Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Feb. 20, 1921, edition 1 / Page 19
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"Service Above Self' tills is ROTAEY9S TTY U.1 I ti(d ay ROTARY IS AN ORGANIZATION COMPOSED OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MEN, EACH OF WHOM EARNESTLY DESIRES TO GROW IN CAPABILITY FOR SERVICE Roiary's Motto is: 66 Me rofits Most Who erve CD u99 The word "profit," as used in the motto, is not profit in its popular sense, meaning pecuniary gain, but is the gain in character which the one who serves receives, as he develops into a bigger, broader better and more useful member of society. 1905 1921 In sixteen years, Rotary has grown to a membership of sixty-five thousand and is represented in more than eight hundred cities- in five continents. " Membership in Rotary has always been restricted to one member from each distinctive business or prof ession (although- occasionally one additional representative from the same firm is permit ted). This membership restriction is one of Rotary's greatest advantages. The varied membership secured in this way provides the widest possible number of viewpoints for the consideration of business and community questions.' " , The only obligations imposed by Rotary are: The maintenance of high business standards, a militant-good citizenship, an unswerving loyalty to one's government, attendance at meetings, active participation in movements fathered by the Club, and active membership in craft, civic, charitable and commercial organizations. ROTARY SEEKS: The Betterment of the individual member. The Betterment of his business (both practically and ideally). v The Betterment of his craft as a whole. i-.. ... The Betterment of his home, town, state and country. R otary s Relation to .. Community S ervice The duty of Rotarians. to their community is briefly put in the in j unction : "Be a good citizen." Rotary Clubs contin ually survey the field of community life, in order to ascertain Rotary's opportunity for service. As a general rule, the manifestation of Rotary's interest in community service work is expressed through the individual Rotarian's activityin the various local civic, charitable and commercial organizations. Where these organizations are func tioning well, it is a. Rotarian's duty to work -with the officers of the various local organizations in. the accomplishment of their objects. Where it happens that any of the worth-while community service organizations are inefficient or have become inactive, it is the Rotarian's duty to work with his fellow-members in such organization to make it thoroughly efficient and active in carrying, out the purpose for which it was organized. Many organizations have been strengthened and their spheres of usefulness enlarged through the activity of men who received inspiration in the Rotary Club. Individual Rotarians in the various craft associations have aided in the formation and adoption of higher business stan dards. Freauent public acknowledgement has been given by city officials and by the press for the assistance rendered local or ganization and local community movements by Rotarians. . There are specific instances, however, where service to the community demands that the Rotary-Club shall act collective ly, namely: , v ' , . ' (1) Where there is the need for a particular service for wTiiVh there is -no' regularly established organization. (2) Wh-re ttereis need for a service' which does not prop erly -belong, to any other existing organizations. In both of such instances, the Rotary Club assumes the duty and works for the accomplishment of the service. With this limitation on concerted Rotary action so clearly defined, it is apparent that Chambers of Commerce and other local civic or charitable organizations need have no fear that Rotary will ever attempt to usurp aijy of their chosen functions. As a few examples of collective Rotary action, note: (1) War-time services for. the soldiers and sailors at home, en route, in the canips and abroad. The British Rotary clubs acted as hosts to the American and Canadian expeditionary forces quartered in the British Isles. (2) Organized efforts against vice in the territory surround ing' Army cantonments' in the Fit-to-Fight Campaign in the United States. (3) Activity of all Rotary Clubs in Boys Work, supplement ing the local agencies in new needs, new work, or emergency services. Aside from these distinctly club activities, every Ro tarian 'is urged to assist all worthy Boys' Work organizational and movements. Rotary considers Boys' Work one of its great est opportunities for service. 4 (4) The "Cross at Crossings" Campaign inaugurated to save pedestriansfrom injury or death at Philadelphia,, Pa. . (5) The Rotary Club acting for the United States Govern ment as sales agents of excess government food stocks in the -campaign against the high cost of living in Wheeling, W. Va. (6) Supplying crippled children of the poor with artificial arms and legs in Syracuse, N. Y., and Toledo, Ohio. (7) Creating cordial relations and better understanding be tween the city man and the farmer at Vincennes, Ind., etc. As regards the relation between capitaLanct labor, or, more -, properly expressed, as the Relation between 'Employers ana , Employes, it is the duty of every Rotarian to "set his own house in order" ; that is, to establish intimate, friendly and cor dial relations between the management and the employes. Hundreds of Rotarians have done this, and, assisted by Com mittees from Samong the employes, n?.we worked out more equitable distributions of the profits, splendid welfare plans for the employes and their families, and a 'wonderful spirit of co-operation." It is not Rotary's function to attempt to solve the questions of "open shop," wage scales, hours of labor, etc. The Rotary Club does not act as a collecting agency lor the raising of money for charitable or community needs, but it in spires its members to serve on Committees organized for this purpose. Rotarians were active on all war-time and Liberty Loan drives. No worthy money-raising campaign ever lacks the assistance of Rotarians. Rotary rarely expresses itself through resolutions, nor do the local Clubs confine their actions on community matters to the mere passing cf resolut'om. When it does occur that an expression of opinion by resolution is necessary, Rotarian prec edent requ.-.s t&t Rotary g3t behind tjie resolution and work' to accomplish what it endorses. ff Rotary is a non-partisan parliament. All subjects on which the respective political parties have taken sides, or on iwhich the community has a divided interest, may be thoroughly: dis cussed before and by the Clubs, but cannot properly be put to a vote to determine partisan Club action. The settlement of such questions naturally belongs tothe local civic . associa tions, in which the Rotarian members, equipped with p&raplete and accurate knowledge of the issue through the dicusips in the Club, take action in accordance with their convictions ; it " Ask a Rotarian to Tell You; About Rotary .; "v '-f WMimA vertisement is riacea oy me joxary vjiud oi W ilmington
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 20, 1921, edition 1
19
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