As we all suffer the hardship of this pandemic in one way or another, we are inspired by the best in generosity and creativity among people in our communities. We are sometimes ashamed or disgusted by the poor judgment and bad behaviour of far fewer people among us in public and private life.
One way to describe many of the kind of supportive, caring actions of volunteers among us is vocational service. That is the essence of any service club: "service above self" to make the community and the world a better place, by working with integrity and contributing expertise to the problems and needs of society.
One way to describe many of the kind of supportive, caring actions of volunteers among us is vocational service. That is the essence of any service club: "service above self" to make the community and the world a better place, by working with integrity and contributing expertise to the problems and needs of society.
From its origins, as the world's first service club, Rotary has built a philosophy based upon integrity in businesses and professions. Many other service clubs have emerged in our communities and around the world to foster the same ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and to encourage high ethical standards in business and professions.
Vocational Service comes in pursuing your occupation and your life with integrity and, in the process, inspiring others to behave ethically through your own words and actions.
In the workplace and volunteering with others in the community, Rotarians, as business and professional leaders, advance high ethical standards by setting a positive example among employees, associates, and the community and encouraging ethical behavior with customers, vendors, and business associates. That’s vocational service in action.
So is helping a young person achieve their career aspirations and guiding and encouraging others in their professional development, providing clean water to poor villages half way around the world, free recreation facilities for families, and providing new immigrants with free eye screening clinics and unhoused people with eyeglass clinics.
Let’s celebrate the “spontaneous combustion” of good deeds for others among individuals and small groups which emerge out of nowhere in our neighbourhoods. Let’s also recognize the valuable, ongoing work of volunteers organized through service clubs to provide vocational service with the honesty, integrity and generosity of our shared values which make our community stronger when enacted through vocational service.