| Membership in
a Rotary club is by invitation and was based on the founders' paradigm
of choosing one representative of each business, profession and institution
in the community. What is called the "classification principle" is used
to ensure that the members of a club comprise a cross section of their
community's business and professional life.
A Rotarian's classification describes either
the principal business or professional service of the organization that
he or she works for or the individual Rotarian's own activity within the
organization. The classification is determined by activities or services
to society rather than by the position held by the particular individual.
In other words, if a person is president of a bank, he or she is not classified
as "bank president" but under the classification "banking.". The classification
principle fosters a fellowship for service based on diversity of interest,
and seeks to prevent the predominance in the club of any one group.
When a person becomes an active member
of a Rotary clubs, it is said that a the member has been "loaned" a classification.
He or she may propose one additional active member in that classification.
On completing five, ten or fifteen years of service, depending on the individual's
age, he or she becomes a "senior active" member and their classification
is released to enable another person to join the club. |
