Membership | PAURotary

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

The Palo Alto University Rotary Club was founded in 1988. We are a diverse group of professionals and community leaders who live and/or work in the Palo Alto-Stanford Mid-Peninsula area & adjacent communities who are addressing a wide range of community and international service needs. Rotary club members help promote peace and understanding throughout the world through service and fellowship. Our 85 members are our most important asset– the power that allows Rotary to carry out its many humanitarian efforts and achieve its mission. The club is part of Rotary International which was founded in 1905 as the world’s first service club. Today, Rotary International is comprised of approximately 35,000 clubs and 1.4 million members.

The benefits of joining the Palo Alto University Rotary Club include participation in local and international service projects, fellowship, intellectual stimulation, educational speakers, business networking, and the joy of helping others. The club offers direct outreach programs and supports partner programs with youth, seniors, and others in need, plus
health care, education, the environment, civil discourse, and economic development.

The PAUR is a service-oriented organization. We encourage our members to find ways to give back both to the club and to the community, internationally and vocationally. One of the unique ways Rotary chooses projects is to see if they will pass the Four-Way Test. This test has been translated into more than 100 languages for Rotary Clubs all over the world. As stated in the Rotary Club's guiding principles, the Four-Way Test is:

Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all?

PAUR Rotarians are business, professional and community leaders who take active roles in the local Community and around the World. PAUR membership provides the opportunity to:

Become better connected to the community.
Work with others in addressing community needs.
Interact with other professionals in the community from the health effects of fellowship.
Assist with RI’s international humanitarian service efforts.
Establish contacts with an international network of professionals.
Develop leadership skills.
Involve your family in community service efforts.
Hear from thought-provoking speakers.
Benefit from the health effects of fellowship.

PAUR Members Responsibilities and Club Expectations

Pay annual dues, meeting expenses, and contribute to club funding resources needed for our club’s service projects.
Attend weekly Friday breakfast club meetings at 7:30 A.M. at the
attendance, including attending the regular meeting of another Palo Alto Sheraton Hotel. Opportunities exist to make up your Rotary Club, online makeups, Rotary events, and committee meeting attendance. PAUR also offers a hybrid Zoom, Friday meeting connection.

Attend various other Rotary events or participate in ongoing Club/Area/District service projects.
Participate in local or international activities or projects of a minimum of one committee and one monthly event/activity. Every new member is expected to participate in a minimum of one committee and one monthly event/activity. We are a Service Organization.
Aspire to leadership or committee roles in the club.

Becoming a Member

Rotary, through its membership criteria, selects people who are
achievers, specifically those who have had positions of responsibility and leadership, and would be able to contribute their time, talent, and resources to the kinds of service projects that Rotary undertakes.

A person being considered for membership is invited by a current member/sponsor to attend at least three club meetings to learn more about Rotary and the Palo Alto University Rotary Club specifically. The sponsor may then submit the name of the candidate to the club’s Membership Committee.

An individual who is interested in membership but doesn’t know any of our Rotarians can contact the club directly through its website:
PAURotary.com (aka: www.PaloAltoUniversityRotaryClub.com).

Qualifications for Membership

Any person proposed for membership must meet certain qualifications
as follows:

Hold (or be retired from) a professional, proprietary, executive,

managerial, or community position.

Have demonstrated a commitment to service through personal

involvement.

Members must be an adult person of good character and good business or professional reputation and the Candidate must personally be actively engaged/retired from the business or profession in which they will be classified in the Club and their business or residence must be in the territory of our Club or of a neighboring Club.

Before making a formal application, it is required that the prospective member be invited to attend three meetings as “A guest of the Club”. This process gives the candidate a chance to “look us over”, and also gives the member a chance to explain to the guest something of what our Rotary Club is and does.

Proposing a Candidate for Membership

If a candidate is interested and qualified, they should be proposed in
writing to the Club Membership Committee, using our “Membership
Application” covering their personal data, along with a “Sponsor’s
Form” covering their eligibility and proposed classification, that will be
provided, reviewed, and submitted by their sponsor. These forms are
available from the Membership Committee Chair. The fact that a
member intends to propose a person should be kept confidential until
the application is accepted and not announced to the Club, to avoid
embarrassment should the person not be accepted.

Once the application is passed through the Membership Committee,
The Club’s Board of Directors will then review all forms. If any
questions or objections are raised, the Membership Committee Chair
will investigate and report back to the Board. Ultimately, the Board will
approve or disapprove the application for further processing. Assuming
no objection is received, and upon paying the required Rotary
International dues and Club Operations fees, the candidate is considered elected to membership.

When approved, the next step is for the sponsor and the prospective
member to attend an orientation session covering the principles of
Rotary, and the privileges and obligations of membership. At the

conclusion of the orientation session, the prospective member will be
asked to reaffirm their interest in joining the Club and give permission
for their name and other pertinent data to be published to the
membership.