Sydney Australia
What does RAC stand for?
ROTARACT = Rotary in Action, commonly shortened to RAC
This website, along with many Rotaract websites around the world, will shorten Rotaract to RAC on the odd occasion.
What is Rotaract?
A BRIEF HISTORY
Rotaract has evolved quickly in its short but dynamic history. In the early 1960s, Rotary clubs around the world began to sponsor university youth groups as Community Service projects. The 1967-68 Rotary International (RI) President, Luther Hodges, and the RI Board of Directors considered this club activity to have international relevance, and Rotaract was approved in 1968 as an official program for Rotary clubs. The first club chartered was the Rotaract Club of North Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A. on 13 March 1968.
Several decades later, the Rotaract program has grown into a strong international network of clubs in over 170 countries and geographical areas, with more than 145,000 members in over 6,400 clubs — clubs organized for young men and women (ages 18 to 30) to serve the physical and social needs of their communities, widen their friendships and professional contacts, and increase their understanding of the world.
WHAT DOES ROTARACT DO?
You might ask, “What exactly does a Rotaract club do?” Rotaract clubs organize a variety of projects and activities, depending primarily on the interests of the club members. There are, however, three types of activities within the Rotaract program that all clubs undertake in varying degrees: professional development, leadership development, and service projects. Together, these three areas ensure a balanced club program and provide important experience and opportunities for the personal development of each Rotaractor.
Professional Development
A club’s professional development activities should expand the members’ understanding of the work environment and business opportunities within their community. These activities should highlight the Rotaractor’s role in the community’s economic development and illustrate how skills developed through service activities can help in resolving problems in the workplace. Each Rotaract club should provide professional development opportunities to its members through activities such as:
- special professional and vocational forums
- business technology updates
- management and marketing seminars
- conferences on business and professional ethics
- presentations on finance and credit options for business start-up
Sponsoring Rotarians can enhance the professional development of Rotaractors by providing practical advice on entering the business world and overcoming business, vocational, and professional challenges. Making the club's professional development projects joint Rotaract-Rotary projects can also help Rotaractors get better acquainted with sponsoring Rotarians.
Leadership Development
A club's leadership development activities not only aim to make members more effective leaders in their personal lives, but also teach them how to develop and sustain strong clubs with relevant projects. Important topics to address in training club leaders include:
- improving public speaking skills
- techniques for marketing the Rotaract program to potential members
- building consensus among members
- delegating project responsibilities and ensuring the necessary follow-up
- identifying channels for project publicity and promotion
- finding financial resources for strengthening club development
- assessing project success
Service Projects
Above all other principles, "Service Above Self" is the credo that guides Rotary. A Rotaract club's service projects are designed to improve the quality of life at home and abroad. These projects often address today's most critical issues, such as violence, drug abuse, AIDS, hunger, the environment and illiteracy. Each Rotaract club is required to complete at least two major service projects annually, one to serve the community and the other to promote international understanding. Each should involve all or most of the members of the club.