Vocational Service

Happy New Year and thank you for taking your time to read this article. As we start the New Year it only seems fitting that it is also Vocational Service Month, a month that we can work on making some resolutions, not just for ourselves, but also our Rotary Club Members.

On a faithful day in 1905, four men from different classifications came together to form what is now called Rotary International. I personally like to think of Rotary as the first business networking group ever formed in the United States of America.

 

Vocational Service has long been a part of our great history and one that we seem not to use as much anymore. So why not make a resolution to our wonderful Rotary Club Members and highlight what is considered after family, the second most important thing in  one’s life. After all, if it wasn’t for our vocations, we may never have joined Rotary. If we didn’t make money in our vocations, then we might not give to the Foundation. And when we look at our clubs from the outside, we see a wide diversity of ages and classifications, which helps in our brand. If you didn’t know we are the only non-profit service organization in the world that highlights Vocational Service. I hope you have had a chance to read the Objects of Rotary and see how much vocational service is listed.

And then there is our ever loved Four-Way Test. It was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. He created the test for the employees, in checking proposed plans, policies, statements and advertising. Not surprisingly the company paid off their debts in full and continued to gain success for many years after. Rotary adopted the Four-Way Test in 1943 and it has become words we live by, words that are embedded in our hearts.

So I challenge you, my Rotary family, to find ways to celebrate your members and their careers. Use what once was the only reason those 4 great men met each week. After all, our members that are working have faced some of the most challenging times they have ever seen.

So how can you do that? Well, I have more than one idea...

And the most important one... talk to your members and ask them how they are doing, go grab a coffee or even bring coffee to their workplace. Members are what makes us strong and we need to be there for them as much as they are there for us.

 

There are many benefits to being a Rotarian, networking, partnership in business and a well- balanced life just to name a few. We also offer fabulous training. It is not just for your clubs but also in Rotary District 5190 most, if not all, of the training can be a wonderful resource for your businesses too. I personally have grown beyond my hopes and the training has helped me be a better leader in my business. Remember our Rotarians make great sacrifices to be there for Rotary, lets celebrate them and help them in any form we can.

If you want to hear more ideas or would like to invite me to speak at your club, I would be beyond honored, so please send me an email to stacyd5190@gmail.com.

Happy New Year and as our founder Paul Harris said in 1912: “Of all the hundred and one ways in which men can make themselves useful to society, undoubtedly the most available and often the most effective are within the spheres of their own occupations.”