Chuck Keller, the first RI president ever to attend a Rotaract triennial meeting in 1987, said it best:
"ROTARACT is the best kept secret in Rotary."
ROTARACT was first established nearly 40 years ago, in 1968!
ROTARACT has grown to over 7,000 clubs in 160+ countries
....with over 175,000 members.
-----The only question should be: WHY hasn't EVERY Rotary club sponsored a Rotaract club in their community (OK, so they have, in India, Uganda and Nigeria, and there are nearly 800 clubs in Brasil!)    But in the USA, only one percent of our Rotary clubs have sponsored community based Rotaract)  

..... What is the problem? 
Only our focus.....    Should we not be focusing our efforts on establishing community-based ROTARACT clubs?
.... Should we not involve all young "New Generations" adults in the entire community?
....  Is this not the most effective base from which to develop         young minds and talent as well as to instill ethical principles of service and giving of oneself?
.... Will not Rotaractors become the core of our future Rotary          membership .... and is there any better source for developing our future Rotary membership? ....  Should we not value, promote, emphasize and focus on the   unique role of ROTARACT clubs to reinforce and to multiply the positive impact Rotary already has in our communities?

After all, ROTARACT is designed for all young people
from 18 to 30 years of age

— making ROTARACT the perfect "Twenty-Somethings" organization in which to learn the principles of community involvement and service in a world that all but ignores this energetic, creative segment of the population  — the very people who are destined to become tomorrow's leaders!

Consider these well-established facts:
*   Every Rotary club needs all the help as it can generate to support its community service programme and projects. How better to do so than with help from an enthusiastic group of young "New Generation" adults operating their own ROTARACT club as a service affiliate of a sponsoring Rotary?
*   Every Rotary club needs to identify the next generation of community leaders and to begin instilling in them the principles of community service through Rotary
 — How better to do that than by having the "NEW GENERATION" of young adults learn those principles and skills through their own ROTARACT fellowship and experience?
 ..... Knowing full well that the ROTARACT leaders you develop most likely will be the Rotarians of tomorrow. And let's face facts: unless some older clubs change their membership patterns, they are doomed to extinction in the next decade.   Astonishing as that prospect is, some of our oldest and smallest clubs are located in the fastest growing communities!   There can be no legitimate rationale for us to not take advantage of the resources offered us by our Rotary association to build tomorrow's community service potential in our home communities through ROTARACT.
We know that every Rotary club needs to reach out into the non-Rotarian business and professional community to seek new members.   

How best to reach out to the entire community?  .... Is it not best to get non-Rotarian business and community leaders involved in a project that can visibly demonstrate Rotary's value to their own local community?
      — Well, that is what a establishing a ROTARACT club will do!
      — Establishing and supporting a new ROTARACT club is in   itself a most valuable community service project that members can support enthusiastically for the benefit of non-Rotarians, for their employees, for the entire community:

And the process of involving others in a valuable community project automatically identifies current and future prospects for Rotary membership — those very business and professional leaders who are willing to support the establishment of the new ROTARACT club already are demonstrating their commitment to community improvement!
 
Why should your Rotary club and non-Rotarian professional and business leaders support establishment of ROTARACT clubs in your community?
*   Every Rotarian should welcome the opportunity to mentor and foster the development of bright, energetic, capable young adults and provide our own legacy as well as building the future of our communities..... through ROTARACT!
1.   Establishing a community-based ROTARACT club is                 beneficial to employers — because their employees become better citizens — and better workers — by learning and accepting involvement in community responsibility. 
      .....By sponsoring their employees into ROTARACT, employers promote and support ethical character building through community support activities. Their employees can network with other socially-conscious young people; they become more proficient on the job as they learn from their ROTARACT activities; and they acquire leadership skills for the enhancement of their profession through their participation and development in ROTARACT.

2.   Sponsoring a ROTARACT club is beneficial to the parent        Rotary club, because you add muscle to your ability to serve your community with the additional resources and energy of young adult partners – at the same time you expand and enhance your club's community visibility simply by asking non-Rotarian employers to aid you in establishing a new ROTARACT club.

3.   Sponsoring a ROTARACT club is incredibly satisfying to the sponsoring Rotarians. The personal satisfaction you receive as Rotarians from the opportunities to mentor these New Generations adults — not to mention the value of helping establish a permanent community service project for the benefit of your community — is compelling !

4.    Involvement in a ROTARACT club is most beneficial to          young "New Generations" adults — ultimately not only to please their employers, but also to derive personal satisfaction from their own involvement in community affairs: – ROTARACTORS interface regularly with Rotarian leaders who provide significant mentoring opportunities!
      – ROTARACTORS encounter numerous opportunities to expand their personal and professional horizons; and

      – ROTARACTORS are in the center of ROTARACT 's networking group of their own peers – locally and globally!

5.    And sponsoring a ROTARACT club is beneficial to the entire community for all the reasons cited above.
— Need more be said?

And just think of the possibilities for immediate outreach into the very community of business and professional people that your Rotary club is looking to for additional support and membership. Reaching out to ask professional business leaders to support and sponsor their best young employees into a prestigious community-based service organization can become a value-added resource for the entire community

      — Is this not a most effective method of identifying non-Rotarian leaders who exhibit a concern for community ?
      — .... without them committing to any more than supporting the establishment of a community ROTARACT club ??
      — Yet how better to qualify prospective members for your club than by them learn service skills in ROTARACT?
      — .... as well as the value of having them be involved with you in your successful Rotary community service efforts??

When non--Rotarians participate with your Rotarians in starting a ROTARACT club, do they not become better known to you personally? — and you to them?
.......And since the best people are what all Rotary clubs desire as members — is not the process of their becoming actively involved in one of your club's service projects a superbly simple method to qualify prospective members in an atmosphere of mutual assistance?

Remember: The best way to build and maintain your Rotary club's image is to BE active engaged, involved and visible
— IN your community — for the benefit OF your community ROTARACT HELPS MAKE THAT HAPPEN — By adding an entirely new resource
— a new dimension of service identity — to your Rotary club — AND TO YOUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.ROTARACT: .....Beneficial to the community by:
... DEVELOPING YOUNG ADULTS' POSITIVE LEADERSHIP SKILLS
... BUILDING BETTER BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
... ENHANCING THE STRENGTH & CAPABILITY OF YOUR ROTARY CLUB
... PROVIDING DYNAMIC YOUNG RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

Robert G. Ketron, PDG 92-93   D. 7620 Washington DC & Central Maryland, USA
Chair, A.C.C.T. Rotaract MDIO Advisor Board (North America)                             RI Rotaract Committee 2004-2005 
rob.ketron@gmail.com        www.ketron.org

Links to Rotaract materials:

Rotaract link page

HOW TO START A COMMUNITY BASED ROTARACT CLUB
Rotaract Formation Interview Form for Business
Rotaract Business Interview Form Prospective Rotaractor Info Form

Rotaractor Info Form