Vocational Service

As one of Rotary's revered 4 Avenues of Service, Vocational Service is central to what is means to be a Rotarian. Some misunderstand Vocational Service as being limited to a handful of labor related projects. But Vocational Service is all about the service Rotarians provide through their profession, their calling or vocation. By recruiting new members from a diverse range of membership classifications, by practicing the 4-Way Test, by recommending our associates and employees for GSE (yes that is a VOCATIONAL PROGRAM) Rotarians make the biggest impact not in what they bring to lunch every Tuesday, by in what they bring out of it, and into the workplace!

Group Study Exchange: 

The Rotary Foundation's Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

Our GSE team departed on September 18 for Canberra, AU to begin the first of 5 weeks to be spent down under. Their Australian hosts from District 9710 have planned an exciting and educational experience for our team. In addition to Canberra, the nation's capitol, the team will be hosted by Rotarians in Cooma, Bombala, Merimbula,Narooma, Nowra, Gerringong and Berrima. At each location vocational opportunities are mixed in with visits to local attractions. The whole of the South East coast of Australia will be home for much of their tour. Our team consists of individuals in the tourism industry and will welcome to Arizona the AU team led by Peter Kain in April 2010.

The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona: 

The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona is a non-profit organization under IRS Code 501(c)(3) whose purpose is to assist those people who qualify under Arizona law to obtain financial assistance to further their vocational studies.

The Fund uses donations made under an Arizona tax credit program to meet this objective. Any person who files an Arizona tax return, either singly or jointly, and who meets a few other criteria, can donate to the Fund and receive offsetting tax benefits.  You can learn more about the Fund and download forms at http://www.trvfa.org/.

Club Vocational Projects

"He Profits Most Who Serves the Best".  How many of us joined Rotary with the idea that it might just be good for business.  Of course, Rotary is FULL of very succesful businesspeople, and they will tell you that Rotary is great for your career, but maybe not in the way you think.  By representing your vocation (or "Classification" in rotary jargon) in the Wickenburg Rotary Club, you are helping to raise the bar of professionalism in our community.  We host Brown Bag Lunches, and Vocational speeches from time to time so that we can all benefit from each others vocation.

The 4-Way Test

The 4-Way Test may be among the greatest legacies of Rotarian's Vocational Service.  Herb Taylor, Rotary International President from 1954-1955, created the 4-Way Test in 1932 as a tool to help guide him in his job of rescuing the Club Aluminum Products Company, which was on the verge of bankruptcy.  He used it in secret for months, and discovered it to be very powerful, and at times humbling, even discouraging.  Once he disseminated it to his subordinates, the organization began to change on a fundamental level.  20 years later, the company had fully recovered and was again a succesful enterprise.

Reading the 4-Way Test at the beginning of every meeting is a great reminder to us as Rotarians of the key principles of Vocational Service.  Hang it at the office, share it with your employees, and practice it on a daily basis.  It will change your life!