Rotarians from all over the world, including our representative, Past District 7070 Governor Bill Mackay, met in Chicago, Illinois, USA 13-17 April to vote on the rules governing Rotary clubs. Representatives considered more than 75 proposals. The Council approved an increase in the dues that all members pay to Rotary International each year through 2028-29. The Board argued the increases were needed to keep providing valuable programs and services to members. The Council also approved allowing clubs to charter with as few as 15 members instead of 20. Read a summary of the proposals and see preliminary vote totals. ....
About 480 Rotary members from around the world, each representing a single Rotary district, are gathering this week at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, Illinois, USA, for the 2025 Council on Legislation. They will vote on 78 proposals to change Rotary International’s constitutional documents.
“This Council represents the heart of Rotary’s democratic process and the best of our international spirit,” said Rotary International President Stephanie A. Urchick at the opening session. “The gathering is one of Rotary’s most powerful expressions of multiculturalism. Here, voices from every corner of the globe come together – not to compete, but to collaborate.”
The Council on Legislation, which meets every three years, is Rotary's version of a congress. Representatives selected by their districts gather to consider proposals designed to move Rotary forward and adapt to the changing times.
Follow this year’s coverage below
Daily recaps
Download preliminary voting results
Monday, 14 April
Representatives approved a measure to decrease the number of members needed to charter a new Rotary club from 20 to 15. Supporters said it would remove barriers to starting new clubs and help Rotary grow and expand its reach. The Council also defeated a pair of measures to set an age limit for Rotaractors. Opponents cited the low number of current Rotaractors over the age of 40 in arguing that limits were unnecessary and said such restrictions could force members out of Rotary.
They also rejected limiting the number of honorary members a club can have to 5% of the club’s active membership. Opponents noted that many clubs use honorary membership to stay in contact with former members, many of them longtime Rotarians with valuable expertise to offer.
Tuesday, 15 April
After 45 minutes of debate, the Council approved an increase in the dues that every member pays to Rotary International of US$3.50 in the first year and US$3.75 in the following two years. Supporters said the increase is needed to meet rising costs and continue providing essential resources and services to clubs. They said that the dues increase is below the inflation rate, indicating that RI is working to cut costs and manage revenues responsibly. Opponents felt that dues increases may hurt membership and wanted more transparency from RI about what cost-cutting has been done.
Representatives also approved a measure allowing the Board to test additional new governance models in districts beyond those approved by the Council three years ago. A governance pilot is currently being tested in districts in RIBI, New Zealand, and Australia, with some modest success in membership growth. Supporters noted that the system in which governors oversee districts dates back to the early days of Rotary. They argue that trying new governance models can help Rotary adapt to future needs and train and develop new leaders.
In another measure, representatives agreed to allow the Board to consider factors such as culture and language, not just the number of Rotarians, in deciding zone boundaries.
Wednesday, 16 April
Representatives voted to require that the five-year financial forecast presented at the beginning of each Council include updates on specific process improvements and cost-reduction measures taken by RI. Several representatives wanted RI to provide more details about cost reductions to justify any increase in dues.
In a similar measure, the Council approved commissioning a regular professional analysis of processes and cost structures in RI’s administration. They declined to require, however, that Rotary’s annual report include an itemized list of every expense over US$1 million.
After considerable debate, the Council voted to make holding a district conference optional.