Oberg, O.D.A. Ollie <br/><br/>
The challenge of vocational service /  
O.D.A. Ollie Oberg. 
 - page 11-17 
<br/><br/> The Rotary Balita no. 745 (May 13, 1954) 
<br/><br/> (Address to the 42nd District Conference at Cessnock, Australia.)<br/><br/>Before we analyse its implications and its personal challenge, let us refresh our memories with the definition of our second avenue of service, so intimately related to the Object of Rotary. This reads — <br/><br/>To encourage and foster high ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness. of all useful occupations; and the dignifying by each Rotarian of his occupation as an opportunity to serve society.<br/>It has rightly been claimed that the real expres sion of vocational service means the difference between "earning a living and living a life." How profoundly true is that statement! How great is the challenge to personal service in Rotary!<br/><br/>The R.I. Board of 1942/43 officially recorded its. approval of the statement designated "Service. through Business," expressed as follows — <br/><br/>As a Rotarian, it is my purpose:<br/><br/>To regard my business or profession as my opportunity to express myself in service to society, as well as a means to material gain. To maintain the dignity and worthiness of my calling by the acceptance and promotion of high standards and the elimination of questionable practices.<br/><br/>To value success in my vocation as a worthy ambition when achieved as a result of service to society; but to accept no profit nor dis tinction which arises from unfair advantage, abuse of privilege or betrayal of trust.<br/>To recognize that any sound transaction must be governed by practices which bring satisfaction to all parties concerned, and to esteems it a privilege, in my profession or business. to serve beyond the strict measure of duty or obligation.<br/><br/>In this, as in the definitions of responsibility arising from the other avenues of Rotary service. the emphasis is on service. As I never tire of saying, there is no substitute for personal service It is the very artery of Rotary, whose life blood is fellowship.<br/><br/>Fellowship of itself is not enough. Admittedly it is a means to an end, the foundation on which our club structure is built. But what that structure will ultimately be, what Rotary will mean to you and me, the place that our great service movement will have in the world, the heights unseen to which it eventually will climb, all depend on the contribution of each Rotarian in personal service.<br/><br/>Fellows, you cannot "farm out" that responsibility. You confirmed it when you accepted the invitation to join your Rotary club. Anyhow, what Rotarian of real calibre and zeal wants to shirk it? <br/><br/>Some perchance would counter by asking the usual first defense question — "But what can I alone do? Let me remind you of what Emerson wrote, "Every great reform was once an individual opinion."<br/><br/>How profoundly wise was that statement! Should the day ever dawn when people no longer respond to inspired effort, when individual man no longer strives to express his ideas, his impulses, the in- most thoughts of his heart and mind and soul —  then indeed will the death-knell he sounded for all those things fundamental to our "way of life."<br/><br/>Pause but for one moment and contemplate how much we owe in our so-called modern democratic world to individual service. Where would be those things that we enjoy in the arts, the sciences, technical and social development, but for the zeal and efforts and inspiration of individual men?<br/><br/>Equally so, fellows, arises personal responsibility in vocational service, It is not "veiled in mystery." as is so often, but quite wrongly, claimed. It is very, very personal — much more so than service. in any of our other three avenues. I admit that the fact that it is so personal is of itself a challenge. You are on your own: in that sphere you, and you alone, interpret in practice the principles of Rotary.<br/><br/>Vocational service is in essence the expression by each Rotarian of those principles in his own vocation. It is just as simple as that. It is nothing more and it's nothing less!<br/><br/>It is a personal fundamental in vocational service to live in friendliness and understanding with one's fellowmen to be kind and courteous, to admire. and encourage the best in those we meet. As F speak my mind goes back to the International Assembly at Lake Placid in 1949 when the incoming district governors were being instructed for the year's work ahead.<br/><br/>Angus Mitchell, that great Australian, and the first to be deservedly honored by selection as President of R.I., was speaking at a plenary session. I thought he expressed these ideas admirably in<br/>this little poem — <br/><br/>Wouldn't this old world be better<br/>If the folks we meet would say.<br/>I know something good about you<br/>And then treat you just that way?<br/><br/>Wouldn't it be fine and dandy <br/>If each handelasp, warm and true<br/>Carried with it this assurance <br/>I know something good about you?<br/><br/>Wouldn't Life be lots more happy <br/>If the good that's in us all Were the only thing about us<br/>That folks bothered to recall?<br/><br/>Fellows, surely these words imply personal obligations in vocational service. They are, by then very essence, applicable to Rotary itself.<br/><br/>Remember always, as our R.I. President "Bru" has so rightly said, that there is a twofold responsibility. This first is obvious. It is stressed when you are inducted into membership. You are then. obligated to bring to your club the benefit of these principles and ideals that characterise your profession or calling. In other words, for those you represent in your vocation, you are the chosen medium in your Rotary club and in the great world wide movement of Rotary.<br/><br/>Therein you perceive your duty as trustee for the classification loaned to you and your responsibility to those in your own vocation. In such fact re sides also that obligation for regular attendance at all club meetings. Otherwise your calling is not represented, nor can its contribution be made.<br/><br/>But there is the reverse, the greater duty, which so many overlook. Your are charged to take back to those in your vocation personal example in precept and practice of the principles and ethics of Rotary —  virtually to express all those things inherent in the Golden Rule.<br/><br/>You stand obligated always to remember that you represent Rotary, not only in your own vocation, but in all your daily contacts. As you interpret Rotary — by your habits, business and social ethics, by all those things which mark a man's conduct — so will your associates, so will the world at large, judge Rotary.<br/><br/>You know, fellows, this fact is a solemn, sobering thought. Each and every Rotarian has a many- faced responsibility in vocational service — to him self, to his associates, to his club and to our great world-wide movement. <br/><br/>Just pause and contemplate this great arising fact. Each of us has a personal, I repeat "personal", responsibility to over 365,000 other serving Rotarians throughout the 84 countries and geographical areas where fellows like ourselves, in ever 7,700 clubs, "every day live the Rotary way." <br/><br/>We should all realise that our interpretation of vocational service has a basic relationship to loyal ty. You know, fellows, loyalty applies equally as strongly in two ways. If we want to enjoy it as recipients, we ourselves must be loyal. This means loyalty to ourselves, to those with whom we associate in our vocations and to the principles of Rotary.<br/><br/>Fellows, Rotary fellowship should obligate us to share its joys and privileges. Surely this applies no more strongly anywhere than in the field of vocational service. Therein, as in all our Rotary contacts, we must give of ourselves, our personal God-given gifts and our privileges. An unknown composer put it very challengingly under the title "Life's Balance Sheet."<br/><br/>"Go give to the needy sweet charity's bread, <br/>For giving is living," the angel said. <br/>"And must I be giving again and again?" <br/>My peevish petulant answer ran. <br/>"Oh, no", said the angel, piercing me through,<br/>"Just give till the Master stops giving to you."<br/><br/>What of vocational guidance? Apart from your own club's official activities, have you personally offered to help? In what way have you helped the youth of today (citizens of tomorrow) with guidance as to their future, founded on your own experience and success? Never did our community cry out more for leadership. Here is a golden opportunity. I know the authorities have their own vocational guidance section, but I have yet to learn that they will not welcome anyone willing and able to help. What about it? Here is a field for the club and the individual Rotarian.<br/><br/>Club officers, do you really use your Club Bulletin? Do you help its editor to explain vocational service — to urge your fellows to practise it? Show them how? I have always urged the vocational service committee in each club to arrange for a pithy, challenging paragraph to be included each week. It should be short and to the point. You can do this in so many ways. Please do try it, fellows — the results in practical and effective individual expression of vocational service might well surprise you.<br/><br/>Fellows so well informed as those at this Conference do not need me to remind them of the romance of business reconstruction that gave rise to the "Four-Way Test." That story alone confirmed what one man can do typified the old truth. about "bread upon the water."<br/><br/>Just let us consider the wording:<br/>1. Is it the TRUTH?<br/>2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?<br/>3. Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER<br/>FRIENDSHIPS?<br/>4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?<br/><br/>What a wealth of business morality and ethics in practice underly those words! They are the very essence of vocational service. The extent of their expression is the measure of each Rotarian's discharge of his own personal obligation — and you cannot "farm out" any of those obligations!<br/><br/>You know, fellows, when you calmly analyze these four points, they imply in simple words all those things we so often hear about employer-employee relationships, as well as other aspects of problems within our vocation.<br/><br/>But have you considered how closely related they are to the structural expression, and to the discharge or our vocational service obligation? How well and simply they express our individual duty, so challenging stated in those opening words of definition.<br/><br/>Just let us have a look at them:<br/>High ethical standards in business and professions.<br/><br/>The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations. The dignifying by each Rotarian of his occupation as an opportunity to serve society.<br/><br/>Yes, fellows, in the ultimate, vocational service is just as simple, just as challengingly personal as that. Guided by, and acting in accordance with, the "Four-Way Test," we should see our duty in employer/employee relationships, in ethical standards and in every contact of our daily lives. Far be it from me to wish to embarrass any fellow here, but it would be interesting to ask how many have read "Adventure in Service" and "Service is my Business." Every fellow true to his Rotary obligation has a duty to read each of these. Beth state so clearly what one can do in practice.<br/><br/>Induction into a Rotary club should be an impressive and memorable occasion. Equally, I believe there should be some tangible and visual reminder of such occasion. What better can a club do than to present one of these admirable publications to every new Member? I suggest the copy might well be signed by the president and secretary, show the date and include a suitable commemorative message.<br/><br/>Fellows, please do give this some thought. The advantages are obvious and manifold. My experience teaches me that the new Rotarian is mere likely to read this literature then than at any sub sequent time. His reading will simplify for him understanding of his personal obligations in vocational service, and will (I hope) save him from the confused thinking, ever so evident in meeting the call for vocational service. It is a specific and personal obligation for each Rotarian to take an active part in his trade or professional association, to work therein for the improvement of relations between all sections and to express by his own example, the ethics and principles of Rotary.<br/><br/>Each fellow should embrace every opportunity to publicise the activities of Rotary, and of individual Rotarians, especially relative to correct practices in business and professional life. He should at all times stand foursquare for individual probity and ever set an example to his fellow citizens.<br/><br/>In such light do I see the real challenge of vocational service. Only by "seeing the light" can each play his part and discharge his duty. There is nothing mystic about it the challenge is very real and inescapable. And so, fellows, concludes my attempt to define a Rotarian's personal responsibility in vocational service.<br/><br/>Let me re-emphasize what I regard as basic principles.<br/>(1) It is essentially personal in its demands. <br/>(2) No fellow can overlook or escape his individual responsibility. <br/>(3) There is no substitute for personal service.<br/><br/>Fellows, these are challenging times. in a rapidly changing world, where the forces of where distance in terms of time has literally been We live annihilated, where new national aspirations are ever arising and where our way of life is challenged.<br/><br/>We shall survive only as we deserve and in accordance with our own contribution in personal service. As Rotarians, as chosen leaders in respective vocations, as those privileged to be well informed, each and every one of us has an inescapable duty. Let us do it! Let us not shirk — the challenged. The reward is so great failure too dreadful to contemplate.<br/><br/>Fellows, I really believe that the American poet Nick Kenny crystallized with these challenging verses, the very essence of the message I should like to leave with you.<br/><br/>I heard a voice from the infinite say;<br/>"What did you do for your soul today? <br/>Did you help the world sing a happier song? <br/>Forgive someone who had done you wrong?<br/><br/>Did you help a stranger on life's hard road? <br/>Did you try to lighten another's load? <br/>Restore the dreams to an empty heart? <br/>Give a failure a brand new start?<br/><br/>Did you coax a smile to a tearful face? <br/>Stand by somebody in disgrace? <br/>Go out of your way for some wandering boy? <br/>Did you build when 'twas easier to destroy?<br/><br/>I heard a voice from the infinite say: <br/>"What did you do for your soul today?"