Article 1 – Definitions
- Board: The governing council of the RotaKids Club.
- Director: A member of the Board.
- Member: A child aged 7 to 12, officially registered with the club, or aged 6 to 13 where a one-year extension has been approved by the sponsoring Rotary Club in accordance with applicable local law.
- Quorum: The minimum number of members required to be present in order to vote on a decision (50% + 1).
- Sponsor: The Rotary Club that granted the Charter, or, in a co-sponsorship model approved by the District, the designated lead sponsoring Rotary Club acting on behalf of all co-sponsoring Rotary Clubs.
- Rotarian Advisor: A member of the sponsoring Rotary Club, or of one of the co-sponsoring Rotary Clubs, designated to guide, support and supervise the RotaKids Club.
- Faculty Advisor: A teacher or school staff member designated by the school administration to supervise the club's day-to-day activities in a school-based setting.
- Co-sponsoring Rotary Clubs: Two or more Rotary Clubs approved by the District to jointly sponsor one or more RotaKids clubs. In such cases, one lead sponsoring Rotary Club shall be designated for certification, reporting, safeguarding coordination, financial oversight, and communication with the District.
Article 2 - Elections and Terms of Office
- Elections for the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be held annually, preferably in May, so that the term of office begins on 1 July, coinciding with the Rotary year.
- The term of office for any officer is one year. Re-election is permitted provided the age limit has not been exceeded.
- Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot, under the supervision of the Advisor.
Article 3 - Duties of Officers
- President: Chairs meetings, proposes project ideas, and maintains communication with the sponsoring Rotary Club or, where applicable, the designated lead sponsoring Rotary Club.
- Vice-President: Assists the President and assumes the duties of any absent officer, including those of President, Secretary, or Treasurer, as required.
- Secretary: Maintains attendance records, takes notes during meetings, and manages the "Three Wheels Register" (volunteer service hours log).
- Treasurer: Manages the club's small funds (from bake sales or donations) and presents the expenditure report to the Board and the sponsoring Rotary Club.
Article 4 – Meetings
- The club shall meet at least once per month.
- Meetings may be held on school premises (School-Based Model) or at a location designated by the sponsoring Rotary Club (Community-Based Model).
- No meeting shall be deemed official unless the Rotarian Advisor is present (Community-Based Model) or the Faculty Advisor is present (School-Based Model).
- Every meeting shall begin with the RotaKids Pledge.
Article 5 - Projects and Activities
- The club is required to complete at least three service projects per year:
- a) One project benefiting the school or local environment.
- b) One project with regional or national impact.
- c) One project dedicated to international understanding (e.g., End Polio Now).
- All projects shall be identified with the official RotaKids logo, consistent with the visual identity guidelines established in Annex A.
Article 6 - Application of the Merit System (The Gear of Service)
6.1 Badge Structure: The Gear of Service uses a single badge format with two marker systems: three Level Markers positioned at 9 o'clock and three Progress Markers positioned at 3 o'clock. The Level Markers indicate the member's current level, while Progress Markers indicate progress within that level.
6.2 Progression Mechanism: Progress is reflected by filling the three Progress Markers at the Wheel Loading Ceremony. When the third marker is filled, the member receives a Level Completion Certificate and advances to the next badge version.
6.3 Simultaneous Wearing: Members may choose to wear any or all of their earned badges simultaneously as a visible record of their complete journey.
6.4 Wheel Loading Ceremony: The physical filling of circles on the badge shall take place at a formal club meeting, presided by the highest-ranking available officer (Rotary Club President, Advisor, or School Principal).
6.5 District Discretion: Each District RotaKids Committee shall establish the minimum requirements (hours/activities) applicable within its jurisdiction.
Article 7 - Finances
- Membership dues shall not be mandatory. No child may be required or expected to contribute financially.
- All funds raised through Service-Learning projects must be deposited in a dedicated account or managed transparently through the treasury of the sponsoring Rotary Club.
- Funds may be used exclusively for charitable causes or the purchase of materials required for projects.
Article 8 - Safeguarding of Minors
- All club activities shall be conducted under the supervision of a designated adult (Faculty Advisor or Rotarian Advisor). The sponsoring Rotary Club bears responsibility for ensuring adult supervision, written agreements, and parental consent.
- The use of digital platforms by RotaKids members is prohibited without adult supervision and written consent.
- The website provided through rotakids.club shall be administered by an adult designated by the sponsoring Rotary Club.
Article 9 - Adoption and Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the club's members; however, any amendment shall become valid only upon written approval by the Board of Directors of the sponsoring Rotary Club.