As we know, Rotary started in 1905 with a group of businessmen with high ethical standards who wanted to network with one another. In the earliest years of Rotary, networking, along with fellowship and professional ethics, were among the founding principles, and classification talks were a feature in many clubs.

In the timeline document that was developed for our club’s 45th anniversary celebration, there is a reference to the vocational service committee during the first few months of the club. The committee recommended to the board that at least one luncheon per quarter be dedicated to a discussion of the businesses of members. With board approval, the presentations began.

The founding members made it a priority for members to learn about the businesses and professions of fellow members. So, if creating awareness about the professions of members was important for our club in its early years, then it’s worth exploring this idea again in 2019-20.

So what is the value of “classification” or business talks? They give members the opportunity to share insights into their business and careers and provide other information about their business to everyone in the club, one of the earliest benefits of being a Rotarian. In addition, club members gain a better understanding not only of the member, but also of his or her profession.

Since Rotary clubs seek representatives of many fields for membership, these business talks can provide the opportunity for Rotarians to broaden their knowledge of the current workplace. In addition, included among Rotary’s guiding principles are the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.

I have asked new member Mark Beaver to coordinate these classification talks as part of the role of the Vocational Service Committee. Soon he will send an invitation to members. Then you can sign up to give a presentation at a meeting, starting later this month. You’ll have about five minutes to convey your information – the same amount of time new members spend on their profile presentations. 

Some of the things that might be included in a classification talk are:

• A brief history of your career, including why you chose your particular business or profession.
• Where you work now. Where you have worked before.
• What service your business provides or what product it sells.
• How long you have been with your company. What you do for the company or your position.
• Any special items you sell or special services your company provides.
• What makes your company special?
• Business History: how long it’s been in business. How and why it started?
• Any business travels to other countries or places. How often?
• The parts of your job you find most rewarding or most difficult.
• Standards of practice within your field.
• Current challenges facing your profession.
• The ethical issues you face in your work.
• Insights into the community that you gain from your work.
• The characteristics most needed for success in your business or profession.
• The changes that technology, regulations, environmental factors and other outside forces have generated in your field.
• A forecast of employment opportunities in your field.
• Educational requirements for entry-level jobs in your vocation.
• The advice you would give to young people thinking of entering your career field.

Obviously, not all of these areas can be covered in a brief presentation. So presenters will have to focus on the areas that are most meaningful to them or relevant to club members. 

If you are retired, you can also participate. You might contrast the changes that are taking place today in your field compared to your career experiences.

Vocational service is one of the Avenues of Rotary service. Through my research of the club’s history I found that for many years the club had numerous activities in the area of vocational service. In recent years vocational service seems to have become less important.    

So how else can you get involved in vocational-related activities? Let Mark (mark.beaver@keelernadler.com) or me (jbutter@columbus.rr.com) know if you would like to be part of our new Vocational Service Committee. We’ll be exploring other ways to tap the vocational talents of members and reinforce high ethical standards, such as helping area students explore careers of our club members and providing professional and personal development workshops for members.