View from the North

When our fifth Avenue of Service was introduced, many projects that had been conducted under Vocational Service were reallocated to New Generations Service. This change challenges clubs to reconsider which activities meet Vocational Service criteria.

I suggest, however, that we rethink this idea of Vocational Service. Many professional networking clubs have sprung up in the past decade or so, attracting people who want to exchange business leads. Some of these clubs have guidelines for meeting attendance and membership by classification, and aim to increase business by building trust and visibility among members.

Why were these clubs started when they so closely resemble the origins of Rotary? I suggest it’s because of a demand for the principles of Vocational Service and the exchange of commerce. Perhaps we can rekindle the idea in Rotary that exchanging business in an ethical manner is, in itself, Vocational Service.

At the RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, District 5230 (California, USA) was featured for its theme “I joined for business and fellowship. I stayed to change the world.” During October, let’s challenge ourselves to once again make Rotary the world’s premier networking club, encouraging membership among business leaders who will enrich our opportunities to serve.