I am indeed delighted and deem it a matter of privilege for me to be present before this august audience. You are all dedicated Rotarians devoted to cause of Rotary, having accepted the ideal of Rotary service as an aim of your life. You are men/women of action, you believe in what you do and you do what you believe in.The unique methodology of selecting the service minded people, who are best suited to represent that section of the society to which they belong as leaders thereof, are loaned a particular classification.
The typical phraseology employed by Rotary International- “loaning out a classification to a person selected to represent a particular profession, or vocation or business in Rotary” implies the member incurring a debt which has to be repaid. At the same time every member of a Rotary Club ideally represents a group of people. It is this quality to lead and represent a particular section of Society that inculcates in him/her the influence to carry the message of Rotary to the grass root levels of the society.
With the figure of Rotary membership in India having stimulated itself more than one lakh which is more than 10% of the total world population of Rotary, it follows that Rotary has strength, enthusiasm and relevance in this part of the world.
We are ridden with population explosion, poverty, illiteracy, ill-health and the worst – communal disharmony.
Challenges are many and so are the fronts to be fought against. I am confident that each one of you has a tremendous invincible potential to set in motion a chain reaction of service, brotherhood, understanding, love and compassion. I am here only to remind you and make you realize what you are and what you are capable of doing and how?
There are a few basic questions which are asked often. What is Rotary? Why I became a Rotarian? What I seek to achieve? And, how? Past R I President Raja Saboo has beautifully answered these questions. He has once said:
“Rotary is about so many things – friendship and fellowship, international understanding and co-operation, vocational ethics and community leadership. All these values brought us to Rotary, and, all are reasons why we stay as Rotarians. Rotary seeks to serve and put service above self.Rotarians are the people who have come together to serve others as together they can do it better, more effectively and more enjoyably than they could have alone”
The Five avenues of service, central to Rotary’s methodology of working lead the way to the destination and make your dreams real. Rotary believes that the whole world is one community and by promoting the well being of the people of all ages in every region of the planet earth we can establish world peace. Every act of service which relieves suffering in this world brings peace a step nearer.
All of us came to Rotary because somebody wanted to share Rotary with us and as a necessary corollary it is our duty to share and serve.
The four objects of service spell out our destination and also the path which we have to tread.
The key line is – “the object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise”. The four objectives enumerated thereafter illustrate and expand this basic truth.
However, in Rotary, these four objects I have read not merely as objects but as oath or solemn affirmation. I would read the four objects, in the form an oath affirmation, as under, and hope that every Rotarian does it.
“ I swear in the name of God or I state on solemn affirmation; that I shall develop acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
that I shall maintain high ethical standards in business and profession; recognize the worthiness of all useful occupations; and shall dignify my occupation as an opportunity to serve society; that I shall apply the ideal of service in my personal, business and community life,that I shall advance
international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service (which obviously in Rotary)”
In these objects there are two key expressions to be found. They are (i) “the ideal of service and (ii) “application of ethics” in personal, vocational and community life, ‘Service and ethics’!
The mission of Rotary International also speaks of providing ‘service’ and promoting ‘high ethical standards ‘The theme of my address – ‘ the spark within Rotarian ’ is to put in other words , ‘ service and ethics’. Service is the spark to be ignited by ethics.
Compassion, charity, love and brotherhood or fellowship – all taken together will not be able to convey the meaning of ‘service’ which Rotary comprehence has its ideal or motto.
The concept of selfless service originates from all Love for the fellow human beings and almost all living creatures.
If I believe that I am a child of God then it will not be difficult for me to believe that every other human being too is a child of God.
“Mankind is one. Build the bridges of friendship.”
However, some are more blessed than the others. Therefore, he/she is most blessed who can give than to receive.
Our creator – the God – in his wisdom expects us to live and work not merely for our own pleasure and our own benefit but also for the service and benefit of others.
Service to society does not require a hefty wallet, strong limbs and heroic deeds or great sacrifices. A helping hand, a friendly word of gesture, a kind smile will more than suffice. In the words of Mark Twain “kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read! ” Service with compassion binds the humanity together in the bond of unity and peace.
The philosophy of Rotary was expressed with remarkable brevity by our national leader Mahatma Gandhi. He has said “To my mind as soon as man looks upon himself as a servant of society, earns for its sake and spends for its sake then his earnings are virtuous and his business venture is constructive”
One profits most who serves best
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he has only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry, so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked “How much do I owe you?”
“You don’t owe me anything” she replied “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness” He said “Then I thank you from my heart”
As Howard Kelly left that house. he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was much stronger than before. He was surcharged with determination.
Many years later the same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.
He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, and then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words.
“Paid in full with one glass of milk”
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: “Thank you, God that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands.”
Swami Vivekananda the great Indian role model, who believed in translating ideas into action, has said “we are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act ”
Service with compassion is our duty not only to others but also for self. The karma we perform and accrue in this life is extremely relevant to our next life. We always reap that we sow.
Therefore, performing good deeds with selfless motive will definitely lead to positive karma both in this life and future lives.
We must do good deeds because it is right thing to do. We must perform right action because that is what will lead us to God. Service to humanity is service to God. And, only He can put the light in our eyes, the glow on our face andt the song in our heart. Those who have done selfless service will agree that we ourselves are benefited immeasurably as our hearts fill with joy, with peace and with love. The life become full of meaning.
A small, impoverished boy was standing barefoot on the New York City streets, looking wistfully in the windows of a shoe store. A well dressed woman saw him and asked him, “Why are you looking so solemnly in this window? ” The small boy looked up at her and replied “I am asking God to please give me a pair of shoes”
The woman took the boy’s small hand and led him into the show store, where she immediately asked the clerk for a bucket of warm water and ten pairs of socks. The, placing the boy’s dirty feet into the water, she tenderly washed them and then put a pair of warm socks on him, Then, she told the clerk to bring shoes for the boy.
As they left the store, the boy’s small feet now warm and comfortably placed in a pair of new shoes, he clenched the woman’s hand and looked up into her eyes. Tears of joy rolled down the eyes of the lady when the child with an innocent smiles on his lips, asked her –“Auntie, are you God’s wife?” Ethics
Ethics, also called moral philosophy, is concerned with conduct and character. It consists of principles and methods for distinguishing right from wrong and good from bad.
Ethics in theory is the belief in principles of Rotary that they are the real standards of judging what is right? Practical ethics is the applicability of such principles to real life situations.
In a dilemma ask a question to yourself – what should I do? And, find the answers on principles learnt in theory.
Those who believe in religion, learn the principles of ethics and morality there from. For them they are the words of God, generally expressed in religious books, which show the path of righteousness and enable solving of problems that arise in a social setting. In Rotary it can be the 4-way test.
The practical ethics of Rotary, which must ignite a spark in every Rotarian is: “Let your example speak more than your words. reform yourself and be yourself what you want others to be. Live what you preach. Otherwise do not preach”
You have to act. The world and the society are full of challenges as sufferings to alleviate. Shiv Khera, an educator and motivator of international repute says – “it is never the activity of rascals that destroys the society, but also the inactivity of good people that does it” Again he says – “If injustice is happening to your neighbour and you can sleep, wait for your turn. You are next. ”
Friends, you are all leaders in your vocation or profession or business and therefore are in Rotary. A leader is one who knows the way, shows the way and goes the way.
Albert Schweitzer, the great scientist/humanitarian an honorary Rotarian once said –Example is not the main thing to influence others; it is the only thing. Think and act now. Kindle the spark of Rotary in every Rotarian and let the light of Rotary, illuminate the world.
According to Harry Truman ‘“A leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do and like it” Let every Rotarian be an example, a role model to the society to which he belongs. And we have done.
I would end by quoting an anonymous poem:
Through the toilsome world, alas! Once and only once I pass; If a kindness I may show; If a good deed I may do; To a suffering fellow man, Let me do it while I can. No delay, for it is pain I shall not pass this way again.