January is Vocation Month
January is Vocation Month
The Object of Rotary is a philosophical statement of Rotary’s purpose and the responsibilities of Rotarians. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the Second Object, which calls on Rotarians to “encourage and foster”: • High ethical standards in business and professions • The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations • The dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society As a Rotarian, how can you put these ideals into action? Consider these suggestions: • Talk about your vocation in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ vocations. • Use your professional skills to serve a community. • Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your own words and actions. • Help a young person achieve his or her career aspirations. • Guide and encourage others in their professional development. If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational service. And if vocational service motivates and energizes you, then you’re in the right place, because vocational service is the very essence of Rotary. It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organizations.
January is Vocation Month
The Object of Rotary is a philosophical statement of Rotary’s purpose and the responsibilities of Rotarians. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the Second Object, which calls on Rotarians to “encourage and foster”: • High ethical standards in business and professions • The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations • The dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society As a Rotarian, how can you put these ideals into action? Consider these suggestions: • Talk about your vocation in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ vocations. • Use your professional skills to serve a community. • Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your own words and actions. • Help a young person achieve his or her career aspirations. • Guide and encourage others in their professional development. If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational service. And if vocational service motivates and energizes you, then you’re in the right place, because vocational service is the very essence of Rotary. It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organizations.
Integrity and ethics
Promoting integrity through ethical behavior is an essential part of what it means to be a Rotarian. Two standards developed by Rotarians — The Four-Way Test and the Rotary Code of Conduct — provide a road map for ethical behavior in the workplace and other areas of life. The Four-Way Test The Four-Way Test was conceived in 1932 by businessman Herbert J. Taylor, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago who served as Rotary International president in 1954-55. Having taken on the task of saving a company from bankruptcy, Taylor developed the test as an ethical guide to follow in all business matters. The company’s survival was credited to this simple philosophy.
Adopted by Rotary International in 1934, The Four-Way Test remains an essential standard against which Rotarians measure ethical behavior. It has been translated into dozens of languages and promoted by Rotarians worldwide.
The Four-Way Test Of the things we think, say or do:
1) Is it the TRUTH?
2) Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Vocational training and professional development
Rotary’s guiding principles emphasize the importance of work. Work provides people with a livelihood and gives them dignity, and society benefits from having all of its members employed in a manner that maximizes their talents and ambitions. It should therefore come as no surprise that those who join Rotary clubs are committed to promoting professional development. Rotarians can pursue this commitment through activities that enhance their own knowledge, and by guiding and training others to find gainful, fulfilling employment.
Rotary Code of Conduct
The Rotary Code of Conduct (formerly known as the Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions) provides a framework for ethical behavior that all Rotarians can use, together with The Four-Way Test, in their business and professional activities.
