Vocational Service
Vocational Service involves club members serving others through their professions and aspiring to high ethical standards. It 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.
Two tools have been developed by Rotarians — The Four-Way Test and the Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions — which provide a road map for practicing ethical behavior in the workplace and other areas of life.
The Four-Way Test was conceived in 1932 by Herbert J. Taylor, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago who served as the 1954-55 president of Rotary International. Having been assigned the task of saving a company from bankruptcy, Taylor developed the test as an ethical guide to follow in all business matters. The company’s survival was credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary International in 1934, The Four-Way Test remains an essential standard against which Rotarians measure ethical behavior. The test has been translated into dozens of languages and promoted by Rotarians worldwide.
The Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions was adopted by the 1989 Council on Legislation as a means of more clearly defining the high ethical standards called for in the Object of Rotary. In its eight principals, it provides a framework for ethical behavior that all Rotarians can use.
Each October is observed as Vocational Service Month and Rotary clubs select projects related to this avenue, offering an opportunity for clubs and districts to use their professional skills in service projects.