Vocational Service

The changes occurring in today’s workplace — continuing expansion of new technologies, the shifting role of women in the work force, the effects of economic slowdowns — are all combining to revolutionize business. As business leaders, Rotary members share their skills and expertise through Vocational Service.

According to Rotary's classification principle, members join Rotary as the representative of their particular business or profession. This gives Rotarians the dual responsibility of representing their vocation within the club and of exemplifying the ideals of Rotary within the workplace. The essence of Vocational Service is the importance of high ethical standards in all professions, the importance of all vocations and the opportunity to contribute one’s vocational talents to address the problems and needs of society.

Early Rotarians were often instrumental in setting up local organizations that functioned as, or became, better business bureaus. Other clubs established boards of mediators to promote industrial peace between employers and their workers and among businesses. Today the focus of Vocational Service has expanded from individual vocational excellence to providing service within the workplace and to the community.

Vocational Service can be performed in many areas:

• Vocational Awareness: giving classification talks and conduct tours of members' businesses.

• Vocational Awards: recognizing vocational excellence and high ethical standards.

• Career Development: using members' professional experience to advance employment; developing and supporting apprenticeship programs; organizing career-planning programs in schools; and retraining adults for new vocations.

• Vocation at Work: generating new jobs within the community; working with retirees; addressing drug, alcohol and literacy problems in the workplace; creating vocational opportunities for the disabled; developing and implementing HIV / AIDS education and policy; and promoting high ethical standards.

• Ethics: leading conferences and panel discussions for community members on ethical issues facing the community; holding group discussions for students where they apply the 4-Way Test to case studies.

Focus on Ethics

From the founding tenets of the Object of Rotary to the values expressed in the 4-Way Test and the "Declaration for Rotarians in Businesses and Professions", the promotion of high ethical standards in the workplace has been a central theme of Rotary throughout its history.

As these recent examples indicate, the issue is at the heart of many Rotary club and district projects:

• Ethics was the focus of a panel discussion sponsored jointly by the Rotary Club of Alexandria, Virginia, USA, and T.C. Williams High School. The four Rotarians on the panel each gave a 15-minute presentation on ethics in hiring practices; ethics in sales; loyalty in the workplace; and employer/employee relations. A lively discussion followed where students questioned the panelists on topics presented.

• In the Philippines, District 3810 held a 4-Way Test Day as a way to promote its message and highlight the start of Vocational Service Month. Streamers, posters, billboards, calendars,and stickers bore the 4-Way logo and concepts. In addition, a ceremony was held. The event signaled the start of Vocational Service month for the district.

• The Rotary Club of Anchorage East, USA, held an Ethics Conference to increase awareness of ethics issues. The conference provided tools for resolving ethical conflicts and for developing support of ethical business practices in the community.

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