Club 8825138
- Distrikt 1910
- Charter-Nr
Gründungsdatum: 29.11.2022
Charterdatum: 13.05.2023
Patenclub: RAC Wien-Hofburg-St. Stephan
A Short History of Rotaract Club Wien-Schottentor
Rotaract Club Wien-Schottentor was founded on 29 November 2022. It emerged from the former Rotaract Club Wien-Grinzing (chartered on 4 October 2022).
As soon as the Club settled into its new location in Schottentor, it wasted no time in getting involved in its first service project. Members collected money and food to support Vinzirast (VinziRast-Notschlafstelle: VinziRast), an organization that provides shelter and support for homeless people in Vienna.
The Club has continued to work closely with Vinzirast, with one project being "Cooking for our Guests at Vinzirast", where every week Club members prepare and serve meals for their guests. In addition to its work with Vinzirast, Rotaract Club Wien-Schottentor has been involved in several other impactful projects.
A Short History of Rotary
The first Rotary Club was established by the esteemed lawyer Paul Percy Harris (1868-1947) in Chicago on the 23rd of February, 1905. Three of his companions, namely the coal merchant Sylvester Schiele, the German-American mining engineer Gustav Löhr, and the clothing manufacturer Hiram Shorey, joined him in founding the organization.
The merging of these individuals was to form a stable and diverse community of values in Chicago, which was a rapidly growing metropolis. Harris and his friends aimed to create a community similar to the one he had experienced as a child in the countryside, where people supported each other according to their abilities. The principle of a "community of professionals" was adopted from the outset, which is still upheld today.
The name Rotary, meaning "rotation" in English, originated from the weekly rotation of meeting places during the organization's early years. Presently, the rotating principle is exemplified in the annual turnover of the president and most club offices.
The history of Rotary is inextricably linked to that of the United Nations. In 1945, 49 Rotarians contributed to the development of the United Nations Charter. UNESCO was founded as a result of a Rotary conference, and Rotary International is still an official observer at the United Nations as a non-governmental organization.
A Short History of Rotaract
Rotaract is an organization that was officially adopted by Rotary International in 1968 to provide opportunities for young adults to serve their community and develop their personal and professional skills. The name "Rotaract" is a combination of the words "Rotary" and "Action". Rotaract clubs are sponsored by Rotary clubs and operate in a similar manner to Rotary clubs, but are specifically designed for young adults.
Prior to the official creation of Rotaract, many clubs made up of young adults or students were created and sponsored by Rotary clubs in the 1950s. These clubs functioned in a non-official manner and under different names. Rotaract's foundation is based on these clubs and other organizations that were made up of young people, mostly children of Rotarians and their friends, who were working to meet the social and material needs of their community while striving for improved relationships between peoples.
In 1965, these organizations experienced significant growth linked to the creation of the Interact Program by Rotary International. Many Interactors, having reached the age limit, decided to create a new type of club called "Senior Interact clubs". It took very little time for the leaders of Rotary International to realize the importance of these clubs and their action. In 1968, the RI Board of Directors decided to adopt the program officially and to make it one of the most important programs among the different services that Rotary International offers young adults.
The new program was called Rotaract, and the first charter was awarded on March 13, 1968, to the club of Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. Although officially Rotary International announces that this club was the first Rotaract club, and therefore that Rotaract was born in the USA, a significant number of clubs for young adults affiliated to Rotary changed names and thereby joined the new organization immediately after the creation of the club in Charlotte. These clubs were the foundation that allowed Rotaract to spread immediately throughout the world and to have higher membership today on other continents than in North America.
After its official creation, Rotaract was considered by Rotary International for many years as nothing more than Rotary clubs´ community program. The 1990s marked a turning point in Rotaract history with the creation of Multidistrict Organizations in Europe, Australia, and South America. These groups have made it possible for Rotaract to become the "Partners in Service" of Rotary Clubs. This change in the way Rotaract is considered by Rotary was enhanced in 1996/97 by RI president Luis Vicente Giay, who made the development of Rotaract one of his top priorities.
Thanks to Rotaract, Rotary is now represented in age groups that will be the driving force of communities in less than twenty years, thereby Building the Future with Action and Vision. Rotaractors have remarkable humanitarian projects to their credit, and they have been able to acquire knowledge they can use for their personal growth within a framework of friendship.
