Prospective, new and even established Active and Honorary Members have questions. Here we try to answer the most common questions and provide empowering solutions. Rotary World - 1.4 million members chartering 46,000 clubs toiling on community service projects in most countries over the last 119 years - is a big, diverse and ever-changing space filled with challenges and opportunities. ​ The first Rotary challenge is becoming an Active Member - a Rotarian. ​ The Rules and Process for Rotary membership is contained in our Club's Constitution and Bylaws and the decisions necessary to bring new Rotarians into the Club are made by our Board and Club members themselves. Here, we will break it down in easy steps - so easy even a Rotary Club President can understand it. ​

A prospective member needs to attend our breakfast meetings - the cornerstone of every Rotary club is THE weekly meeting - come to breakfast and learn what Rotary is doing locally and worldwide. Hopefully between attending a few meetings and talking with members and Club Officers, a prospective member can find a current member to sponsor a new member Nomination. This process should take less than four Club meetings over a month. Show up, have a few free breakfasts on us, make some new friends, see what is going on and find a Sponsor.

The Sponsor needs to submit an Official Nomination to the Membership Committee. The Sponsor needs to collect and submit some basic historical and contact information for the Club to review. The Nomination also includes a short section to disclose any Conflicts of Interest. The Membership Committee will conduct an investigation and interview the Nominee. The Membership Committee shall inform Nominee of their financial and other responsibilities as a member of Rotary and shall sign a similar written agreement. Only after the Nominee agrees in writing shall the Membership Committee consider the Nomination complete and notify the Board and Club for final consideration.

The Board shall only consider Nominations motioned by the Membership Chair. Nomination denials shall be sent to the Sponsor to inform the Nominee. The Board may or may not provide an explanation for any denial. The entire Club membership will be noticed of Board Nomination approvals. Any Active Member may file a written objection with the Board within seven days of notification for additional consideration of any Nomination - hearing no objection the Nominee moves forward with Induction.

Prior to Induction, the Nominee must submit the New Rotarian Induction Form for the Club Secretary and Treasurer. After this information is submitted, a Rotary ID is created and after satisfying any Officer needs, the New Rotarian may be Inducted at a Club ceremony. New Rotarians can expect to be given additional Rotary materials and the assignment of one of Club's Past Presidents as a "Rotary Buddy" to mentor and on-board the new Rotarian into a leading California non-profit organization. During this first year, the Club will find entry level tasks and projects for new Rotarians, in addition to providing access to our Rotary District and Rotary International resources and training.

- Many happy challenges, interesting people, clever opportunities and vast resources await! ​ All prospective and current members are encouraged to review Club Constitution and Bylaws. There is also a "The ABC's of Rotary" primer that outlines Rotary World. - All located at About Us and Club Forms and Information on this website.

Rotary clubs vary, but Merced Sunrise is dedicated to creativity, inclusion, and community. Membership involves costs to support these activities. Types of Membership: Honorary Members No annual dues; pay $20 per meal. Nominated by Board only for community service or significant contributions. No voting rights. Active Members Nominated by existing Club member. Have annual costs divided into these categories: Dues $200/year for Rotary International, District, and Club. Members on leave still owe this amount. Meals $460/year for estimated 47 breakfasts. Alternatively, opt out of meal costs with Dues of $306/year. Extra meals for member and guests are $20 each. Fines $100/year, collected informally for various life events, supporting Club operations. Giving $100/year suggested minimum donation to The Rotary Foundation. Many contribute more; lifetime $10,000 donors are recognized. Fundraising Participate in the annual Shrimp Feed. Responsibilities include donating a raffle item or $50, and selling tickets ($65 each). Additional fundraising may be requested. Costs: Standard Active Membership: Approximately $910/year ($660 dues and meals, $100 fines, $100 giving, and $50 fundraising). Quarterly invoices add $40, totaling $950/year. No Meals Option: $306/year for dues, plus $20 per meal when ordered. Family Membership A discounted plan where each family member pays $200 in dues and shares a single $100 fine. One member can choose the regular dues and meals option and share the meal . This is a general 38% savings compared to separate memberships.

From time to time Active Members need to take a Leave. Since Rotary is a service organization it is important that all members understand their presence at weekly breakfasts, regional Rotary events and service projects is the foundation of any healthy club - it matters when you are missing. Club bylaws allows for members to request a six month Leave of Absence. Up until the Board approves this Leave the Active Member is responsible for all their financial and service obligations. Members on approved Leave of Absence will be placed on the Meal Exception list with their Dues changing to $200 per annum and paying the $12 meal rate as needed. Meals already paid shall not be refunded. Members on approved Leave of Absence are financially responsible for their dues, fines, Giving and ticket sales at all times. Leave only exempts an active member from attendance. Honorary members do not need to ask for a Leave of Absence.

Paul Harris, an Illinois attorney, founded the club that became the humanitarian organization Rotary International in 1905. A member is recognized as a Paul Harris Society (PHS) Fellow with a special gold pin and related notation in Rotary records when they donate $1,000 to Rotary International. Each additional $1,000 in Giving is equally recognized as PHS+1, +2, +3, etc. Each increase is also recognized with a new unique pin. The Club is generally recognized as a 100% Paul Harris Society Club - meaning all members are recognized as PHS Fellows due to the Club's historical Giving. The Club typically uses its resources to make all new members PHS Fellows with the expectation that each new member will follow suit with material Giving. The Club's Foundation Chair assists members in these matters.

s a member of Merced Sunrise Rotary, we encourage all members to get involved. Contact the current Club President to find out what the needs of the Board are. The formal Board is composed of the following roles and responsibilities; ​ Officers Immediate Past President President President-Elect Vice President Secretary Treasurer ​ Directors Club Service Community Service International Service Vocational Service Youth Services ​ Chairs Foundation (Giving) Membership Public Image Merced Field of Honor Club Presidents first proceed through the Vice President and President-Elect roles and then are appointed as the Immediate Past President - each as a one year appointment. Other Officer roles are two year appointments, with other roles being one year commitments. More information is available in the Club Bylaws posted on this website. ​

Choosing to “ring the bell” is a $50 contribution towards each member’s $100.00 annual contribution towards club operations.

The major fundraisers in which ALL Sunrise Rotary members are expected to volunteer are the Shrimp Feed (March) and the Merced Field of Honor (November). Members are welcome to volunteer to be a part of each events planning committee.

The marble game is held at the weekly meeting with the proceeds raised going to Club operations. Tickets are $1 each or six tickets for $5. Each marble has a meaning. Clear = $1, Black = $10, Green = Jackpot (amount varies).

Yes. Family members are always welcome to attend a membership meeting. Members will be invoiced later with no cash or credit payment accepted at the time of breakfast. The Club Secretary and Treasurer monitor meals and charge accordingly. Members are urged to settle accounts each month.

Members can attend other area Rotary meetings (i.e. Merced, Atwater, etc.) or Club meetings (i.e. Board meeting, committee meeting, etc.) and either convey the attendance to the Club Secretary or login to DACdb and enter the attendance makeup.

DACdb ("District And Club database") is a mandatory website for Rotary members to input their contact information, view Rotary info on all clubs, communicate, register for events and training, etc. One can access a Sunrise Rotary membership directory as well as other club directories. Once an individual becomes a member, they should login to DACdb to upload a head-shot photo and complete their contact information. This is important because electronic communication with members is done through DACdb. (www.dacdb.com)

P-mail is the e-mail system that is available through DACdb. Club notices may be e-mailed out to Sunrise Rotary members via P-mail (depends on President/Secretary) which uses the e-mail listed in each members DACdb profile. It is important to maintain an updated profile for proper contact.

Rotary International, also known as "RI" is the headquarters for all 33,000 Rotary clubs operating globally. All members should create a profile with RI at https://my.rotary.org/en. Here membership can do many things; subscribe to the electronic edition of the Rotarian magazine, search for any one of the 1.2 million Rotarians organized globally, make a tax deductible donation and track your Giving, enter important information about the Club's activities and learn more about the Rotary Zone and District, and access critical tools and media resources to enhance the Club.

Members can create an account and log in to www.my.rotary.org. Visit the “Give” section of the website to choose the causes to donate towards. Members can also view their donor history on this site. Each member is expected to contribute a minimum amount of $100 per year. The contribution can be given in one payment or through monthly payments that are automatically withdrawn.

Rotary branded items - shirts, jackets, pins, hats, awards, etc can be purchased from The Russell Hampton Company (www.russellhampton.com). There are other vendors as well. The Club maintains an account with Russell Hampton and purchases many Club items from there.

Rotary International: www.rotary.org Rotary District 5220: www.rotary5220.org Merced Sunrise Rotary: www.mercedsunriserotary.org Merced Field of Honor: www.mercedfieldofhonor.org

All members are encouraged to be a part of the shrimp feed planning. Contact the Shrimp Feed chairperson (President-Elect) to get involved.

Yes. Each Sunrise Rotary member has a commitment to sell tickets. New members should sell 5 tickets and all other members will be asked to sell a minimum of 15 tickets. Plus contribute a minimum of $50.00 or an item that is valued at $50 or more towards the raffle. All members shall fully volunteer for this principal annual fundraiser.

Every member is assigned a "table" based on the number of tickets they sell. Some members sell nearly 100 tickets and have many connected tables, other new members their first five and have one table. The Club provides basic table items such as tablecloths, plates, napkins, etc, wherein each "Table Captain/Member" has an opportunity to uniquely dress-up their table for the big event. Table decorating is a friendly competition each year when typically our District Governor judges the best decorated table in the Club. Some members have been known to post large candelabras, St. Patrick's, sports teams, and cowboy themed tables. Flowers and place-settings can also complement simple snacks brought for guests. While not mandatory, members do find the process creates a personal and inviting space and a good conversation starter with new guests and visitors.

Rotarians wear aprons with their names and the Rotary logo on them at the Shrimp Feed. They are ordered prior to the shrimp feed. Members will receive order forms beforehand from the shrimp feed chairperson (President-Elect).

The purpose of the Table Captain is to assist the Club in providing a “quality experience” at the Shrimp Feed. By acting as a host/hostess for our guests, we make them feel welcome, and they will want to return the following year. The Table Captains are usually a spouse, significant other, family member or friend over the age of 21. The reason for this is that they will be able to bring the wine to the table(s).

Like the annual Shrimp Feed, all members are expected to volunteer for MFOH. The events starts with planning in July after the Club President appoints one or more Chairpersons. These Chairs then select and organize members and other volunteers for the November event. This event lasts a week to 10 days. Contact the appointed Chair or Club President to learn what roles are needed. The event grows and changes each year.

MFOH operates for approximately two weeks (depending on where Veteran’s Day falls in the calendar). You are asked to participate in the initial set-up and final tear-down. Historically, the Field posts more than 1400 American flags in addition to other displays. Other volunteer activities include; hosting Opening and Closing Ceremonies, other special speaker and night-time events, fundraising, meal-preparation, volunteer organizing, equipment set-up, selling and preparing flags for display, running flags or escorting visitors onto and off the Field. Each member should prepare to work six hours on different shifts on at least two days physically at the Field during the event in addition to other efforts.

Just ask another member. So much of Rotary is about learning by doing. Service clubs in general are volunteer organizations - members change, leaders change, technology changes, as does our patrons and their needs each year. Contact us for more information, and if you are interested in Rotary the best advice is to just invite yourself to our weekly breakfast meeting - it's that simple.