So what is Rotary?
I’m sure if you’re a Rotarian you have been asked, “What is Rotary”?
If you’re one of our guests and told someone you were going to a Rotary meeting today, you may have been asked , “what is Rotary”?
My 18 year old godson asked me that question a few months ago. He said, Thorsten, “What is Rotary” ?
Now I can say, “Rotary is an international service club of 1.4 million business and professional men and women who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build good will and peace in the world”. But that really doesn’t say what Rotary is!
Rotary may be and is:
- Taking 2 hours out of your day to attending a regular meeting with 10 to 20 men and women from different walks of life, turning off your phone, enjoying stimulating conversation and hearing a great speaker like we had last Thursday about mental health issues with Derek
- Getting up early on a cold crisp November morning to help with a fundraising for needy families at Papantoniou supermarket in Chlorakas.
- Setting up and helping at the Gluehwein Stall with Julia and team each December.
- Planting trees with Rob and Carol in Letymbou village
- Preparing out 25th club anniversary, working on our Photobook and search for a venue with our members
- Working with Carol and Ian on our Facebook page and Website.
- Working with George on the next Concert in the summer
- Having a great party, going to a convention or making new friends!!!
The largest humanitarian project ever conceived by a service club; eradicating polio from the world.
I could go on and on and on!!!! Rotary may be and is all of those things and much, much more. Rotary is the projects that clubs like ours decide to do; there are 46,000 clubs in the Rotary world all doing worthy projects.
Look around the room. What you see, is the face of Rotary. Rotary is the same around the world men and women meeting together in clubs. The club is the heart of Rotary; all that is done in Rotary starts in a club.
Here in our club you could be sitting at the table with a teacher from Germany, a lawyer from Cyprus, a psychiatrist from Ireland or an accountant from England. Such diversity of membership brings unique perspectives to a club and is one of the major strengths of what Rotary is.
The Four Way Test
From the earliest days of Rotary, Rotarians were concerned about promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world’s most widely printed and quoted statements on business is the “ Four Way Test”. It was created by Rotarian Herbert Taylor in 1932 for his staff at an Aluminum Company that was facing bankruptcy. He found that by putting these 24 words into practice the employees were able to turn the company around. The Four Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and has been translated into hundreds of languages published in thousands of ways.
Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
What I like best about Rotary is the Paphos Aphrodite Rotary Club. I’ve been involved in lots of Rotary projects, visited lots of other Rotary clubs, attended conventions and conferences, but for me;
Rotary is attending my Rotary Club.
See you all next Thursday.
Thanks
Thorsten
