History

History of Rotaract
Rotaract, Rotary International's service club program for young adults, was officially inaugurated during January 1968 under RI President Luther Hodges. On March 13, 1968, the Rotaract Club of the University of North Carolina, sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, was the first Rotaract club to receive its official charter. Although this club is recognized as the first Rotaract club, Rotarians have been sponsoring similar organizations for young adults since the early 1920s.

Perhaps the greatest impetus for the creation of the Rotaract program came from Rotary's youth service club for secondary school students, Interact clubs. Established in 1962, the Interact program enjoyed immediate success. However, since membership was only open to students in secondary schools, graduated Interactors and Rotarians were soon looking for ways to extend their relationship. Several proposals were brought before the RI Board of Directors to allow membership in Interact clubs to extend for a few years after graduation. Instead of extending the age requirements for Interact, the Board decided to study the feasibility of creating a new service club program for young adults at the university and young professional level.

The decision to adopt the Rotaract program came at a time when student protests worldwide were of growing concern to Rotarians. The Rotaract program was adopted not only as means of keeping former Interactors within the Rotary family, but as a means of channeling the energies of young adults into positive activities that could benefit their communities.

A special committee was convened to design the new service club program for young adults during 1966. After polling students at the University of Houston, Texas, USA, the committee decided that "Rotaract" would be the best name for the program — a combination of the words "Rotary" and "action."  The committee also decided that young women should be allowed to join on equal standing with male members.

Several developments in the early 1990s helped strengthen the Rotaract movement. In February 1991, the first Rotaract club in Eastern Europe was chartered in Budapest, Hungary, with the help of Austrian Rotaractors. Ties with Eastern Europe were further strengthened when the same Austrian Rotaractors helped charter the Rotaract Club of Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia later in 1991. In March 1992, the RI Board established World Rotaract Week, which is celebrated annually during the week of 13 March to commemorate the chartering of the first Rotaract club.

Information obtained from www.rotary.org

Back to Top of Page

The Rotaract Club of Bellarmine College was originally organized by the Rotary Club of Hurstbourne Sunrise on October 26, 1992 and certified January 22, 1993.  It was later terminated in 1997.  The Rotaract Club of Kentucky State University was organized by the Rotary Club of Frankfort and certified on April 23, 1997.  The Rotaract Club of Spalding University, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Louisville, was organized June 1, 1999 and certified June 22, 2000 but later became inactive.  The Rotaract Club of Spalding University was re-activated through the efforts of university administrators and Rotarians in 2007.  The Rotaract Club of the University of Louisville was organized under the name Rotaract Club of Metro Louisville on January 5, 2001 and certified March 26, 2001.  The Rotaract Club of U of L is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of District 6710 Area 9: Louisville, Prospect/Goshen, South Louisville/Okolona, SouthWest Louisville, East Louisville Sunrise, Fern Creek, St. Matthews, Buechel, and Jeffersontown.  The name was subsequently changed to reflect the university affiliation in 2006.  Closely following the club at U of L, the Rotaract Club of Murray State University was organized March 12, 2001 by the Rotary Club of Murray and certified June 12, 2001.  The Rotaract Club of Lindsey Wilson College was organized February 22, 2004 by the Rotary Club of Columbia and certified on April 21, 2004.  The Rotaract Club of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, organized by the Rotary Club of Elizabethtown February 22, 2006 and certified April 4, 2006, represents the first Rotaract Club in District 6710 to be chartered at a community and technical college.  The Rotaract Club of Bellarmine University (formerly Bellarmine College), sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Louisville and East Louisville Sunrise, was re-organized on November 7, 2005 and re-certified on March 15, 2006.  The first community-based Rotaract Club in District 6710, the Rotaract Club of Henderson, was chartered in Henderson, Kentucky by the Henderson Rotary Club on April 4, 2007.

The first Rotaract District Conference was hosted by the Rotaract Club of Metro Louisville October 17-18, 2003 and was held at the Interfaith Center at the University of Louisville.  Members of the then Metro Louisville Rotaract Club and the Kentucky State University, as well as District Governor Bill Miller, District Governor Elect Bob Bodreau, and Past District Governor Roger Newell were in attendance.

The second Rotaract District Conference was held November 6, 2004 at Kentucky State Univeristy and hosted by the Rotaract Club there.  Members of the then Metro Louisville Rotaract Club, the Rotaract Club of Murray State University, and the Rotaract Club of Kentucky State University were in attendance as well as District Governor Bob Boudreau.

The third Rotaract District Conference was hosted November 11-12, 2005 by the Rotaract Club of Murray State University.  Conference attendees were from the Rotaract Clubs of Murray State University, Kentucky State University, Metro Louisville, and Lindsey Wilson College.

The fourth Rotaract District Conference was held November 10-11 in Columbia, Kentucky and hosted by the Rotaract Club of Lindsey Wilson College.  Attendees were from the Rotaract Clubs of Lindsey Wilson College, Murray State University, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, the University of Louisville, Kentucky State University, Sullivan University, and Mongolian exchange students from Campbellsville University who had been Rotaractors in Mongolia also attended.  District Governor Kay Sharon and District trainer Vernon Gantt, as well as several members of the Rotary Club of Columbia were also present.

Past District 6710 Rotaract Committee Chairs
2007-08    Bill Sherman
2006-07    Bernard Strenecky
2005-06    Bernard Strenecky
2004-05    none reported
2003-04    Robert Quaife
2002-03    none reported
2001-02    none reported
2000-01    A.F. (Buddy) Stewart, Jr.
1999-00    none reported
1998-99    A.F. (Buddy) Stewart, Jr.
1997-98    John Schrecker
1996-97    none reported
1995-96    none reported
1994-95    A.F. (Buddy) Stewart, Jr.
1993-94    A.F. (Buddy) Stewart, Jr.