The Value of Vocation in Rotary
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Assistant Governor Bob Slater is passionate about “The Value of Vocation in Rotary”. Bob had a long term career in the military (Regular Army with Vietnam Service, then Army Reserve) coupled with tertiary engineering study, and spent the last 10 years working in Community Welfare. Bob explains how this transition occurred and how his involvement in Rotary began. He then describes current community efforts, including by Rotary, in providing vocational guidance by experienced people to younger generations. |
Seeking a framework to elaborate he cited the concept of “four ages” for an individual in our society as espoused years ago by UK author Charles Handy. This starts with that dependent First Age of childhood and youth, then continues with the Second Age characterised by a time of striving for and building asset and career bases, and concludes with the last Fourth Age when one reverts to dependency pursuant to aging and illness. Spliced in between was the Third Age which is often typified in the work smart but retired, hence many Rotarians, and covers that time when one is able to choose to do things for a real community and self-actualization purpose.
He explained how post military life he joined a non-profit Age Care Organisation and there employed engineering skills and analogies which he was/had been studying. Observing the plight of newly graduate engineers unfamiliar with work life and experiences then led him to set up a non-profit company to be a mentoring organisation aimed at providing support for such naive individuals.
Embracing a heavy use of contacts and networking he described the success and life changing outcomes which this mentoring approach had had on many young individuals who he had met in the course of this organisations activity.
A couple of delightful anecdotes demonstrated the activities. One story concerned how an initially demotivated engineering graduate with a music loving bent was encouraged and helped to pursue that love in an engineering environment and achieve success in sound studio management. Years later subsequent assistance to a young girl again in the music area tapped into this now work wise sound engineer.
This simple story Bob used to exemplify how the power of networks and vocational links were effective and how within Rotary with its numerous experienced “Third Age” set of members there was a huge resource of these links. Rotary was a forum by which a wide range of skill sets could be employed in mentoring individuals in vocational matters.
Bob and Chairman Ian noted the current evolving efforts (as i the Rotary Club of Hawthorn) to engage potential mentors.