Rotaract / Interact ClubsRotaract / Interact Clubs
District 7080 may well be moving towards the greatest percentage increase in Rotaract and Interact Clubs in one year than any other Rotary jurisdiction. Why is this? Mainly because we had a grand total of one Interact Club at the beginning of this year, but now appear to be moving into some real action.
For those of you who don't know about Rotaract or Interact, let me tell you a little about these clubs. The simplest way to describe them is to say that they are Rotary Clubs for young people. There are of course some important differences, but the main point is that these clubs are the means by which young people can be introduced to community service work and form at an early age their own concepts of "service above self". Once they become professional or business people they are then primed and ready to become full fledged Rotarians.
Interact Clubs are for the 14 to 18 age group.
These young people are virtually always high school students so Interact Clubs tend to be school based clubs, meeting after school hours or during the day such as noon hour. Fifteen people are needed to charter a Club so organizers target about double that number in the early stages of recruiting. Interactors meet every two weeks and take on at least two community projects for the year. One project should be in their own community and the other should be aimed at furthering international understanding. The name "Interact", has nothing to do with computer hook-ups or banking services, but comes from the words "International Action". Every Interact Club has a sponsoring Rotary Club although it is possible that two Rotary Clubs might combine their resources to sponsor one or more Interact Clubs. Once formed, the Interact Club elects an executive which in turn makes sure a new executive is in place at the end of their term to keep the Club going. Under the watchful eye of their Rotary sponsors, the Club sets it goals and projects, adopts the Interact constitution, and adopts or modifies an appropriate set of by-laws. They should be financially self-supporting but might initially require help from the sponsoring club. Given the nature of high school extra-curricular activity and the number of competing priorities in your average school, it is extremely helpful , if not mandatory, to have a Rotary member in the school as a teacher or principal. This can be a big help with logistical issues.
Rotaract Clubs are for people in the age range from 18 to 30.
This is not only a wide range in terms of years, but it also spans a great diversity in terms of school, work, professional , and business activities. These are young adults and their mobility, ability, and self-direction leads to a different set of dynamics than would be expected from Interactors. Typically, Rotaract Clubs are either University based or community based clubs. While University or College based clubs are easier to target and organize because of the captive audience and relatively homogeneous and concentrated group of people in the correct age range, there are some disadvantages. University students don't necessarily reflect the local community and its needs, they function around the University calendar, they have many competing priorities, and most importantly, there may not be a University or College campus in the territory served by the sponsoring Rotary Club. It may be more difficult to find your target group in a community based club but the obvious sources are the best places to start. This would include the sons and daughters of Rotarians, former RYLA participants, Camp Enterprise graduates, former Rotary exchange students, former Interactors, and other young people who have experienced the work of Rotary in their lives at some point. In some respects Rotaract Clubs have much in common with Interact Clubs. They have a Rotary sponsor, they meet by-weekly, they select their executive and their by-laws, and they adopt a program that includes community and international service projects. Rotaractors, however, also get more involved in professional development and leadership issues. Graduates from these clubs are definitely the Rotarians of the future.
What's so exciting about Interact and Rotaract Clubs is the prospect of bringing idealistic, energetic, and committed young men and women into the Rotary family. These people really want to make a difference in the world and they need to know that they can make a difference. At a recent charter night for a new Interact Club in Brampton, DG Roy Cooper spoke to the group about Rotary on a global scale and pointed out that they were among more than 2,500 Interact Clubs in more than 70 countries world wide. Smiles of pride spread around the room as each person realized they were an integral part of an international organization that not only talks about but really does activities that improve the lives of people all over the world. Let's help to put those smiles on the faces of young people all over the District.
If your Rotary Club is looking for a youth project and your members are willing to give a little quality time to being a sponsor, look closely at Interact and/or Rotaract. As of the date this article is being printed, clubs in Guelph, Burlington, Bolton, Brampton, Oakville, and Mississauga have either started the process of getting a Rotaract or Interact Club going, or at least have a committee in place to determine the feasibility and logistics of sponsoring a club. We could easily have a 1,000% increase in Interact / Rotaract activity in one year. Want to get on board but need some help? Give me a call at 905-632-4688 or Fax to 905-632-8976.
Dave Dean, Rotary Club of Burlington Central, Chairman for 7080 Rotaract /Interact.