Vocational Service Outline

Service in Rotary fits into a number of clearly defined directorships. Vocational service is one of the oldest.

What is it all about –
• Ethics in the workplace
• Development of small business
• Job skills training
• Volunteering vocational skills
• Career development

The application of vocational skills can –
• Reduce unemployment
• Stimulate the local economy
• Inspire young people toward successful, productive careers
• Apply and develop your own vocational skills

That means YOU can effect meaningful, positive change in the local Nundah community. But vocational service is not just a service to the community – it is service through your vocation or influencing a developing vocation.

Vocational service focuses on –
• Adhere and promote ethical standards in all occupations and at all levels (employers, employees, associates, competitors, customers)
• Recognition of the worthiness of all occupations
• Using your vocational talents to solve problems and needs in society.

The cornerstone of these ideals has been “Rotary’s Four Way Test of the things we think, say or do”. Formalised around 60 years ago, the 4 way test guides us in our business and professional life.

1. Is it the Truth
2. Is it Fair to all concerned
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

But what does all that mean to me – here in Nundah, fresh to Rotary and with a new millennium unfolding before us ??

Vocational servce is happening daily within the club, often with little recognition of its occurrence –
• Concern for the aging (Golden Years and other works)
• RYLA
• Interact and Rotaract (who are our partners-in-service) – we enhance world understanding through fellowship and service.
• Australian Business Week provides an ideal opportunity for mentoring and interchange
• Science camp
• Community service projects where we can use our vocational skills rather than our backs
• Pride of Workmanship

We believe in supporting our youth, and we do this by :

• Australian Business Week mentoring – formalising and extending this support for a great mentoring activity. It is both fun and beneficial to the participants.

• Study Skills program – a help and support programme targeted at the at risk groups in, say the 13-15 age group. Develop a programme of self help and knowledge, present and polish and package it into a usable accessory course.

Skills developed might include :
positive mental attitude/goal setting
positive reading materials (Think and Grow Rich, Richest Man in Babylon, etc)
Memory skill development
Reading skill development (speed reading)

This could be developed in stages to become a full programme, presented by our club, and published as a teachers guide to help other people present this course to people who need it.

• Boys at Risk – turning boys into men is a problem for many single parent, nuclear families who don’t have the support of strong male role models. Helping them develop and transition into men has been written about by a number of Australian authors who suggest an initiation helps with the transition. Women develop more like the unfolding of a butterfly, but boys develop best with an event. How we make this a viable project needs discussion.

Gregg REYNOLDS July 2003