RI Constitution and Bylaws

About Our Club
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Rotary International was founded in 1905, and the Rotary Club of Webster Groves was granted its charter in 1924, after being sponsored by the St. Louis Club, the oldest in District 6060. Our club was the first in St. Louis County, and the second oldest in our district. District 6060 covers the eastern third of Missouri, running south from Hannibal to the "boot heel."  District 6060 currently contains 48 clubs and over 2,600 Rotarians.


The bylaws of Rotary International provide that each club admitted to membership in RI shall adopt a standard club constitution. In contrast, RI suggests club bylaws, which may be edited by any club to meet its own conditions, provided such changes do not conflict with RI's official club constitution and with the RI constitution, RI bylaws, and the Rotary Code of Policies.

Rotary's "parliament," the Council on Legislation, meets every three years to deliberate and act upon all proposed enactments and resolutions submitted by clubs, district conferences, the Rotary International 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. Every club and district is entitled to submit legislation to the Council; some of the most important work of Rotary is a result of Council action. Women were admitted into 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.