Vocational Service Month

For most active and engaged Rotarians, Vocational Service is a way of life.

High ethical standards in our business interactions, respecting the merit of other professions, and recognizing every occupation as an opportunity to serve the greater good is so much a part of Rotary’s DNA rooted in the Object of Rotary.

When we share what we do - and care about what others do, when we use our professional skills as volunteers in our community, and when we mentor others, we are performing vocational service. This mindset and motivation is what sets Rotary apart from other membership driven volunteer organizations.

We don’t talk much about “classification”, but this is a starting point to membership. The premise is that each Rotary Club’s membership should represent a cross-section of its business and professional community – historically - Rotary’s original four consisted of a lawyer (Paul Harris), a mining engineer (Gus Loehr), a merchant tailor (Hiram Storey), and a coal dealer (Silvester Schiele). This strategy for membership assures diversity in experiences and perspectives positioning each Rotary club to have an informed perspective on the needs and advantages of where they live.

Rotary International – as a corporate entity – carries a social responsibility toward the community and environment in which it operates. This is summed up by our commitment to transparency in governance, stewardship of financial resources and the environment, and fair labor practices – all pillars of Positive Peace.

Rotary’s guiding principals emphasize the importance of vocation not only as “livelihood” but as an opportunity to maximize talent and benefit society. That is why – if we are doing it right - it is within our clubs that members find opportunities for leadership development that they might not find elsewhere.

How will your club celebrate Vocational Month? Let us know by applying for an online interview to be aired on our District 6650 website. Email EMStrupkus6650@gamil.com.

TAKE NOTE: Clubs in our district will receive their Rotary club invoice in January. To prevent delays in receiving your club’s invoice, verify that all club officers are listed in My Rotary.

· If any Rotary or Rotaract clubs in your district are inactive but still appear in your list of active clubs, notify your CDS representative. · Ask members to use the materials available in the Rotary Club Central Resources course in the Learning Center, including the newly developed document on setting club goals for three years.

· Goal setting is vital to a club’s success, and Rotary Club Central can help. This tool has been updated, and Rotary and Rotaract club leaders can add goals for up to three years. This allows you to plan better not only for the year ahead but also for your club’s longer-term future. To learn more about using Rotary Club Central and how to set goals and reach them, visit the Learning Center. (If you haven’t used the Learning Center, go to rotary.org/learn, register for or sign in to My Rotary, and accept the privacy policy. Then, search for Rotary Club Central Resources.)

Yours In Rotary, 

DG Elayne