In 1911, the second Rotary convention approved He Profits Most Who Serves Best as the Rotary motto. The wording was adapted from a speech that Rotarian Arthur Frederick Sheldon delivered to the first convention the previous year. Sheldon declared that “only the science of right conduct toward others pays. Business is the science of human services. He profits most who serves his fellows best.”
That same 1911 convention also inspired the motto Service Above Self. During an outing on the Columbia River, Ben Collins, president of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis, talked with Seattle Rotarian J.E. Pinkham about the proper way to organize a Rotary club, offering the principle his club had adopted: Service, Not Self.
All Rotarians have some sense of service, as that is a common cause that bonds us together. And certainly, the Plant City Rotary Club has a long history of service to the community. President John Haney invited two fellow Rotarians to share their insights of how they serve our community and demonstrate this primal characteristic of a Rotarian.
Fellow Rotarian Michael Pippin shared his experience with helping small, local businesses during this terrible period of economic uncertainty and difficulty. Michael has always had a passion for small business, and began interviewing local business owners about their challenges during the COVID-induced economic slowdown. During those interviews, Michael learned that many businesses needed to remind the community that local business matter. Seeing the need to get the word out, at no cost to them, Michael helped several local business owners find niche opportunities to market their business and drive revenues. Michael discovered the genuine human side of local businesses, and was able to provide a service that they may not have afforded otherwise. He also forged genuine friendships and long-lasting relationships.
Fellow Rotarian and City Commissioner Nate Kilton spoke of his calling to serve the Plant City community on multiple platforms. Nate is a local CPA, a real estate agent, a city commissioner, and board member (past and present) of multiple organizations, including past chair of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce. In every capacity, Nate spoke of “service” rather than “obligation.” Having grown up in a small town, Nate was drawn to Plant City because of its modest size, but enormous community. Nate has found that the core of community is a sense of “service above self,” and he truly demonstrates that ideology in each of his platforms.
Special thanks to both Michael and Nate for their inspiring and humble presentations!
