Rotary Club of Calcutta
ROTARACT
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▲What is Rotaract ?

Rotaract is an international organization for young men and women between the age group of 18-30 who believe they can make a difference. Rotaract club provide an opportunity to young adults to enhance the knowledge and skills that will assist them in personal development, the address the physical and social needs of their communities and to promote better relations between all people worldwide through a framework of friendship and service.

▲ROTARACT HISTORY
Source: RI Website

In the late 1960s, noting the success of the recently formed
Interact program, the RI Board realized the need for a program of
service, activity, and fellowship for young adults no longer of
Interact age (14-18). The name Rotaract (Rotary in Action) was
selected to show the program's close affiliation with both Rotary
and Interact clubs.

RI President Luther Hodges inaugurated Rotaract in 1968, with the
Rotaract Club of the University of North Charlotte, North Carolina,
USA, (now called the Rotaract Club of University of North Carolina-
Charlotte) being the first club. The club received its charter on 13
March and had 21 members.

Within a day of the certification of the Rotaract Club of the
University of North Charlotte, the Rotaract Club of the University
of La Salle was chartered in Tacubaya, Mexico. The Rotaract clubs of
Florence, Italy; Gaston College and Sylva both in North Carolina;
and Secunderabad, India, were all certified in the following weeks.
Since the 1950s, many Rotary clubs had been starting unofficial
clubs for young adults, so this fueled Rotaract's rapid growth in
its first few years. Rotarct grew from 21 clubs in 1967-68 to 289
clubs a year later. There are now 7,000 Rotaract clubs in 163
countries and geographic areas.

Rotaract clubs were originally open to young men and women ages 17-
24. Since 1971, young adults ages 18-30 have been welcomed.

Learn more about World Rotaract Week, observed this year 10-16
March. Contact Rotary history and archives for more historical
information about Rotary.
 

▲A brief look at Rotaract

Rotaract was founded in 1968 by Rotary International. on 13 March 1968, when the first charter was granted to the Rotaract club of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. The event is commemorated each year with the celebration of the World Rotaract Week. Today there are over 6,000 Rotary sponsored Rotaract clubs with more than 160,000 members in some 151 countries around the world. Rotaract clubs are either community based or institution based.

Rotary Club of Calcutta - the first club of India (1-Jan-1920) and now the longest running club in Asia, has sponsored two Rotaract clubs.

1. The Rotaract Club of Calcutta (Community based).

2. The Rotaract Club of IISWBM (Institution based).

▲Rotaract Club of Calcutta

The Rotaract Club of Calcutta was chartered on 19 June 1969, the second oldest club to be born (after Rotaract Club of South Calcutta) in the then RI District 329. Currently it is the oldest running club in the District.

The club has an wonderful image in the world of Rotary and Rotaract in this RI District. It won many laurels in the awards ceremony held on 23-Jun-02.

Today this 34-year old club has a collection of more than twenty enthusiastic members with a mixed profile of students and professionals. We believe in making friends and having fun, conduct useful professional and personality development programmes for our members in both club and district levels, and of course, organize programmes for the benefit of society at large in and around Kolkata. The job fair J4U (Jobs For You), held at Rotary Sadan, Kolkata every year is one such solid example, which has brought all members together and proves right the Rotaract motto "Fellowship Through Service".

▲Rotaract Calcutta Office Bearers 2007-08

▲Joining Rotaract

If you are interested about joining the Rotaract movement (and within 18 to 30 years of age) you may visit the Regular Weekly Meeting of the Rotaract Club of Calcutta on Sundays at 5 pm at the following address:

ROTARY SADAN (Besides Nehru Children's Museum)
94/2 Chowringhee Road, Kolkata 700 020

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