To

 

Chairman

VOCATIONAL SERVICE

(Business and Professional Standards)

What Is Vocational Service?

The phase of the Rotary program
known as “vocational service” (busi-
ness and professional relationships) has
to do with the ethical interest and
activity of Rotarians in

management and financing,

purchasing goods or services,

selling goods or services,

dealing with employes,

relations with competitors,
and implies that in all these activities
of business, the capitalist, the employer,
the executive, the manager, the seller,
the buyer will be thoughtful of and
helpful to others.

Let: us remember that the second ob-
ject of Rotary is

to encourage and foster three things:

(first) high ethical standards in busi-

ness and professions; (second) the

recognition of the worthiness of all
useful occupations; and, (third) the
dignifying by each Rotarian of his
occupation as an opportunity to serve
society,
and “vocational service” implies that
Rotarians are putting this object to
work in their businesses and _profes-
sions.

A Rotarian does not need and should
not want to ask anyone other than him-
self how to do this. However, he
should study his business and his rela-
tion to it. He can begin by asking
himself such questions as:

How can I be thoughtful of and helpful
to others in the conduct of my business?

Are my standards of business practice
all that they should be?

Am I and are my associates and our em-
ployes conducting our business according
to the standards we have adopted?

Are we satisfied that we are engaged in
a worthy occupation in which we have
our opportunity to serve society?

The Rotarian should not and does
not expect others to answer for him
such questions as these. He may have
a partner or a business associate with
whom he can discuss them.

When the Rotarian gets to survey-
ing the conduct of his business a host
of other questions will keep popping
up for thought and reflection by him.
Among such questions may be:

Do I use the best materials obtainable?

Do I manufacture with care and thorough-
ness?

Do I ever adulterate or misrepresent my
products?

Do I sell with friendly thoughtfulness as
to the actual needs of my customers?
Do I treat small customers with the same

courtesy as larger ones?

Do I bribe buyers of our products if that
seems necessary to make sales?

Do I pay my employes a living wage plus
an opportunity for saving and invest-
ment?

Do I invite and reward the helpful co-
operation of my employes?

If I knew where one of my employes
could get a better job (for him), would
I tell him and help him get it?

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