As October is Vocational Service month, it shall be a good time to review this, if you have not already done so. What makes Rotary unique is its classification principle... which is based on one's vocation.
Rotary's community service efforts should flow from one's vocation - doing good for the community at large as well as our Family of Rotary (i.e. supporting our Interactors, Rotaractors and Rotarians).
If we travel back in time, that was how Rotary first began - Rotarians helping fellow Rotarians.
Founder Paul Harris felt that if a person from each business and profession could come together to help one other, in a non-competitive atmosphere, their business and income would improve. The concept of combining business and friendship saw the creation of a Rotary Club.
As we evolved, Rotarians found that they benefitted more when service was added. This resulted in the first community service project - the installation of public restrooms in downtown Chicago. The act solidified Rotary's early motto, "He profits most who serves best".
Rotary's mission is about making this world a better place. We do this by providing service to others, promoting high ethical standards, and advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
To qualify for this year's Presidential Citation, you need to fulfil three of the six categories reflected in RI Strategic Plan 2007-10. Of these, two categories are specifically related to vocational service.
(1) Emphasize Rotary’s unique vocational service commitment
By demonstrating our strong commitment to high ethical standards in our professional lives, we can provide a model for our colleagues, our employees, and our customers and distinguish Rotary from other service and humanitarian organizations.
• Start or support a youth mentorship program in your club, and have at least 10 percent of the club’s members personally mentor a young person in vocational skills and business ethics.
• Start or support a career counseling and development program in your club, and invite participants from the community to attend.
Have at least 10 percent of the club’s members actively participate and help participants improve their vocational skills and compete in the job market.
• Have at least one club member register as a Rotary Volunteer and use Rotary’s ProjectLINK database to locate an appropriate project.
(2) Optimize leadership talents within RI
Strong leaders are essential to Rotary’s future, and each of us should strive to be better leaders in our clubs, our professions, and our communities.
• Create a leadership development program that at least 5 percent of club members complete. The RI publication Leadership Development: Your Guide to Starting a Program (250) offers suggestions.
• Cultivate leadership opportunities for youth by having at least 5 percent of club members sponsor a participant in a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) event or sponsor or host a Youth Exchange student, Ambassadorial Scholar, or Rotary World Peace Fellow.
If you like any assistance to initate any of the above projects, please speak to your Assistant Governor, or a member of District Vocational Service Committee.
Yours in Rotary
CHEW Ban Seng - Chair
District Vocational Service
__________________ Chew Ban Seng, Charter President, Rotary eClub of 3310, Singapore
EXPERIENCE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH TO PERSONAL EXCELLENCE.
Vocational Service, one of Rotary’s Avenues of Service, encourages Rotarians to serve others through their professions and to practice high ethical standards. Rotarians, as business leaders, share skills and expertise through their vocations and inspire others in the process. Observed each October, Vocational Service Month spotlights Rotary club projects related to this avenue, offering an opportunity for clubs and districts to use their professional skills in service projects.
Through the Rotary Volunteers program, Rotarians and other professionals use their vocational skills and experience to contribute to humanitarian projects wherever help is needed. As international Rotary Volunteers, Rotarians and other service-minded people worldwide join forces to work on a project in another country, fulfilling the International Avenue of Service. If you’re interested, register with the program. See the volunteer form or the handbook for guidelines.
In line with the renewed vision of Vocational Service, I invite you to join me to listen, learn and understand Greater Corporate Governance and Accountability of Chinese Listed Firms - Role of Government, Markets and Institutions.
Please register using the link below. I look forward to see you there!
We would like to inform you that the Singapore Management University (SMU) is organising a free public lecture on Greater Corporate Governance and Accountability of Chinese Listed Firms - Role of Government, Markets and Institutions on 27 Oct 09.
Professor T. J. Wong, Dean, Faculty of Business Administration and Chair Professor of Accountancy from The Chinese University of Hong Kong will be discussing issues which will be of significance to practising directors, especially those from Chinese listed firms. In particular, how the institutional environment such as government ownership, legal and market developments shape corporate governance and transparency of Chinese domestically listed firms.
A panel discussion involving industry veterans who have rich experience working with Chinese firms follows right after the presentation. The panel will cover issues including the reliability of financial data available when making investments in China along with what companies and investors should look out for when investing in China's growth markets.
Members who are interested can sign up directly with SMU.
Please click HERE for a copy of programme details and HERE for the registration form.
With best regards, Chew Seok Hwee Singapore Institute of Directors
Edited by bschew on 16-October-2009 at 1:58am
__________________ Chew Ban Seng, Charter President, Rotary eClub of 3310, Singapore
EXPERIENCE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH TO PERSONAL EXCELLENCE.
Promoting Vocational Service as "Identity of Rotary"
The Identity of Rotary can best be defined as follows (adopted from RI):-
Rotary is a global network of business and professional leaders dedicated to high ethical values and committed to community service. Unlike other service organisations, Rotary's Classification Principle makes us unique as each Rotarian has the dual responsibility of representing his vocation within the Club and of exemplifying the ideals of Rotary in the workplace.
I believe most of us would subscribe to this description for a Rotarian.
If so, it is clear that Vocational Service transcends across all the Four Avenues of Service which is the underlying message of PDG Dr Wu Dar Ching (and District 3310's Strategic Planning Committee headed by DG Datuk Md Latip).
I seek your understanding. District Vocational Service cannot do it alone... but together, we certainly can. If we are able to rekindle Rotarians' passion, the future of Rotary in Distrct 3310 is certainly safe!
I agree about cross territory. It is not possible for just District Vocational Service to accomplish all the objectives. Instead, your committee role would be more effective through the following actions:
1. change the culture and thinking of Rotarians by reminding them on service through vocation.
2. emphasize to the other 3 avenues of service - (membership, community service, international service) the focus on vocation skills as the resource. For example club membership committee can organize more classification talks and promote high ethical standards through doing business with members whom they can trust.
3. charge the vocational service related groups with their new responsibilities and spur them to action.
4. District vocational service can focus more on quality of each vocation: while most professional bodies have best practices, their standards can be publicized and the members of their professions can be further encouraged through Rotary awards.
Regards,
DC Wu
__________________ Chew Ban Seng, Charter President, Rotary eClub of 3310, Singapore
EXPERIENCE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH TO PERSONAL EXCELLENCE.
Extract of some slides taken from PDG Dr Wu's talk at Rotary Club of Johor Bahru on 20 October 2009...
District Vocational Service
1. Leadership role in vocational service 2. Set up professional groups e.g. legal service 3. Rotary as a brand for high ethical standard in business and vocation (like the CSR). 4. Public awards for best ethical standard in various professions. 5. Management, marketing and PR courses for Rotarians and public. 6. Update and encourage use of District Vocational Directory. 7. Promote doing business with Rotarians who are thrust worthy. 8. Set up help groups to help Rotarians doing business in other countries. 9. Vocational publication.
What is Vocational Service
1. In a community, vocation is the specialization of various works and functions that provides all its needs. 2. Every vocation is important in its contribution to the community. 3. Rotary by helping various vocations achieve greater efficiency and recognition can contribute to the well being of the community. 4. Vocational service should therefore target at both the professional standard of the service provider as well as the needs of the recipient, the community. 5. The tools used in raising professional standard of service provider include teaching, mentoring, forums, awards and peer review. 6. In Rotary, we have the opportunity to help each person in his/her vocation at different levels through Interact, Rotaract and Rotary. 7. Even well established members of each profession can continue to improve in his/her vocation, thereby able to contribute better to society. 8. With regard to needs of the recipient, the community, we need to be practical and relevant. 9. Consideration should be given to availability and accessibility of the various services to anyone in need, especially the poor and the marginalized.
Service through each Vocation
1. Assist one another in same and different countries. 2. Mentoring younger members. 3. Set up guidelines for best practices for services e.g. insurance, real estates, financial investments. 4. Set up certification awards in line of ISO, JCI etc. for organizations and companies that achieve certain standards set. 5. Help reduce conflicts among transaction parties by setting up guidelines and rights of each party. e.g. buyer, seller, and housing agent; parties in cars accident, insurance and repairer. 6. Act as mediator and counsellor in the presence of conflict.
Object of Rotary 1906
1. promotion of business interests 2. promotion of good fellowship 3. advancement of the best interests of the community.
The Object of Rotary (Now)
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster: FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society; THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life; FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
Career Enhancement Vocational Assistance
1. Getting the senior successful members to help the younger members of same vocation. 2. Promote doing business with people whom we trust. This will directly motivate members to have high ethics and integrity in their work. 3. Encourage projects (in business and community service) that involve interaction and cooperation among members from different vocations.
Rotarians need to learn to serve their own people as well as the community. When we help Rotarians to succeed in their career they are in better position to serve the community.
__________________ Chew Ban Seng, Charter President, Rotary eClub of 3310, Singapore
EXPERIENCE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH TO PERSONAL EXCELLENCE.
From the outset, Rotary membership has been based on CLASSIFICATIONS.
These classifications are based solely on one's business, profession or vocation.
Nevertheless Aalso tend to agree that :.....In a Community, Vocation is the specialization of various works and functions that provides all its needs. Consideration should be given to availability and accessibility of the various services to anyone in need, especially the poor and the marginalized.
When PP Chee Woh was the District Vocational Chair, he had compiled a in-depth book with details and contacts of our Rotarians. It may be considered using this with the permission of the Rotarians concerned to assist our District Vocational efforts.
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Topic: VOCATIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEE
