Council On Legislation

D9400 COL Representative 2019 - Dec 2025 PDG Annie Steijn
 
 
 
 
 
2022 COUNCIL ON RESOLUTIONS OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
REPORT OF ACTION
 
 
 
 
 
COL 2021
Highlights of RI Board decisions taken.
The Board designated reaffirmed its policy that no in-person Rotary meeting or event shall be mandatory for any participant who may feel uncomfortable attending because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Programs and Awards
The Board made several changes to its policy regarding the president’s representative program to strengthen the requirements for serving as a representative, increase representative training, and to better provide for feedback on how the program can best provide value to Rotarians;
 
amended its policy to allow for the use of the Rotary Marks in the promotion of the Programs of Scale projects by Programs of Scale awardees.
 
Administration and Finances
The Board considered several opportunities to adjust its travel costs and
the Strategic Planning Committee will only meet virtually;
to adjust 2021–22 directors’ allocation budget by an additional 10 percent;
 
to adjust the president’s 2021–22 airfare budget—including the president’s special representatives’ budget—by 17 percent;
 
to adjust the president-elect’s 2021–22 airfare budget—including the special representatives of the president-elect’s budget—by 21 percent;
 
to adjust the 2021–22 president’s representatives to district conferences budget by 10 percent;
 
to adjust individual regional leader and assistant coordinator allocations by 10 percent;
 
programs, meetings, and events, made several amendments to its travel policy, including:
 
agreeing that governors-elect and governors-nominee may be reimbursed by their district governor funding to attend GETS/GNTS and that governors may use district governor funding to attend Rotary Institutes;
 
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change.
We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.
 
COL 2022 - ENACTMENTS
A Hybrid meeting was held in Chicago from the 10th to the 14th of April 2022.
163 Representatives attended online and 475 in person in Chicago and 92 Enactments were dealt with over this period.    Quite a few were withdrawn or failed.
A few that stood out was the following:
TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION
Article 4 – Membership
To add equity and inclusion to diversity.
 
Article 5 – Membership
That a member no longer need to work or reside in the locality of their club.
 
Article 13 – Membership
That membership shall automatically terminate when a member no longer meets the membership qualifications.
 
TO AMEND RI BYLAWS
 
Article 18 – Fiscal matters
Club dues per capita to RI for each member.
US $35.50 per half year in 2022-2023
US $36.50 per half year in 2023-2024
US $37.50 per half year in 2024-2025
US $38.50 per half year in 2025-2026
 
Article 15 – District
Eliminating and changing boundaries.
The Board may change the boundaries of a district with fewer than 20 clubs or 1100 Rotarians or merge clubs in these districts with adjacent districts, or divide a district with more than 100 clubs or 5400 Rotarians.
TO AMEND STANDARD CLUB CONSTITUTION
 
Article 10 – Attendance
The sum of a members age and years of membership in one or more clubs is 85 years or more, the member has been a Rotarian for at least 20 years, the member has notified the club secretary in writing of a desire to be excused from attendance, only these requirements are taken into consideration.
 
 
COL 2022 - RESOLUTIONS
Highlights of RI Board decisions taken.
  • 22R-01 - Senior members to be encouraged to increase their level of engagement with new members.
 
  • 22R-03 - Minimum members to sponsor a club lowered from 20 to 15.
 
  • 22R-04 - Retired professionals allowed to add the word “retired” to their classification in Rotary’s member database.
 
COL 2023 - RESOLUTIONS
In October 2023 RI Board of Directors met reviewing 13 committee reports and recorded 48 decisions of which a few are:
Affecting Club and District
A worldwide membership growth goal was set for 1 250 000 members by 1 July 2030 in celebration of Rotary’s, 125th Anniversary.
Affecting Programs and Awards
  • Effective 1 July 2024 to change the name of the Rotary Citation to the Club Excellence Award.
  • A new strategic partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme was approved.
 
Meetings
The preliminary program of events and activities for the 2025 RI Convention was accepted.
Administration and Finances
  • Agreed to eliminate the creation of an annual presidential theme and logo starting in Rotary year 2025-26.
  • Remove the requirement to hold an Annual District Conference.
  • Remove mandatory reports from the Rotary Institute in order to make Institutes optional.
  • Amend the process for removing a Governor for cause.
  • Amend the process for determining per capita dues.
  • Amend the titles of president-elect training seminar and district training assembly.
 
COL 2023 - RESOLUTIONS
In January 2024 RI reviewed the 2023 Resolutions and recorded the following decisions.
23R-05 - Decisions by the Board on Age Limit for Rotaract Club Admission 
  1. The Rotary Code of Polices section 12.010.3. allows for Rotaract clubs to establish upper age limits “provided that the club obtains the concurrence of its members and records it in their bylaws,” does not agree to adopt a policy that mandates the setting of an upper age limit for all Rotaract clubs.
 23R-06 - Decisions by the Board on Duties and Responsibilities of Rotaract Representatives
  1. Rotary Code of Policies is amended regarding the role of district Rotaract representative as follows:
 
  1.  Sponsorship
  1. A Rotaract club is established following the notification of the district Rotaract representative, the endorsement approval of the governor, and upon certification and recognition by Rotary International. Its existence depends upon continued recognition by Rotary International.
 
  1. Rotaract District Meetings and Activities
The district Rotaract representative in conjunction with other district leaders, should:
  1.  Develop and distribute a district Rotaract newsletter.
  2. Support and implement leadership training.
  3. Conduct Rotaract promotion and extension activities throughout the district.
  4. Plan and implement service activities (if approved by three-fourths of the Rotaract clubs in the district).
  5. Provide advice and support to Rotaract clubs in implementing their projects.
  6. Help coordinate joint Rotary-Rotaract activities in the district.
  7. Coordinate public relations activities for Rotaract at the district level.
  8. Plan and implement a training session for Rotaract club officers in the district.
  9. Assist in establishing new Rotaract clubs.
23R-09 - Decisions by the Board on Purpose and Methods of Regionalization Pilot Projects Implementation
  1. To date there has not been a comprehensive communications plan on the pilots to share information with Rotary members in all regions, requests the general secretary to develop and implement a communications strategy regarding the regionalization pilot projects, including their purpose and progress.
23R-25 - Decisions by the Board on Updates on Process Improvements and Cost Savings Taken by RI 
Process improvement initiatives and cost-saving measures are ongoing and constant at all levels of Rotary; that implementation of these efforts is regularly reviewed by the Board, RI and TRF committees, and the general secretary; and that regular communications of Rotary’s operations is provided on Rotary.org, in Board and Trustee minutes, at Rotary institutes, and in the general secretary’s report to the Rotary International Convention, among other outlets, does not believe that a separate report is necessary. 
COUNCIL ON LEGISLATION TIMELINE
2022 Council  
Proposed enactments are due to RI                                                 31 December 2020
Proposed legislation is published                                     30 September 2021
Council on Legislation meets                                            During April 2022
Report of Action is distributed                                            During June 2022