Rotary clubs added 54,939 members to their rolls in the 2001-02 Rotary year,
bringing net membership worldwide to 1,243,431, a 4.6 percent increase over the
previous year and the best one-year growth ever. More than 1,100 Rotary clubs
were chartered in the year ending 30 June 2002, bringing the net total to 31,256
clubs in 163 countries.
The greatest percentage membership growth was in Asia, where Bangladesh,
India, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand registered double-digit
percentage increases. Membership in Rotary clubs in India grew almost 18
percent, for a net gain of 14,209 members, making the country the world leader
in the number of new Rotarians.
Indicative of Rotary dynamism in the region, the Rotary Club of Daegu-Eagle,
Korea, which was chartered on 12 July 2001 with 25 members, grew to a membership
of 173 in less than a year and sponsored another new club, the Rotary Club of
Daegu-Banya, in May 2002.
Growth occurred in virtually every area of the world. Besides India, 10 other
countries with at least 2,000 Rotarians each netted more than 1,000 members last
year. They were: the United States, 8,618; Korea, 7,398; Philippines, 2,929;
Italy, 2,495; Brazil, 2,166; Germany, 1,971; Nigeria, 1,637; Bangladesh, 1,577;
England, 1,429; and Turkey, 1,272.
A major impetus for the growth was Rotary's Global Quest, the campaign that
called for each Rotary club to induct at least one member a month, with a
minimum net gain of five members for the year. It also asked each district to
form a minimum of three new clubs.
The five districts that led the way in raising membership levels and
organizing new clubs were 3150 (India), 3260 (India), 3700 (Korea), 3790
(Philippines), and 9140 (Nigeria). The top 10 clubs were Bareilly North,
Cuddalore Central, Green Woods-Yellandu, Jaggayyapet, Mangalore East, Murwara,
all in India; Sentul, Malaysia; Uttara, Bangladesh; Daegu-Eagle, Korea; and
Paranaque-Lakambini, Philippines.
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