Rotary International's universal premise is that each club's membership constitutes an accurate representation of the business and professional population within the community served. Membership in a Rotary club requires an invitation and sponsorship by a member of the club as well as an available business or professional classification. Sometimes an individual cannot be invited or sponsored for membership.
You can consider this your preliminary invitation to be involved with the Sunrise Rotary Club!
Becoming a Rotarian
An association of approximately 32,000 autonomous clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas, Rotary International is one of the world's largest service organizations. The goal for a club's membership is an up-to-date and progressive representation of the community's business, vocational, and professional interests.
An important distinction between Rotary and other organizations is that membership in Rotary is by invitation. Rotary clubs invite individuals to join and become members.
Membership is vital to a Rotary club's operations and community service activities. A primary goal of the club is to continually expand the club with committed members who have the interest and ability to get involved in service and humanitarian projects. Prospective members must:
- hold — or be retired from — a professional, proprietary, executive, or managerial position;
- have the capacity to meet the club's weekly attendance or community project participation requirements;
- live or work within the locality of the club or the surrounding area.
The membership process
Often a person being considered for membership is invited by a member/sponsor to attend one or more club meetings to learn more about Rotary. The sponsor may then submit the name of the candidate to the club's membership committee.
If you are an individual who is interested in membership but you don't know any Rotarians, you can contact our club directly, by sending an inquiry to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Classifications: professional representation
Rotary uses a classification system to establish and maintain a vibrant cross-section or representation of the community's business, vocational, and professional interests among members and to develop a pool of resources and expertise to successfully implement service projects. This system is based on the founders' paradigm of choosing cross-representation of each business, profession, and institution within a community.
A classification describes either the principal business or the professional service of the organization that the Rotarian works for or the Rotarian's own activity within the organization. Some examples of classifications include, but are not limited to: high schools, universities, eye surgery, banking, pharmaceutical retailing, petroleum-distribution, and insurance agency.
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Professional Networking
A founding principle of Rotary was to meet periodically to enjoy camaraderie and enlarge one’s circle of business and professional acquaintances. As the oldest service club in the world, Rotary club members represent a cross-section of the community’s owners, executives, managers, political leaders, and professionals – people who make decisions and influence policy.
Service Opportunities
Club members have many opportunities for humanitarian service, both locally and internationally. Service programs address such concerns as health care, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and the environment. Rotarians experience the fulfillment that comes from giving back to the community.
International Awareness
With more than 31,000 Rotary clubs in over 160 countries, Rotarians gain an understanding of humanitarian issues through international service projects and exchange programs. One of Rotary’s highest objectives is to build goodwill and peace throughout the world.
Friendship
Rotary was founded on fellowship, an ideal that remains a major attraction of membership today. Club members enjoy the camaraderie with like-minded professionals, and club projects offer additional opportunities to develop enduring friendships. Rotary club members who travel have friendly contacts in almost every city in the world.
Good Citizenship
Weekly Rotary club programs keep members informed about what is taking place in the community, nation, and world and motivated to make a difference.
Family Foundations
Rotary sponsors some of the world’s largest youth exchange, educational exchange, and scholarship programs. Rotary clubs provide innovative training opportunities and mentoring for young leaders and involve family members in a wide range of social and service activities.
Entertainment
Social activities give Rotarians a chance to let loose and have fun. Every Rotary club and district hosts parties and activities that offer diversions from today’s demanding professional and personal schedules. Conferences, conventions, assemblies, and social events provide entertainment as well as Rotary
information, education, and service.
Ethical Environment
Encouraging high ethical standards in one’s profession and respect for all worthy vocations has been a hallmark of Rotary from its earliest days. In their business and professional lives, Rotarians abide by The Four-Way Test:
Of the things we think, say or do:
1) Is it the TRUTH?
2) Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3) Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Leadership Development
Rotary is an organization of successful professionals. Team building, fundraising, public speaking, planning, organization, and communication are just a sampling of the leadership skills that club members can exercise and enhance. Being a Rotary leader provides further experience in learning how to motivate, inspire, and guide
others.
Diversity in Membership
Rotary’s classification system ensures that a club’s membership represents a variety of the community’s professional men and women, including leaders in business, industry, the arts, government, sports, the military, and religion. Rotary clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.
The only thing missing from our club is YOU! We would be thrilled to know you are interested in membership in Rotary! Rotary International is an association of individual clubs that operate autonomously. Membership is extremely important to us, and we are always eager to hear from individuals interested in our mission and joining our Rotary club.
PolioPlus, the most ambitious program in Rotary’s history, is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. For more than 20 years, Rotary has led the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease. Today, PolioPlus and its role in the initiative is recognized worldwide as a model of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal.
The Commitment to Service Award (C2SA) is the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club's annual fundraising event. Each year for over 5 years now, Montgomery Sunrise has hosted this event to honor an individual in the Montgomery / River Region area for their efforts and achievments in serving their community. This award ceremony includes a fine dining dinner and a Roast of the honoree by several individuals who have known them for some time and can share with us some of their memories of the relationship they have with our honoree and have a little laugh at their expense as well. The evening also includes a silent auction as well. Funds raised by corporate sponsorship, ticket sales and the silent auction are used to support a selected charitable organization who is also a part of the evening's events, sharing information and images of their work. C2SA is a way for Montgomery Sunrise Rotarians to put their dollars to work locally to help their community. Learn more about this annual event at 


