Code of Policies General Principles regarding Travel, Meetings and Events   

·       The health and safety of all participants in Rotary programs, meetings, and events is of paramount importance. 

·       All conveners and organizers of Rotary meetings and events shall fully comply with all health and safety rules in effect in that location. 

·       No in-person Rotary meeting or event shall be mandatory for any participant who may feel uncomfortable attending because of the pandemic.   

·       All conveners and organizers of Rotary meetings and events are strongly encouraged to consider all health concerns in deciding whether to hold in-person meetings.  

·       All travelers must adhere to all risk mitigation protocols required or recommended by local authorities.  

Essential Travel   

Until 31 December 2021, Rotary will only fund travel that is essential to Rotary’s business operations. Travel is essential if  

a.     it is mission-critical for Rotary business;  

b.     it cannot be conducted without in-person interaction or without visit(s) to a specific location(s);  

c.     the purpose and intended outcomes of the travel are dependent upon the presence of the funded traveler(s) at the in-person meeting/location.  
 

Essential travel includes:  

·       Travel by the president, president-elect, trustee chair, trustee chair-elect and their spouses; 

·       Travel related to the Polio global initiative; 

·       Travel by volunteers whose attendance is required where the meeting/event cannot accomplish its goals or be successful without the in-person presence of that traveler (for example, travel by a convener to an event is essential, while travel by a particular speaker to an event is not essential; spouse or partner travel to an event, other than the convener’s, is not considered essential);  

·       Travel by students and Rotary Peace Fellows who have secured proper documentation to enter their intended destination country or to return home;  

·       Travel by a director and trustee within his or her own assigned zones to the extent permitted by applicable local governmental regulations;  

·       Travel by a regional leader within his or her own assigned region to the extent permitted by applicable local government regulations;  

·       Travel by a governor within his or her district to the extent permitted by applicable local governmental regulations. 

 

Expenses associated with any required periods of quarantine for a traveler, either before or after travel, will not be funded by Rotary. Personal travel shall not be approved in conjunction with any Rotary-funded travel through 30 September 2021.