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Fine Time with Aaron Lavin by Bill Molesworth
Fire Hall Quote by Ed Hartley
Even when you have pains, you don't have to be one.
Announcements by Bill Molesworth
Sorry to miss the meeting of the 4th and I will be away on the 11th but there are two things.
One, an announcement that Ron will be bringing the results of the Community Committee's discussions on the Fireside requests for assistance to the Board on the 19th and will be bringing recommendations forward to the membership for a vote on the 19th.
And, although I'm late I thought what Fred said at the meeting of the 4th was important and that I would try to convey it so we could all think about it again.
Unique to Rotary by Molesworth, Bill
Fred asked - What is unique about Rotary?
Is it the fellowship, the work we do in the community, the interesting speakers, our International involvement? None of these things is unique to Rotary - many other Clubs and organizations do one or more of these things.
Of the 4 Avenues, lots of organizations organize activities for the Club and serve their own members. Most organizations work to better their community one way or another and do very good work. Many more work to benefit others overseas.
It is the Vocational aspect that is unique to Rotary but it receives the least attention because it is the most challenging and difficult and the least understood.
Other Avenues emphasize group activity but Vocatinal is the individual - the responsibility of each Rotarian - each is the link between the idealism of Rotary and his or her trade or profession.
Paul Harris suggested we each must represent Rotary to those we deal with and we must represent our vocation back to the Club.
Idealism is the object and the definition of the organizations purpose and of our own individual responsibility. The ideal of service is the basis of acquaintance as an opportunity of service; of our high ethical standards dignifying each occupation as an opportunity to serve; of the worthiness of all useful occupations; of dignifiyilng our occupation as an opportunity to service; of the application of the ideal of service through our business and community lives and; of using events to understand peace and the opportunity to unite us to serve peace and understanding.
The classification system ensures the each Club reflects the business diversity of the community. Vocations bring the community into the Club and Rotary's ideals are then going the other way out to the community. Our occupation provides us with the means to take the objects of Rotary to our work place.
We are loaned our classification and we repay that loan by bringing our insights and experience to Rotary and to take back the ideal of service abour ourselves.
He profits most who serves the best. How? By following the 4 Way Test for individuals in Rotary, in their businesses and in their lives.
The Golden Rule is universal. In the Bible it says 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Confucious said 'do not do to others what you would not like'. Islam 'desires for his brother that which he desires for himself'. Judaism holds that 'what is hateful to you is likewise hateful to others - this is the whole law'. Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism all say something the same. Christianity, unlike many others which phrase it in the negative, uses the positive 'do unto others'. This is the closest to Rotary's purpose and the challenge is to make this a part of our lives and an individual challenge.
Are we prepared to make this a total commitment?
Bob Campbell said it was a pleasure and an honour to thank Fred for his work over the whole month and especially for this reminder of our responsibility as Rotarians. Bob thought he had never heard it expressed so well and that it is important for us all to hear it.
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