The Rotary Balita no. 760 (December 23, 1954).

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR ROTARY CLUBS TO ADHERE STRICTLY TO THE CLASSIFICATION PRINCIPLE? A Rotary club has the reputation - or should have it at least - of being composed of men who advocate higher standards of business and professions. Rotary cannot reform the world, it is true, but if we are to have our influence felt locally, our most effective medium is through the example we set to others. How much weight is our example to have in the community if it is generally known that we talk of high standards and then turn right around and evade our own classification rules or principle upon which Rotary is built, by taking into our membership two men who are engaged in substantially the same line of business or profession. To save our conscience, we classify one man under "Sugar Planting", and another man under "Sugar Growing" when we know full well that both men are in the same kind of business and we could use properly and accurately use the same term to describe the business or professional activities of both men. To accommodate a prominent and popular business man in the community who is dedicating his time to life insurance, we create a special classification of "Insurance - Automobile" and propose him under such classification when we know fully well that that man is dedicating his time exclusively to life insurance, and when he is indoctrinated we tell him that he was chosen to represent that classification because he is the outstanding man in that particular vocation in the community. The following questions now arise: 1. Has the newly elected member been admitted under the proper classification? (Is it the TRUTH?) 2. Has the club been fair to the member who holds the classification of "Life Insurance", who was told that he was the only life insurance man in the club? Has the club been fair to the other members of the club who were told that the membership of the club was composed of only one man from each business, professional and institutional life in the community? Has the club been fair to the public or community who were made to believe that the membership of the Rotary club consisted of only one representative of each of the business and professional life in the community? Has the club been fair to the newly elected member in admitting him under a false classification, thereby misrepresenting him before the club members and the community? (Is it FAIR to all concerned?) 3. Will there be dissatisfaction amongst the members of the club who are jealous of their membership, and who realize that the club has violated the very principle upon which the Rotary club is built, which makes the club unique and different from other service organizations? (Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIP?) 4. What will the Rotarians in the district and the communities where there are Rotary clubs established think of Rotary? What will non-Rotarians think of Rotary International? (Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?) DOES THE CLASSIFICATION PRINCIPLE MAKE THE ORGANIZATION EXCLUSIVE OR INCLUSIVE? The classification principle as it is practiced in Rotary is exclusive but only in the sense that it affords distinctive selection. By that is meant that Rotary attempts to bring into the club the best in each business or profession in the community. It is also inclusive in a large sense of the word in that each Rotary club tries to obtain members from every one of the recognized businesses and professions in its community. None of these is excluded. Rotarians assume a more definite responsibility under the classification rule for representing their classifications properly and conscientiously than if their competitors were permitted to join along with them. The assignment of a classification to a Rotarian exclusively implies that he must represent, not merely his personal business or profession, but the whole service carried on in the community under his classification. It becomes his duty, then, to actually represent his competitors to Rotary, and to represent Rotary to his competitors. IS IT PROPER FOR A MEMBER TO INFORM A PROSPECTIVE MEMBER THAT HE IS GOING TO PROPOSE HIM FOR MEMBERSHIP? No. The prospective member should not be informed until favorable action has been taken on the proposal by the classification and membership committees and sustained by the board of directors of the club. This is an important procedure in order to avoid embarrassments in case the proposal is rejected. SUPPOSING OBJECTIONS HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST A PROPOSAL FOR MEMBERSHIP AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN CONSIDERING THE OBJECTIONS VOTES FAVORABLY ON THE PROPOSAL, CAN THE OBJECT ING MEMBER APPEAL THE DECISION OF THE BOARD? Yes. The decision of the board of directors is final unless the decision is appealed, in which case the membership of the club has the final say. ARE THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF A GENERAL BANKING CONCERN RECOGNIZABLE AS SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT LINES OF BUSINESS FOR WHICH SEPARATE CLASSIFICATIONS MAY BE ESTABLISHED IN A CLUB? No. DOES ROTARY MAKE ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN A STATE, FEDERAL, NATIONAL AND PRIVATE BANKS? No. For Rotary classification, Rotary does not make any distinctions.