The head table's seating order changes depending on the type of event. Below are the four situations covered by the Protocol Guide.

Regular gathering

Head table seating order for a regular club meeting:

  1. Rotaract Club President
  2. Guest speaker
  3. District Representative
  4. Speaker's spouse/partner
  5. Partner Rotary Club President
  6. Partner Rotary Club President's spouse/partner
  7. Partner Rotary Club's Rotaract liaison officer
  8. District Secretary
  9. Other officers
  10. Other officers

(set up secondary "tables of honour" where needed)

The rectangular table

A rectangular head table must be arranged so that guests seated at it never have their backs to the guests in the room — the same rule applies to a "horseshoe" layout, wherever the room allows it.

Note: in a room with limited space, the head table must at least seat: the President, any Presidents attending in interclub, the guest speaker, and the District Representative and/or Zone Delegate (or whoever stands in for them).

District Representative's visit

The District Representative's official visit is one of the most important moments for a Club.

  • It is usually preceded by a meeting between the Club Board and the District Representative;
  • The Prefect may buy a small gift for the District Representative, on the Club's behalf and at its expense;
  • Club and District pennants are exchanged between the District Representative and the Club President;
  • At the head table, the District Representative sits to the President's right.

Head table seating order

  1. Rotaract Club President
  2. District Representative
  3. Partner Rotary Club President
  4. Partner Rotary Club President's spouse/partner
  5. Youth Action Committee Chair
  6. Youth Action Committee Chair's spouse/partner
  7. Rotary Liaison Officer for Rotaract
  8. Partner Rotary Club's Rotaract Advisor
  9. District Secretary
  10. District Treasurer
  11. Zone Delegate

Note: when the authorities present outnumber the head table's seats, set up secondary "tables of honour", or seat them in the front row and call on them individually for a welcome. Each table of honour should have someone representing the Club present (e.g. a Past President or Vice President).

Interclub

The host club's Prefect is primarily responsible for organizing an interclub event.

  • The banners of all participating clubs must be on display; at formal gatherings, all Presidents wear their collar;
  • The organizing club's President sits at the centre of the head table: the guest speaker to their right, and (if present) the District Representative to their left;
  • Next come the interclub Presidents, alternating left and right, then the Rotarian authorities, then the presidents of the other clubs present, in order of their club's founding date;
  • Handover ceremonies can also take place in interclub settings: in that case, the Presidents involved are seated by their club's founding date, with the oldest club's President placed as close to the centre as possible.

Head table seating order

  1. Rotaract Club President (host)
  2. Interclub partner club President
  3. Other Rotaract Club Presidents present
  4. District Representative
  5. District Secretary
  6. District Treasurer
  7. District Prefect
  8. Zone Delegate
  9. Other officers
  10. Other officers

Handover Ceremony

The Handover Ceremony is the last club gathering of the Rotary year, during which the outgoing President passes the torch to the incoming President.

  • The outgoing President takes the central seat at the head table; the incoming President sits to their right, and the other officers follow in order of precedence;
  • After receiving the collar from the outgoing President, the incoming President speaks and introduces their team;
  • At the end of the gathering, the bell's gavel is held by both Presidents together.

Head table seating order

  1. Outgoing Rotaract Club President
  2. Incoming Rotaract Club President
  3. Outgoing District Representative
  4. Incoming District Representative
  5. Outgoing Vice District Representative
  6. Incoming Vice District Representative
  7. Past District Representative
  8. District Representative-elect
  9. Outgoing Zone Delegate
  10. Incoming Zone Delegate

See also