What is Rotary?
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, our communities, and ourselves. Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotary’s people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are constantly working to better our world, and stay committed to the end.
What we do
Rotary members believe we have a shared responsibility to act on our world’s most persistent issues. Our 46,000+ clubs work together to:
- Promote peace
- Fight disease
- Provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
- Save mothers and children
- Support education
- Grow local economies
- Protect the environment
The Birth of Rotary
The first Rotary Club was born in Chicago on February 23, 1905, from a group of friends committed to helping others. It was founded by the lawyer Paul P. Harris, who met with three friends, Sylvester Schiele, Gustav E. Loehr and Hiram E. Shorey, respectively, a merchant, an engineer and a craftsman. These four people came from four different sectors and professed four different religions, united simply by an indissoluble bond of friendship. When the fifth member, the printer Harry Ruggles, joined the Club, the name Rotary Club was decided, and Schiele was elected President. The logo was also chosen, a cogwheel, which is the projection of a round table to symbolise equality between the members. In 1989, Rotary International voted to allow women to join. Today, it is an increasingly strong club association which sets itself to address problems of great importance, such as environmental and health issues, illiteracy and hunger in the world.
Rotary International President
Francesco Arezzo is an orthodontist in private practice and owns an agricultural enterprise that produces extra virgin olive oil in Sicily.
Arezzo is a graduate of the University of Padua and a member of the Italian, European, and American orthodontics associations, as well as the Italian and European lingual orthodontics associations. He is a graduate in dentistry from the University of Cagliari, where he also earned a master’s degree in lingual orthodontics.
He has served as vice president of the National Association of Italian Dentists for the province of Ragusa and was the founder and head of the Ragusa delegation to the National Trust for Italy for seven years.
Arezzo is also the owner of an agricultural enterprise and producer of extra virgin olive oil in the Monti Iblei region of Sicily. He has been the vice president of the administrative council of the consortium that controls and regulates the quality production of oil in that region. He owns two boutique hotel settlements there. He enjoys modern art and opera.
A Rotary member for 36 years, Arezzo has served as vice chair of the Joint Strategic Planning Committee and as RI director, chair of the 2023 Melbourne Convention Committee, learning facilitator, and district conference presidential representative, among other roles.
He is married to Anna Maria Arezzo-Criscione, an entrepreneur in the tourism field. They have two daughters and two grandchildren. His daughter Raffaela spent a year in Florida as part of a Rotary Youth Exchange. Francesco and Anna Maria are Benefactors and Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation
Francesco Arezzo – Rotary International President 2025-26
What is the Rotary Foundation?
The Rotary Foundation transforms funds received from donors around the world into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since its founding over 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. With your help, we can improve lives in your community and worldwide.
The Rotary Foundation's Mission.
The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.
What impact can one donation have?
- A child can be protected from polio for as little as 60 euro cents.
- €50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illnesses.
- €500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.
