The purpose of Rotary is stated in a creed called, The Object of Rotary. You’ll probably see this plague hanging on the wall of most Rotarians’ offices or stores.
Basically, the object is “to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster service through four
avenues of activity”.
The first is Club Service. This means that friendship and acquaintanceship is the first step in the opportunity of service. If you want to “serve”, you must first know
other people. This avenue emphasizes the importance of the club, its weekly meetings, the friendships developed there and other aspects of the club which provide
men the opportunity to serve others.
The second is Vocational Service. The Object urges each Rotarian to foster high ethical standards in one’s business or profession and to recognize the worthiness
and dignity in all useful occupations. By serving in one’s vocation, one is able to serve society.
The third avenue is Community Service. Each Rotarian and Rotary Club can apply the ideal of service to improve the life of the community and nation. This avenue
of service takes many forms, such as in youth activities, community betterment projects, aid to the needy, and hundreds of other projects.
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