Rotary Governance

About Our Club
 
Rotary International was founded in 1905, and the Rotary Club of Webster Groves was granted its charter in 1924, the first in St. Louis County, after being sponsored by the St. Louis Club (aka "Club 11"),  the first club in our district. District 6060 generally covers the east third of Missouri, running south from Hannibal to the "boot heel,"  with 48 clubs and approximately 1,800 Rotarians.


The Bylaws of Rotary International provide that each Rotary Club shall adopt Rotary's standard club constitution, with only minimal edits allowed. In contrast, RI stipulates clubs should edit their club Bylaws to meet their own, unique conditions, provided such changes do not conflict with the Rotary Constitution, Rotary Bylaws, or the Rotary Code of Policies.

Rotary's Council on Legislation is an international "parliament" that meets every three years to deliberate and act upon all proposed legislation and resolutions submitted by Rotary Clubs, District Conferences, the RI Board, and The Council itself. Each district sends a representative to the Council, so clubs may have their say in the governance of the organization. Some of the most important work of Rotary is a result of Council action: Women were admitted to Rotary thanks to the action of the 1989 Council on Legislation, while Polio Plus was born as the result of action taken by the 1986 Council.