Four Avenues of Service

As a guideline for Rotary Club programmes, RI has developed the Four Avenues of Service for Rotary clubs. They are:

1. Club Service – Rotary’s first Avenue of Service involves actions a Rotarian must take within the club to help it function successfully.
2. Vocational Service – Rotary’s second Avenue of Service. It includes promoting high ethical standards in businesses and professions, recognizing the worthiness of all useful occupations, and fostering the ideal of service in the pursuit of all vocations. The role of the club includes developing projects that help members contribute their talents to meeting society’s needs. The role of Rotarians includes conducting themselves and their businesses in accordance with Rotary principles and responding to projects their clubs develop.
3. Community Service – Rotary’s third Avenue of Service comprises varied efforts that Rotarians make to improve the quality of life within their club’s locality or municipality.
4. International Service – Rotary’s fourth Avenue of Service comprises all the things that a Rotarian can do to advance international understanding, goodwill and peace by getting acquainted with people of other countries, their cultures, customs, accomplishments, aspirations, problems – through personal contacts, travel and attendance at conventions, through reading and correspondence, and through cooperation in all club activities and projects – including those of The Rotary Foundation – that will help people in other lands.

To assist clubs in planning a balanced programme incorporating activities from each of the Four Avenues of Service, RI awards a Presidential Citation to those clubs who meet the annual criteria.