October is Vocational Service Month in Rotary.
When we were kids, we were often faced with the questions: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Do you remember what you thought you would become as a five, six, or even 20 year old?
Our teachers, parents and others would ask the question, or make suggestions based on personal qualities or attributes we exhibited as a child. So when people ask you: What is YOUR vocation? What is your response? Rotary has bantered the term around since its beginning. In fact Paul Harris started Rotary to create a network of various vocations that supported each other and the community.
If you research the word Vocation, it really means "a Calling" a strong desire to spend you life doing a certain kind of work or occupation. Your vocation might not be the current job you hold. It might be something more. To speak about vocation is to speak about a strong sense of "passion" or " creative energy" that fills your life with fulfillment and satisfaction.
Let's look at your vocation. Are you a person who stands/sits on the sidelines and watches- eating hot dogs or drinking beer? or Do you play the game,-participating, contributing and using your creativity and energy to create change and make things happen? What talents do you have? How do you share those with others. That is what Rotary has offered to us. It gives us a platform to share our passion, creativity, energy, by serving others through our vocation. Using our skills to make the world a better place.
Someone who has a gift and expert knowledge of fixing things may help build beds for orphanages, or someone who likes to cook, may find cooking meals for homeless shelters. This is an example of using their vocation to change the world through Rotary. If you know a lot about financing, Rotary may offer you the opportunity to work with a third world country doing micro financing, or work on helping communities raise money and create budgets to achieve goals. Your unique gifts are needed in doing Rotary work. Through the projects you share as a club-these talents/ gifts will be given the platform/venue to be expressed.
Learn more about vocational service and how to get involved by watching this power point and reviewing the resources at the end of the presentation. Click Here.
Ultimately, whatever your vocation or true calling is, Rotary can help you grow and develop as a person, and reach your full potential. And that is something we would all like to accomplish, isn’t it?