Section 1 — General Provisions. Each member should attend this club’s regular meetings, or its satellite club’s regular meetings, and engage in this club’s service projects, events, and other activities. A member shall be counted as attending a regular meeting if the member:
- is present in person, by telephone, or online for at least 60 percent of the meeting;
- is present but called away unexpectedly and later presents to the board satisfactory evidence that leaving was reasonable;
- participates in the regular online meeting or interactive activity posted on the club’s website within one week after its posting; or
- makes up the absence in any of the following ways within the same year:
(1) attends at least 60 percent of the regular meeting of another club, a provisional club, or a satellite of another club;
(2) is present at the time and place of a regular meeting or satellite club meeting of another club for the purpose of attending, but that club is not meeting at that time or place;
(3) attends and participates in a club service project or a club-sponsored community event or meeting authorized by the board;
(4) attends a board meeting or, if authorized by the board, a meeting of a service committee to which the member is assigned;
(5) participates through a club website in an online meeting or interactive activity;
(6) attends a regular meeting of a Rotaract or Interact club, Rotary Community Corps, or Rotary Fellowship or of a provisional Rotaract or Interact club, Rotary Community Corps, or Rotary Fellowship; or
(7) attends an RI convention, a council on legislation, an international assembly, a Rotary institute, any meeting convened with the approval of the RI board of directors or the RI president, a multizone conference, a meeting of an RI committee, a district conference, a district training assembly, any district meeting held at the direction of the RI board, any district committee meeting held by direction of the governor, or a regularly announced intercity meeting of clubs.
Section 2 — Extended Absence While Working at a Distance. If a member works on a distant assignment for an extended period of time, attendance at the meetings of a designated club at the site of the assignment replaces attendance at the regular meetings of the member’s club, if the two clubs agree.
Section 3 — Absence Because of Other Rotary Activities. An absence does not require a make-up if, at the time of the meeting, the member is:
- traveling with reasonable directness to or from one of the meetings specified in sub-subsection (1)(d)(7);
- serving as an officer or member of an RI committee or as a TRF trustee;
- serving as the special representative of the governor in forming a new club;
- on Rotary business in the employ of RI;
- directly and actively engaged in a district-sponsored, RI-sponsored, or TRF-sponsored service project in a remote area, where making up attendance is impossible; or
- engaged in Rotary business duly authorized by the board, which precludes attendance at the meeting.
Section 4 — RI Officers’ Absences. An absence shall be excused if the member is a current RI officer or a Rotarian partner of a current RI officer.
Section 5 — Excused Absences. A member’s absence shall be excused if:
- The board approves it for reasons, conditions, and circumstances it considers good and sufficient. Such excused absences shall not last longer than 12 months. However, if a leave is taken for medical reasons, follows the birth or adoption of a child, or takes place during foster care of a child, the board may extend it beyond the original 12 months.
- The sum of the member’s age and years of membership in one or more clubs is 85 years or more, the member has been a Rotarian for at least 20 years, the member has notified the club secretary in writing of a desire to be excused from attendance, and the board has approved.
Section 6 — Attendance Records. When a member whose absences are excused under subsection 5(a) of this article does not attend a club meeting, the member and the absence shall not be included in the attendance records. If a member whose absences are excused under section 4 or subsection 5(b) of this article attends a club meeting, the member and the attendance shall be included in this club’s membership and attendance figures.
Section 7 — Exceptions. The bylaws may include provisions not in accordance with article 10.
