ROTARY  is a service organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who conduct humanitarian projects, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and work toward world understanding and peace. 

ROTARY is more than 1.1 million service-minded leaders belonging to over 26,030 Rotary Clubs in over 186 countries and geographical regions.  Membership is by invitation. 

ROTARIANS meet weekly to enjoy each other’s fellowship and discuss ways to serve others. 

ROTARY is compassion for the underprivileged, the ill and disabled, many of whom are the beneficiaries of over 51,000 service projects conducted by the Rotary Clubs in the world each year. 

ROTARY adds fulfillment each year to the lives of some 7000 young people of secondary school age as they study in countries other than their own. 

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION  spends more than $65 million dollars annually on a variety of educational and humanitarian programs to promote international understanding. 

ROTARY sponsors INTERACT, over 7,500 service clubs for young people of secondary school age in more than 95 countries. 

ROTARY sponsors ROTARACT, over 6,000 service clubs for young adults, ages 18 through 30 in more than 120 countries. 

ROTARY began in 1905 in Chicago by Paul Harris.  The international headquarters is in Evanston, Illinois and there are branch offices in nine countries on five continents. 

ROTARY Clubs have continued to increase at a dramatic rate.  In 1991 - 1992, a new Rotary Club was created every 12 hours. 

CHICOPEE ROTARY is a “Service Organization” of men and women, business and professional, with a dedicated connection to the City of Chicopee, who conduct humanitarian projects, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and work toward world understanding and peace. 

CHICOPEE ROTARY has a membership of 43 dedicated service-minded men and women, each representing his or her own vocation.  Membership in Rotary International is by invitation only. 

CHICOPEE ROTARY meets each Monday, 12:15 p.m., at the HuKeLau Restaurant in Chicopee to enjoy each other’s fellowship and discuss the many ways to serve others.  Members of Rotary often make up their meeting requirements by attending other clubs.  In our area, Holyoke, West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, Agawam, Northampton, Amherst, Palmer, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ware, Franklin County, Ludlow, and Springfield Sunrise have active Rotary Clubs for make-up.

CHICOPEE ROTARY supports our youth by awarding scholarships, through training for leadership and vocational opportunities, through sponsoring an Interact Club at Bellamy Middle School, through support of the D.A.R.E. program, and through the District programs for youth. 

CHICOPEE ROTARY supports the community through contributions of time, energy, and financial support to the Chicopee Soup Kitchen on a monthly basis, Taste of Chicopee, Brightside Angel program, and other charitable events and organizations including the Helping Hands Project for the elderly.  We also supported the establishment of the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam Veteran’s Monuments.

CHICOPEE ROTARY is involved internationally with exchange students and business persons from around the world.  We support many worthy projects, including the dam building project in Haiti, hearing aids for children in a small town in India, water for a village in Nigeria, the rain forest preservation in Costa Rica, and the entire club is in strong support for the eradication of polio in the world by the year 2005. 

CHICOPEE ROTARY is an active member of Zone 31 and District 7890 of Rotary International with a total membership of over 1,100,000 service-minded leaders belonging to 26,840 Rotary Clubs in 195 countries around the world.  We are proud to have celebrated our 33rd year of “Service Above Self” and “He/She Profits Most Who Serves Best”. 

PAST PRESIDENTS

George E. Membrino, Roland Brochu, Joseph M. Topor, Jr., James Mercer, III, Francis Pion, George Ouimette,

Donald Decker, David Chamberland, Leo DeJordy, John Dall, Omer Gagne, Carl Johnson, David Northup,

Kenneth Brochu, Larry N. Ottoson, Al Tosco, Gerald Roy, Jack Perlow, William Hensen, George Lapointe,

PDG Raymond J. Chelte, Sr., Gregory Chiecko,  John F. Ramsay, Jeffery S. Sattler, John Desroches, Joseph Peters,

Joseph M. Topor, III, Donna M. Bys, RN, Steve Brochu, Jim Dusza, Gail Seklecki, Don Roy, Al Blankenship,

Vern Campbell, Ron Eichstaedt, Jason Allen, Carol Campbell, Kate Parker, Paul Shea

 Declaration of Rotarians in

Business and Professions

 As a Rotarian engaged in a business or profession, I am expected to:

1.     Consider my vocation to be another opportunity to serve; 

2.     Be faithful to the letter and to the spirit of the ethical codes of my vocation, to the laws of my country, and to the moral standards of my community; 

3.     Do all in my power to dignify my vocation and to promote the highest ethical standards in my chosen vocation; 

4.     Be fair to my employer, employees, associates, competitors, customers, the public and all those with whom I have a business or professional relationship; 

5.     Recognize the honor and respect due to all occupations which are useful to society; 

6.     Offer my vocational talents to provide opportunities for young people, to work for relief of the special needs of others and to improve the quality of life in my community; 

7.     Adhere to honesty in my advertising and in all representations to the public concerning my business or profession; 

8.     Neither seek from nor grant to a fellow Rotarian a privilege or advantage not normally accorded to others in a business or professional relationship.