Fact
Rotary Fact About "RIBI":
During WW1, there was little contact between the international clubs, and the British association held the small number of Rotary clubs together in Great Britain, Ireland, and a few other European communities. After WW1, a new Rotary International Constitution was adopted in 1922 that established the principle that whenever a country had 25 Rotary clubs it could become a "territorial unit" and thus have a representative on the RI Board and receive other specific powers. The clubs in Great Britain and Ireland immediately petitioned for and received the status of a territorial unit. No other group in the world made such a request or received that status. In 1927, RI terminated the territorial unit concept and organized Rotary clubs by "areas" of the world. However, all of the "rights, privileges, and powers of existing territorial units" were forever protected and perpetuated. Thus, RIBI has continued to function as an independent unit of Rotary International, subject to certain approvals by the RI Constitution.
-Info. from new member Rotary booklet