws. Article
XII Foundation Section
1 — There
shall be a Foundation of RI to be established and operated in accordance with
the provisions of the bylaws of RI. Section
2 — All
gifts, devises or bequests of money or property or income there from received by
RI and any surplus funds of RI as may be authorized by the convention shall
become the property of the Foundation. Article
XIII Membership Title and Insignia Every
member of a club shall be known as a Rotarian, and shall be entitled to wear the
emblem, badge, or other insignia of RI. Article
XIV Bylaws Bylaws
not inconsistent with this constitution embodying additional provisions for the
government of RI, shall be adopted, and may be amended by the council on
legislation. Article
XV Interpretation Throughout
this constitution and the bylaws of RI, and the standard club constitution,
pronouns of either the masculine or feminine gender shall include the other
gender. Article
XVI Amendments Section
1 — Circumstances.
This
constitution may be amended only by a two-thirds vote of those present and
voting in the council on legislation. Section
2 — Who
May Propose. Amendments
to this constitution may be proposed only by a club, by a district conference,
by the general council or the conference of RI in Great Britain and Ireland, by
the council on legislation, or by the board. Section
3 — Procedure. .1
Any proposal to amend this constitution shall be delivered to the general
secretary not later than 30 June in the year preceding that in which the council
on legislation is to meet. .2
The general secretary of RI shall mail five copies of all duly proposed
amendments to each governor, one copy to all members of the council of
legislation and one copy to the secretary of any club that requests it, not
later than 31 December in the year the council shall be convened. The proposed
amendments also will be made available via the Rotary World Wide Web home page.
Resumés of all proposed amendments, with details of the deletions and additions
omitted, shall be sent to each club. .3
The council shall consider and act upon each duly proposed amendment transmitted
to the council and any amendment thereof. The
text of the bylaws consists of three elements: articles, sections and
subsections. These
appear in the text as follows: Article
II 2.020.
(section) 2.020.2.
(subsection) In
the example above, the arabic number 2.020.2. identifies material from bylaws
article II, section 2, subsection 2 and can be referred to simply as “section
2.020.2.” The first digit of an arabic number denoting a section always
corresponds to the article of the bylaws in which it appears. The next three
numbers (those to the right of the first decimal point) indicate the section
within that article and the number(s) to the right of the second decimal point
denotes the subsection (if any) of the section Within the text, article
and section headings are in bold type to make them easier to find.
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