August is Membership Month for Rotarians - also this year a time when Rotarians all around the world are barracking for their national team at the 2012 Olympics. In Australia, fans of various football codes are also barracking for their favoured team as they move closer to the finals!
But so are Americans who love their baseball or grid-iron, and as for the British, the Europeans, and the South Americans - their passion for football is legendary; and with the Aussies, support for ‘Aussies Rules’ is so tribal, that followers, through the circumstance of their place of birth and family ties are destined to support a team until the day they die!
So it is not surprising that one often hears the expression, support of some nationalities for football is like a religion!
But, curiously, how often does one run into folk who profess that they used to be a Rotarian, or if circumstances change, they might just rejoin the organisation! I mean, could you imagine a committed football supporter waxing and waning about their passion and allegiance for their team? Being a tribal supporter one year, and ‘dropping out’ the next? Hardly!
And as if ‘service above self’ or believing in the ‘Four Way Test’ were beliefs that could be turned ‘off’ or ‘on’ depending on which way the wind was blowing?
Surely, for goodness sake, a commitment to Rotary is a life-time conversion to a powerful global belief system of ideas, a commitment which surpasses politics, religions and nationalities.
There are some 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are quite deliberately nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. Rotary’s main objective is and will always be service ¬ in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the whole wide world.
Rotary is a global grouping of people, a tribe of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Rotarians provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
I say, barrack incessantly for Rotary, be inspired by the achievements of Olympic competitors, barrack incessantly for our fine Rotarian team – one that scores goals year in and year out for the benefit of all mankind in just so many wonderful ways!
And never, ever be tempted to ‘take time out’ by not wearing our badge of honour – our symbol of tribal loyalty and affiliation – the Rotary Pin, a symbol which is as powerful a sign of commitment by Rotarians as the coloured scarf that is worn by the most ardent and enthusiastic of football supporters.
Angus M Robinson
Director, Membership