Editor's Note

Perhaps many Manila Rotarians, especially Star Rotarians, are still trying to get a full grasp of the real characteristics of a Rotary club, given its various qualities and features – among them international organization, humanitarian and community service, global reach, fellowship, emphasis on high ethical standards, development of goodwill and world understanding. Notably, it was in 1976 when Rotary International finally adopted a definition and a standard answer to the question “What is a Rotary Club?” in this fashion: "Rotary is an organization of business and professional person united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”

Over the years, clear principles and objectives have been developed, articulated and galvanized to provide every Rotarian with a strong anchor, common purpose, and unified direction. There is thus an enumeration of the object of Rotary, the first of which is the “development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.”

Whenever one accepts an invitation to join a Rotary Club, it is always because he seeks, among others, to expand his network of acquaintances and friends. And this is consistent with the object of Rotary, one of which, as mentioned, is the encouragement and development of an expanded network or reach as an opportunity for service. This is, at the same time, logical because any human endeavor, most especially volunteer work in the service of others, is better achieved or successfully completed when done through cooperative effort. A member who establishes rapport and develop life-long friendships with fellow Rotarians understands that, aside from the gift of having new friends, he too will be able to more fully and better perform his Rotarian mission when he is bonded with the other members of his Rotary family.

In the Rotary Club of Manila, as in any Rotary Club, fellowship is the mighty ingredient that bonds Manila Rotarians and which enables them to better enjoy and make more memorable their activities in the service of others. As in any other Rotary Club, friendship shines as the powerful thread that underlies and weaves through the RCM fabric—one that continues to be strengthened by the same strong bond that ties an individual member with all the others.

One Rotary culture that fosters friendship, equality and diversity is the non-use of honorifics and titles. Indeed, from the earliest days of Rotary, members have referred to each other on a first-name basis. Since personal acquaintanceship and friendship are cornerstones of Rotary, it was natural that many clubs adopted the practice of setting aside formal titles in conversations among members. Club members who normally would be addressed as Attorney, Judge, Doctor, Professor, Sir, or Mister are regularly called by their nicknames by other Rotarians. Fact is, the characteristic Rotary club name badge fosters the first-name custom. As an all-male Rotary Club, it is also not uncommon to hear RCMers address each other as “partner,” “pare,” “bro” or “brother.”

Let us all therefore continue to be Rotarian brothers fully and more strongly bonded by a distinct pride and common understanding of who we are as Manila Rotarians—a centennial club which is not only the first in the Philippines, but the whole of Asia.