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 Minneapolis area itself.  It touches virtually every facet of the community.  It's time tested, solid and vital.  It's been around for almost 100 years.

It's the Minneapolis Rotary Club!!

Minneapolis Rotary
The Minneapolis Rotary Club is a diverse collection of civic-minded business and professional leaders who join together for fellowship, professional enrichment, and the opportunity to serve.  Our members provide volunteer time, money and expertise to improve the community and support the youth of Minneapolis, and to foster international understanding and goodwill.
 
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're 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'll find the membership of Minneapolis Rotary diverse in age, gender, race, creed and lifestyle.  Our membership spans generations; we have members in their early 30s and members in their 80s.  Fifteen percent of our members are women and the number is growing.

If you're not able to attend a regular Friday meeting in Minneapolis, you can attend any of the 31,000 Rotary clubs in over 167 countries around the world including dozens in the Twin Cities area.  Some of the most interesting experiences of long term Rotarians occurred when they were attending Rotary in another country.

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

Rotary in the Schools
The Minneapolis Rotary Club sponsors and staffs a one-of-a-kind resource center for the Minneapolis Public Schools.  It's called the Learning Center for Economics.  We advise the school system on curriculum and text books.
 
In partnership with Junior Achievement, our members teach and mentor students.  The Star Tribune says our program - now being adopted by Rotary clubs nationwide - brings the "caring and hope that many students need, " particularly inner-city, at-risk students.

If you would like to learn more about our work with Youth Development, click here.

Rotary Service Above Self™ Award
Since 1983, the club has sponsored one of the Minneapolis area's most highly regarded community service awards - recognizing outstanding individuals who commit themselves to "service above self" without regard to personal advantage or gain, including Mary Jo Copeland of Sharing and Caring hands, Joe Selvaggio of Project for Pride in Living, former Minnesota Governor Elmer Andersen and Richard Gray, Sr., founder of the Freshwater Biological Institute.
 
If you would like to learn more about the Minneapolis Rotary's Service Above Self Award, click here.

Rotary Youth Exchange
Each year the Minneapolis Rotary Club has selected and sponsored several high school students to study abroad in nations around the world.
 
If you would like to learn more about Rotary's Youth Exchange program, click here.

Rotary Community Service Funds
Each year the club raises tens of thousands of dollars for worthwhile nonprofit organizations in the Twin Cities and around the world.  Since 1980, the club's grants have totaled more than a half million dollars.
 
If you would like to learn more about our Community Service work both locally and around the world, click here.

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 and professional 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 31,000 clubs in 167 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 benefit all concerned?
  

To learn more about Rotary International, click here.

Speakers and Friday Fellowship
The club's Friday luncheon is a widely recognized forum for prominent speakers, newsmakers, and public officials - including US Senators, Governors, University Presidents, network correspondents, and CEOs.
 
The club recognizes its speakers with a distinctive token of appreciation.  For many years a tree was planted in the speaker's honor in the Three Rivers Park District.  During that time the club planted more than 300 native Minnesota trees in the Three Rivers Park District.  In recent years we have donated a book to Minneapolis Interdistrict School in their honor.
 
To see a representative list of some of our past speakers. click here.
 
To read our Newsletter which highlights our up coming speakers, click here.
 
We would love to have you join us some Friday for a little fellowship to hear a good speaker.  If you would like to be our guest at an up coming Rotary meeting, Contact our office and someone will be in touch with you.