The initial philosophy of Rotary

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Rotary’s original philosophy, as conceived by Paul Harris, was based on a unique balance between community service and professional networking.

The central idea was to create a space where businessmen and professionals could build friendly relationships while helping each other in their respective activities.

Paul Harris firmly believed that these personal connections would foster stronger business ethics and a greater sense of social responsibility.

The pioneers of Rotary thus placed the concept of service at the heart of their project.

Rather than limiting themselves to the sole pursuit of profit, they intended to put their skills and resources at the service of the common good, thus contributing to the improvement of life in their respective cities.

The concept of “Service Above Self” was not yet formalized, but the idea of contributing to the well-being of the community was already present.

The weekly meetings, alternating between members’ workplaces, aimed to promote mutual understanding of different professions and encourage ethical business exchanges.