The Rotaract Club’s mission states that we persevere to provide four types of services. These services include the following:
- Club Service: focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club.
- Vocational Service: encourages members to serve others through a professional aspect by practicing high ethical standards.
- Community Service: covers projects and activities to improve life in the community.
- International Service: encompasses action taken to expand humanitarian reach around the globe, as well as promote world understanding and peace.
We believe that by taking part in these services as Penn State students we can help better the environment by providing opportunities to other students as well as community members. We also hope to spread awareness of many issues in the world today, and focus on leadership development to enhance student lifestyles as well as promote a balanced way of life.
Rotary International is a service organization located worldwide. With more than 32,000 clubs, the Rotary Clubs around the world boast over 1.2 million members. Rotary attempts to bring together businesses and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, and encourage high ethics while building goodwill and peace throughout the world.
One of the most famous Rotary standards is the Rotarian Four-Way Test:
- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Will it build goodwill and better friendship?
- Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Rotaract began in 1968 as a youth program for Rotary International. Contemporarily, Rotaract has become a major Rotary-sponsored organization. Similar to its parent, there are over 7,000 Rotaract clubs world-wide boasting over 170,000 members. Across the world, Rotaract is for young men and women between 18 and 30 years of age.
The Penn State Rotaract Club received its charter on April 24, 2001. We are sponsored by the five State College Rotary Clubs. The association with active Rotary Clubs enables Rotaract members to be part of conferences, projects, training and leadership seminars and other cooperative activities. It also strengthens and promotes long-lasting friendships between club members.