Just before the start of this Rotary year, Rotary International President Kalyan wrote to give all District Governors of our Rotary world a focus for this year of Rotary service.  I was certain that the letter would talk about Membership – so critical to being able to increase our service to humanity; and if not talking about membership, he would surely remind us of the importance of support to our Rotary Foundation – the fuel that helps keep our Rotary wheel spinning.
How surprised I was when I read his words – “give added emphasis to one important Avenue: Vocational Service.  Vocational Service is what makes Rotary unique. It is the foundation of all of Rotary.”
 
Vocational Service calls each of us as Rotarians to aspire to high ethical standards in our  occupation and to contribute our vocational talents to the problems and needs of society.
One of the central goals of Vocational Service is to promote and advance Rotary’s high ethical standards. Two useful tools we have to assess these standards are The Four-Way Test and The Declaration of Rotarians in Business and Professions
Earlier this year, our district provided each club with enough printed copies of The Declaration of Rotarians in Business and Professions for each Rotarian to hang in his or her place of business or office. Letting others know how much we value high ethical standards is just one way we can share Rotary and help to make our world a better place. I hope each of you have hung this in a place where all can see it and learn about Rotarians’ commitment.
 
 
In a world filled with contradictions, with distrust and lack of confidence, as Rotarians we have the challenge to share with others the value of high ethical standards in our business and personal relationships. .  .the challenge to demonstrate the truth in the statement made by Richard Buckminster Fuller, "Integrity is the essence of everything successful.”
October is Rotary’s Vocational Service month.  I look forward to hearing how your club showcases Vocational Service during the next 31 days . . and how you keep those initiatives going on ‘the road ahead’.
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As we enter the second quarter of this Rotary year, Al and I are enjoying our “official” visits. We have learned so much about the rich history of our region of Texas, but more importantly we have learned so much about the richness of our Rotary heritage and all that Rotary means to our communities here in District 5840. 
We look forward to meeting more of you as we continue to travel the Rotary road.  I encourage you to follow our travels and keep up to date on the happenings in Rotary and our district by following me on Twitter @dgsherri or on Rotary 5840’s facebook page . . .I hope you have had a chance to see our new web pages at www.rotary5840.org and explore the tools available once you login. 
The Rotary wheel is indeed spinning in D-5840!! – and I look forward to seeing you during our Million Dollar Weekend, October 28th and 29th at the JW Marriott in San Antonio!