Definition of the terms
INFORMATION
The standard understanding of these terms may differ from the Rotarian definitions.
Members = active members + guests members + prospects + other contacts
Active member
Member of the community in his own club. One person can be member in only one club (home unit). The home unit is highlighted in blue, guest units in yellow.
Member list on the website
Guest member (Guests)
Member of the community who has been invited to another club, District or another organization. Guest members take part in club life and can participate in committees, but cannot hold a position on the board. You can be a guest member of several clubs. Being a guest member is not a status, but a relationship with another organization. The organizations in which a member is a guest are highlighted in yellow in his/her profile.
Prospect
Member of a club before final admission. A candidate's membership lasts for a maximum of one year. The candidate may not take on any function on the board or in a committee.
Other contact
A person who is not a member of the community (neither Rotary, Rotaract nor Interact or InnerWheel). For example, a member's widow/widower, an interested person, the manager of the restaurant where the club holds its meetings, a member's assistant who helps the member fulfill his or her duties (secretary), and so on. This person may not hold a position on the board, but may hold a position on a committee and/or assume one of the roles of club administrator.
Visitor
Active member who participates in an event in a club other than his/her own, whether in his/her own country or abroad. Unlike a guest, the visitor has no relationship to this club.
Honorary Membership
According to Art 4.010 and 4.050 Manual of Procedure 2016 an honorary member can only be a Rotarian guest from another club or a non-Rotarian. In other words: an active member cannot be an RI honorary member of his own club!
Many clubs have a different practice and also grant honorary membership to their own active members. To make this possible, Polaris distinguishes between two types of honorary membership:
RI Honorary membership (according to RI rules)
A club can honor a guest or other contact person by awarding RI Honorary Membership.Local Honorary Membership (according to local rules)
When a club grants this honorary membership to one of its members, this honorary membership will only appear in Polaris. He or she cannot be reported to RI as an Honorary member because it violates RI policy. A local honorary member must be an active member of his club and is included in the number of members taken into account by RI for the calculation of the club’s RI fee.
NOTE
Many Rotarians do not understand this rule. However, it is not in our power to change the RI rules. We can only refer these persons to the Manual of Procedure. See also detailed article about Honorary Membership.