DRR: Rtr Aanton | RIP: Rtn Ray Klinginsmith, DG: Rtn Rajendra Khandelwal www.rotary3291.org | www.rotary.org
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The Rotaract movement is the youth wing of the Rotary Movement touching
about 192 shores across the globe. With more than 160,000 members in
over 6,800 clubs – clubs organized for young men and women (ages 18 to
30) to serve for the social needs of the community, widen their
friendship and professional contacts, and increase their understanding
of the world.
The Kolkata chapter of the Rotaract Movement is known as Rotary
International District 3291 and has more than 300 active members in its
role. This is a market of talented brains and young individuals between
the ages 18 and 30. Adventurous yet caring, exuberant yet disciplined
and human being yet Rotaractors, they are the who’s who of the Kolkata
‘youth brigade’.
Welcome to
Rotaract in RI District 3291.
A District
whose history traces back to 1968, the very first year when the Rotaract
Movement was flagged off by Rotary International as an initiative.
With the passage of time we have added many chapters to our illustrous past. Once comprised of the entire Eastern belt of the Indian sub-continent including the countries of Bangladesh and Nepal, we are now focussed only in Southern Bengal and the Andaman and Nicober Islands with the epicenter at the intellectual capital of India, Kolkata.
It was as late as 2007-08 that we bid goodbye to the Kingdom of Nepal, as they have today shaped up into a new District 3292, and we 3291. <top>
Rotaract, the youth wing of Rotary, is an International voluntary service organization of students and young professionals aged between 18 and 30 years who like to make a difference in their local and global community.
The purpose of Rotaract is development of youth. The activities revolve around: organizing service projects and humanitarian aid projects to make a worthwhile contribution for the underprivileged; organizing seminars and workshops to aid professional development; encouraging high ethical standards in business and to promote international peace and understanding. Through its various projects, Rotaract aims towards a better and cheerful tomorrow, a better and progressive quality of life and evolvement of a compassionate self.
More than 6,800 clubs with over 160,000 members in 192 countries work towards common goals of world peace and understanding - one step at a time, one project at a time. It is a movement that has initiated fledging friendships, promoted better interactions and an unrestricted exchange of ideas and thoughts.
Most Rotaract activities take place at the club level. Rotaract clubs hold formal meetings, usually every two weeks which feature speakers, special outings, social activities, discussions, or visits to other clubs. Club members get together on designated weekends for service project work, social events, or professional/leadership development workshops.
Every Rotaract club is a part of a District Rotaract organization, run by the elected Representatives with support from sponsoring Rotarians. The district organization plans regional Conferences, develops regional projects, holds club leadership training programs and work to strengthen the bond among clubs in the district.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Rotaract builds leaders and leaders build strong clubs with effective programmes. Towards this end Rotaract Clubs organize communication and public speaking seminars, talks on effective club administration, training programs for club officers, workshop that explore ways to organize and promote club projects, informative meetings about Rotary programs and activities.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Early career decisions are critical ones. Rotaract clubs help their members make the most informed choices through marketing and management seminars, and career planning programs and business technology updates. Business and professional support from successful Rotarians make these programs especially valuable.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Rotaract Clubs carry out at least one Community Service project each year in an effort to improve the lives of the people around them. The possibilities for worthwhile projects are endless. To name just a few, Rotaractors volunteer as tutors in literacy programs, support drug abuse prevention programs, offer job training to the unemployed, assist at orphanages and day care centers, arrange outings and other activities for senior citizens, community cleanups, develop recreation areas and otherwise work to improve the environment.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE: Rotaractors want to learn more about cultures and do their part to promote world peace and understanding, they undertake at least one International Service project each year. Such activities take many forms. Rotaractors raise money for International disaster relief programs, make exchange visits with Rotaractors in other countries and host similar visits from other Rotaract Clubs; and volunteer their professional skills in international development and assistance projects.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES: Rotaractors work hard, but they believe in having a good time. They hold barbecues, car rallies, camping trips, inter club visits, dances, cultural festivals, special lectures, sporting events and more. Sometimes these activities are designed to raise money for a club service project. Whatever they do, Rotaractors know how to have fun, make friends and make the world a little better in the process.
District 3291 today is a composition of 10 Revenue Districts of West Bengal and the Union Territories of Andamans and Nicobar Islands.
The epicentre of this District is the intellectual capital of India, Kolkata. Kolkata is located on the eastern bank of the River Hooghly. With its population exceeding 15 Million, it is India's second-largest city and urban agglomeration.
Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the centre of modern education, industry, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed intense political violence, clashes and economic stagnation from the years starting 1954. However, the economic rejuvenation has led to a spurt in the city's growth.
The language of the state is Bengali. West Bengal is genearally an agricultural state with a moist summers and dry winters. It gets adequate rainfalls during the monsoons. Having been the host to the world’s largest river Delta of the holy Ganges, West Bengal is abundant in flora and fauna. Here you would find the Mangroves forest in the Sunderbans and the Royal Bengal Tiger.
West Bengal is home to many literary figures, scientists and leaders. Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Jagadish Chandra Bose and Amartya Sen are all sons of this soil. In fact, it was here in Bengal, more in Kolkata that motivated Mother Teresa to set up her Missionaries of Charity and work for the poor.
We are proud to be a part of such a glorified motherland that in Rotary parlance would be District 3291.
Paul Percival Harris named the new club ROTARY because the members met in ‘ROTATION’ in their various places of business.
Paul P. Harris, the founder of Rotary, was born at Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.A. on April 19, 1868. When he was three years old he was taken to Wallingford, Vermont, to live with his paternal grandparents. The Black River Academy at Ludlow, Vermont and Vermont Academy at Saxtons River prepared him for his studies at the University of Vermont, Princeton University and the University of Lowa. Following his graduation from the law school of the University of lowa in 1891, he spend the next five years in seeing the world and in coming to know his fellow men before setting down to practice law in Chicago.
He worked as a newspaper reporter, a business college teacher, a stock company actor, as a cow-boy and as a salesman for a granite concern and settled down as a lawyer in 1896.
For the next several years he devoted a great deal of time to reflection on condition of life and business and by 1905 he had formulated a definite philosophy of business relations. Taking it over with three of his law clients-Silverster Schiele, a coal merchant, Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer and Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor, he conceived the idea of organising a club which came into being on the 23rd of February 1905. This was the nucleus for the thousands of Rotary Clubs which were later organised throughout the world.
During his life time, he received many recognitions and awards from different countries including the coveted legion of Honor Award by France.
He was elected President Emeritus of Rotary International in 1912 and was active in Rotary until his death on 27th January, 1947.
Since 1905, the ideas on Paul Harris and his friends have become ideals which have been accepted by people of practically all nationalities, and of many political and religious beliefs. Today there are Rotary Clubs in Austria and American Samoa, in Brazil and Brunei, in India and Italy, in Russia and Poland, in Scotland and South Africa-in some 176 countries and geographical regions. The universal acceptance of Rotary principles has been so great that there are now more than 25,000 Rotary Clubs, which have a membership of over 1,100,000 in 501 Districts.
The general objectives of Rotary Clubs in every country are the same: the development of fellowship and understanding among the business and professional leaders in the community, the promotion of community betterment endeavors and of high standards in business and professional practices and the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace. Rotary clubs every where have one basic ideal, the ‘Ideal of Service’ which is thoughtfulness and helpfulness to others.