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Time - Membership - Community - History - Speakers

Time

It's like gold. Your schedule is hectic. It makes you dizzy just looking at your calendar. Your job demands long hours, perhaps travel.   You have to keep your family in balance too. Perhaps you're a two income family. Raising children. You have to be there.

Somehow, though, you feel something's missing. You realize you have a duty to your community.

Where do you begin? How do you sort through the hundreds of worthwhile organizations in the Twin Cities to find the one that matches your interests?

We'll save you the time.

Here's one organization that's as broad and diverse as the Twin Cities area itself. It touches virtually every facet of your community. It's time tested, solid and vital. It's been around more than half a century.

It's The Rotary Club of Shakopee.

Membership

Rotary is exclusive and inclusive.

We look for business and professional people who are leaders and want to make a contribution to their community. People who, as we say, put "service above self."

We are fussy about who can be nominated for membership. Most of our members either have decision-making authority in their business or own their own company. Many are professionals. We also look for "comers" - 25 to 35 year olds, preparing to be leaders in businesses and firms and the community.

You will find the membership of Shakopee Rotary diverse in age, gender, race, creed and lifestyle. Our membership spans generations; we have members in the early 30s and members in their 80s. 15 percent of our members are women and the number is growing.

If you are not able to attend a regular Tuesday meeting, you can "make up" at any of the 29,000 Rotary clubs worldwide including dozens in the Twin Cities area.

Committee participation is the best avenue for community service. Extra club service earns attendance credit.

Community

As a member of Shakopee Rotary, you'll be part of an organization that gives back to the community in thousands of ways that make a difference:

• Rotary Youth Exchange - Each year for more than 25 years, the club has annually selected and sponsored several high school students to study abroad in nations around the world.
• Rotary Community Service Fund - Each year the club raises tens of thousands of dollars for worthwhile non-profit organizations in the Twin Cities and around the world. Since 1980, the club's grants have totaled more than a half million dollars.

A Proud History

Rotary was founded in 1905 by a Chicago lawyer, Paul Harris, who felt alone and disconnected in a big city. His group of business people rotated meeting sites among members' offices and also rotated the chairman of each meeting - thus "Rotary."
Today, there are more than one million members of Rotary and more than 29,000 clubs in 160 nations - the world's largest continuous community service organization.

Every member of Rotary seeks to follow what is called the "Four Way" Test:

Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Speakers

The club's Tuesday luncheon is a widely-recognized forum for prominent speakers, newsmakers, and public officials - including U.S. senators, governors, university presidents, network correspondents, and CEOs of prominent local businesses.