NEW MEMBER FAQ
If your questions aren't answered here, please email [email protected]. To download a printable membership application, please click HERE.
WHO IS IN ORANGE ROTARY?
The short answer is people who want to make a difference. The long answer is, all kinds of people. We have teachers and doctors and lawyers and CPAs. There are small business owners and big business owners. There are engineers and architects and salespeople; plumbers and consultants and newspaper publishers. There are even Red Sox fans and Yankees fans who, for the most part, get along.
ARE THERE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP?
The only requirements are that you are an adult, that you demonstrate integrity in your daily and professional life, that you want to lead and be active, and that you are willing to make a positive difference in the community.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A LOCAL BUSINESS?
Rotary is not the Chamber of Commerce, and we don’t pass around business cards at every meeting. Yes, many of our members have local businesses and certainly you can make important connections, but we exist to be a service organization. Many of our members work in other cities and towns. For them, Rotary is about volunteerism and making connections to the community, not just with other business leaders.
HOW MUCH TIME AM I COMMITTING?
Rotary is a commitment, but it’s not a burden. You can keep your day job. You can still spend time with your family. In fact, many Rotarians have brought their children with them to club events or projects, inspiring those kids to become more involved in their communities as they grow.
WHAT IF I CAN’T MAKE EVERY MEETING?
There was a time when Rotarians had to attend every weekly meeting. That wasn’t as difficult when members worked locally. But in today’s world, people live in one place and work in another. Time is at a premium. They can’t take part in every project, hear every speaker, or take an hour every Friday for a breakfast meeting or luncheon meeting.
You should strive to attend 50 percent of our meetings and events, but there isn’t a minimum requirement with Rotary. But as you become involved in Rotary, you’ll also find that you can participate more than you thought because you’ll get out of it more than you imagined and you will enjoy spending time with the members.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Orange Club dues are just $115 every six months. Our traditional schedule is weekly meetings that rotate from Lunches on the first and third week of the month and breakfast on the second and fifth. On the fourth Friday we have a social gathering/ happy hour. BUT THESE ARE NOT TRADITIONAL TIMES! Our meetings have gone virtual, with occasional in person gatherings as safe social distancing permits. So basically, the only cost right now is the dues. Once we resume regular in person meetings, lunches cost $17 per week and breakfast $12.
Members are also encouraged to give what they can to the Rotary Foundation every year. For more about the great work done by the Foundation, click HERE.
ARE YOU POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS?
No. We are a service organization, guided by four principles:
- The development of relationships as an opportunity for service;
- High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
- The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
- The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
Beyond that, we are bound by the nonpartisan and nonsectarian Four-Way Test. In the things we think, say and do, we ask:
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
WHAT IS THE MEMBERSHIP PROCESS?
It is a good idea to come to a few meetings or fellowship events, meet some of our members and see if Rotary would be a good fit for you. If you then decide to join, please complete the membership form online. Our Membership Committee will meet with you to answer any questions you may have, and to ensure you understand the obligations of membership. Subsequently, the board will approve your application and once approved, you will be inducted into the club at one of our weekly meetings.
Rotarians join because they want to make a difference in their communities, and they stay because that’s exactly what they do.
WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?
If you’d like to learn more, please email [email protected] one of our members will contact you and let you know how to attend one of our meetings on line or in person gatherings.
