Weekly Program - October 14 - October is Vocational Service Month

[Janie]

Vocational Service Month in October is an opportunity to initiate significant vocational service projects. Consider using some of the suggested project ideas
provided in this publication as a starting point. Visit www.rotary.org to find resources to assist you in promoting October as Vocational Service Month, including a downloadable flier and PowerPoint presentation.

Vocational Service and Classification
The classification principle — the guideline by which nearly all Rotary membership is determined — ensures that each club’s membership represents a cross-section of its community’s business and professional population. Classification and vocational service go hand in hand. Just as a Rotarians represent their vocation in Rotary, so too do they represent Rotary in their vocations.

Classification talks are a great way to promote vocational awareness in your club. 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. Classification talks may also serve as a starting point for initiating club projects that help young people and the unemployed develop marketable skills.

Organizing tours of members’ workplaces is another way to recognize the value of each member’s vocation. The name Rotary originated with the practice of rotating meeting sites among members’ places of business, and that tradition remains an excellent way for Rotarians to share their vocations with their club. Those members who find public speaking difficult might prefer to conduct a workplace tour rather than give a classification talk.

If the size of the workplace and the size of your club permit, schedule an occasional meeting in a member’s place of employment. Consider inviting young people to participate as well. Getting firsthand knowledge about various occupations may help them make sound career choices. You can also use this opportunity to introduce future prospective members to your club.

Vocational Service Project Opportunities
Recognize and promote the value of all useful occupations
• Make classification talks and tours of members’ businesses a standard component of your club’s program.
• Join or form a Rotary Fellowship related to your vocation. Rotary Fellowships are international associations of Rotarians, Rotarian spouses, and Rotaractors who
join together to pursue a shared recreational or vocational interest. Learn more at www.rotary.org/fellowships.
• Sponsor a career day for Rotarians to bring young people to their places of business to educate them about career opportunities.

Support professional development
• Encourage club members to join and take leadership roles in business and vocational associations.
• Sponsor a seminar for small business entrepreneurs and invite members of the community to participate.
• Hold informal professional networking events where members can meet other local professionals and introduce them to Rotary.
• Start a career counseling program geared towards equipping unemployed or underemployed adults with the skills they need to compete in the job market.
Volunteer your vocation
• Mentor a young person. Share your knowledge, skills, and values to help prepare your mentee to succeed in his or her academic and vocational pursuits.
• Register as a Rotary Volunteer and use Rotary’s ProjectLINK database (www.rotary.org/ProjectLINK) to identify a project in need of your specialized vocational skills.

 

Sign up to receive Vocational Service Update
Vocational Service Update is a free newsletter produced by Rotary International that provides vocational service news and resources. Sign up at www.rotary.org/newsletters or e-mail RI at vocation...@rotary.org.
Earn the RI Vocational Service Leadership Award
The RI Vocational Service Leadership Award recognizes district governors who have conducted a forum to promote, celebrate, and advance the district’s dedication to vocational service during the governor’s year in office. Nomination materials are provided to district governors each Rotary year.
Sponsor Club and District Awards
Clubs and districts are encouraged to develop their own award programs to recognize Rotarians and non-Rotarians for demonstrating outstanding commitment to the principles of vocational service.
Share Success stories on ProjectLINK
ProjectLINK is an online, searchable database that lists Rotary club and district service projects in need of funding, volunteers, donated goods, or Rotary Foundation grant partners. It also features a sampling of model project descriptions that other clubs and districts can adapt. After completing a successful vocational service project, consider submitting a model project description so that others may benefit from your example. Use the form at www.rotary.org/ProjectLINK.

 

Taken from Rotary Publication 255en.