Vocational Service Brings New Four-Way Test Contest, Ideas for Club Activities

Dian Edwards
District Governor 2012-2013

Greetings to All District 5630 Rotarians!

Vocational Service is the Rotary Theme for the month of October. As Rotarians, we are encouraged to refocus on this important avenue of service through on emphasis on the Rotary Code of Conduct and the tenets of our Four-Way Test.

This month our district will begin the process of rolling out the process for the completion of one of our 2012-13 District Goals – the implementation of a district-wide Four-Way Test Essay Contest for 5th and 6th grade students. Irving Jennings, D5630 Vocational Service Chair (Arnold Club), has developed a set of materials that will be delivered to each club president during the month of October. We are very certain that the delivery of the Rotary message regarding ethical behavior to our community classrooms will “be beneﬁcial to all concerned.”

I encourage your club to use October programs as a means of expanding members’ awareness of the importance of this Vocational Service in our Rotary World by:

Adhering to and promoting the highest ethical standards in all occupations
Recognizing the value of all useful occupations, not just those that are pursued by Rotarians Contributing one’s vocational talents to meeting the needs of the community

Some suggestions activities are to:

Devote a meeting in October to examine Vocational Service, including The Four-Way Test and the Rotary Code of Conduct. After expanding members’ awareness, solicit their input in planning projects for the remainder of the year.
Introduce a “classiﬁcation talk” series in which each member gives a ﬁve-minute talk on his or her vocation. These presentations give members the chance to learn the inner workings of jobs other than their own, including the various problems that arise and the solutions used to address them.
Present a vocational award to someone in the community who has exempliﬁed outstanding professional achievement and high ethical standards. Promote the presentation in the community, and consider making it an annual event each October.

Help young people prepare for their careers by sponsoring a character building project, career day, job shadowing day, or mentorship program.

Support professional development in the community by sponsoring a professional networking event or workshop, or start a career counseling program to help unemployed or underemployed adults compete in the job market.

Have club members volunteer their vocational skills on a community or international service project. Many volunteer opportunities can be found on ProjectLINK, an online database that allows Rotary clubs to publicize projects in need of assistance.

In Service of Rotary,