Did you know about Rotary’s flag exchange tradition?
Rotary Clubs display their own decorative flags at meetings and events. Rotarians traveling to other countries often take these flags to exchange with the clubs they visit. I was unaware of this tradition and was caught off guard while at a Joint Club meeting in Bangalore, India. This summer during my Rotary club visit to India, I got to experience Rotary’s flag exchange tradition.
The flags often include symbols or images of a club’s town, region, or country and represent their local cultural traditions. There are approximately 20,000 flags in Rotary’s archives that represent each clubs’ hometown pride and their connection to Rotary International.
A fun fact is that exchanging flags became so popular that the Rotary International Board of Directors was concerned about the financial burden on the clubs from this practice. In 1959 the Board urged members to “exercise discretion, moderation, and measured judgment in making provision for such exchanges.”
Fast forward to 2022 and this tradition continues as a way to introduce your club to other clubs and for clubs to express their friendship.
Suraj Balan
President, Exchange Rotary Club of Oklahoma City
President, Exchange Rotary Club of Oklahoma City
