My fellow Rotarians:

There are many service organizations in the world today, but none so old or so successful as Rotary. There are many reasons for that, and Vocational Service is one of them. This year, I wish you to place a special emphasis on Vocational Service, which is sometimes the forgotten Avenue of Service in Rotary.

High ethical standards in business and personal life are still as important today as they were in 1905. Indeed, many of the problems our world is facing today have been caused by the failure to observe such standards in business affairs.

Vocational Service, in Rotary, means that we are committed to honest business and unassailable ethics, and that we are equally committed to using our vocational skills and advantages to help others. The idea is simple enough – but it is unique to Rotary.

Many service organizations are open to anyone who wishes to join. That has never been the case in Rotary. Rotarians only seek out as members those who are qualified – those who have the character, the ability, and the resolve to make a real contribution to their club.

I have long believed that the bedrock of Rotary is our commitment to ethical behavior. It has been putting what’s right above what’s convenient – and Service Above Self – that has made Rotary different from the rest.. That is why we must always remember that whatever we do, we are each the public face of Rotary. We are each the standard-bearers of our organization.. What one member does, for good or for ill, reflects on all of us.

So much of what we’ve achieved as an organization has come about because of the trust the world has in Rotary and in Rotarians. That trust has been a major part of our success in polio eradication – the fact that we are known in every community, and known to be people of goodwill and good hearts..

If we wish to see our organization grow and prosper, we must keep Vocational Service front and center in our minds and actions. We must seek out skilled and determined men and women of character. We must do what is right, even when it is inconvenient. And we must always, always, put Service Above Self.

John Kenny
President, Rotary International

September 2009

My fellow Rotarians:

Lord Byron wrote, “The days of our youth are the days of our glory.” For me, that is the line that springs to mind whenever Rotary’s youth programs are mentioned. In Rotary, September is New Generations Month – a time to focus our attention on our programs for youth and the role they play in shaping the Rotarians of tomorrow.

Our youth programs – Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Youth Exchange – are some of the most important programs of Rotary. I say this because of the unparalleled potential they have to influence young minds and souls toward peace, goodwill, and harmony. That potential is the greatest in youth because the experiences of our early years never leave us; they shape who we later become. In the words often attributed to St. Francis Xavier, “Give me a boy until he is seven, and I will give you the man.” For myself, I would give it a bit longer than that – but there is no doubt that the experiences of our youth have a greater formative power, and a greater ability to shape character, than any we may have in our adulthood.

When a teenager from the United States has the chance to travel to India to participate in a National Immunization Day, or when a student from Brazil spends a year studying in Japan, that person will be forever changed. These young people will have formed connections and affections that will endure. They will never think about their own country, or the world, in the same way again. Their perspective, their priorities, and their values will have been permanently shaped by that experience in a way that no later experiences will have the power to do. Your hard work ensures that these experiences continue to be possible – that these programs continue to be available, to be well run, and to earn the trust of the participants and their families.

The impressions of youth are strong, and they are lasting. There is never a second chance at them. We may grow and change as we get older, and we are surely changed by all of our experiences. But there is never another chance to build who we are. That happens only once: in our youth.

The days of our youth truly are the days of our glory – but through Rotary’s youth programs, those days become the glory of all of Rotary.

John Kenny
President, Rotary International

My fellow Rotarians:

I have always thought it important to bear in mind that Rotary is a voluntary organization, composed of people who are all themselves leaders. When addressing such an audience, I have never thought it fitting to exhort or demand. Every Rotary club is and must be autonomous: The leadership of Rotary International exists not to control, but to motivate and guide.

And so when we in Rotary speak about the importance of membership, I believe it of the utmost importance to bear in mind that the primary experience of Rotary, for the overwhelming majority of Rotarians, is of the club: of club meetings, club projects, and fellow club members.

When Paul Harris began the first Rotary club 104 years ago, he did not initially think of service. Instead, he had in mind a place where people of good character, intelligence, and morals could enjoy each other’s fellowship and friendship. The service came later, as a natural outgrowth of the gathering of such people.

Every good Rotarian, every member who shares our core values, will make a club that much stronger, and that much more attractive for others to join. Unfortunately, it is also the case that bringing in the wrong person can have the opposite effect. Rotarians are and must be people of a certain caliber – people with the capacity to do great deeds, the sense to do them wisely, and the strength of character to do them honestly and well.

In the end, I believe that the best way to bring new members into Rotary is the way it has been done for generations: One member invites a carefully chosen friend, client, or colleague to a meeting and, if the match is a good one, proposes that individual for membership. This is the way that our clubs remain harmonious; it is the way that new clubs become old clubs, and new members become Rotarians for life.

The membership challenges that we face today are considerable, and in many ways new. There is no denying the difficulties posed by the current global financial situation. But in the words of Henry Ford, “If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.” And as long as we all do our jobs well, and bring in new members carefully, this is a security we in Rotary will never lack.

John Kenny
President, Rotary International