Vocational Service

Red Wing Rotary Club's Vocational Service group serves to recognize the vocational aspects of our members and the community.

Vocational Service includes:

	Adherence to, and promotion of, the highest ethical standards in all occupations, including loyalty to employer, employees and associates, and fair treatment of those with whom one has business or professional relations
	Recognition of worthiness of all useful occupations
	Contribution of one's vocational talents to problems and needs of society

Rotary 4-Way Test:

Each week at our regular meeting, the Red Wing Rotary Club recites the 4-Way Test. The 4-Way test is a way for Rotarians to assess whether they are upholding high ethical standards. The test was conceived in 1932 by a Rotarian from Chicago named Rotarian Hebert Taylor. Mr. Taylor had been assigned the task of saving a company from bankruptcy and developed the test as a way to monitor his actions in trying to revive the company. The following is the 4-Way test, to be applied to the things we think, say, and do:

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Red Wing Rotary Club vocational activities include:

	Job shadowing opportunities for Red Wing High School students
	Tours of local businesses and industries
	Annual scholarships to Red Wing High School and Southeast Minnesota Technical College students
	Annual Rotary Youth Leadership awards to Red Wing High School students
	Annual Camp Enterprise awards to Red Wing High School students
	Annual "Service Above Self" awards to two City of Red Wing Public Safety Department individuals

Service Above Self Awards

Each year, the Red Wing Rotary Club recognizes two outstanding City and County employees by giving each the “Service Above Self” Award. Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self” and what better name for an award than just that? The club presents these awards to individuals demonstrating an outstanding balance of job performance and a commitment to leadership, community service and volunteer activities. The “Service Above Self” Awards, started in 1999, recognize excellence both on the job and in the community.

The awards are presented at one of the club’s meetings. The two deserving individuals receive a plaque honoring their achievement and and a donation to their respective departments.

Rotary Scholarships

Every year, the Red Wing Rotary Club awards at least $4,000 in local educational scholarships. The club awards two $500 scholarships to students enrolled at Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical. The club also awards a two-year college scholarship to a senior at Red Wing High School. The recipient of this award receives $1,000 for each of the first two years in college.

Camp Enterprise

Camp Enterprise is a business camp held every fall for over 100 high school seniors representing high schools from urban and rural areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin. They will listen to business professionals tell their story, as well as participate in an actual case study. Along with listening, learning and participating with speakers, they will have an opportunity to win scholarships chosen by essays written during the three days of the camp, along with forming lasting friendships with other students from around the area.

As one student sponsored by the Red Wing Club said:

“Camp Enterprise has taught me so much about free enterprise. It was just a fantastic time. I met a lot of really neat people and had a great personal experience.”

The two students sponsored by the Club attend Camp Enterprise at no cost. The Club pays the students’ fee and even takes care of the students’ transportation to and from the camp. For more information on Camp Enterprise, go to their website at www.campenterprise.org.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

The Red Wing Rotary Club also sponsors up to two students to attend Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) every year. RYLA is a four-day leadership training camp held every spring, usually in April. RYLA draws approximately 120 students every year in a conference to promote and teach leadership skills to America’s finest youth. YMCA Camp St. Croix provides the setting for this fast-paced learning environment. As with Camp Enterprise, Rotary pays the students’ fees for attending RYLA and gets the students to and from the camp.

To give you an idea of the great benefit this Camp is to motivated youth, the student sponsored by the Red Wing Club for 2001 couldn’t say enough about RYLA. This is what she wrote about her RYLA experience:

"Going to RYLA Camp is an experience of a lifetime. I personally think it is not a camp. It is a place where so many different individuals come to join a big family. It is a family where everyone understands and respects others. I feel very lucky to have had an opportunity to attend this camp. Even though it was only for several days, it gives memories throughout my life.

This camp mainly trains for young leadership, but there was more I learned from it. Not only did I learned how to become a good leader, but I also learned so many valuable life lessons. Everyone at the camp was so understanding and educated. We all had chances to share our opinions. Each individual had his or her own unique ideas to share. We learn many new ideas from each other. We learned and educated others. We also had activities that we had to work with each other in order to solve the problem. Each of us took turn to be a leader to lead a team. We learned to work with each other while we had fun.

We also had an opportunity to listen to great speeches; speeches that changed lives in many great ways. I am sure because it changed mine. I learned to become a good leader. I learned when to listen and when to take charge. These aspects will help me greatly in my future.

This camp changed my life. Before I attended this camp, I was a shy girl. With the limitation of English, I was always afraid to talk publicly in class. I was afraid they would laugh at my foreign pronunciation. I was afraid to give presentation. These all have changed. At the camp, my friends advised and talked to me about all my accomplishments. We all shared our opinions about the difficulty that we were having. They told me to never be ashamed of my weaknesses. I should be proud of what I have accomplished because I worked hard for it. We all talked and found ways to overcome our obstacles. Right now I am a girl who is not afraid of anything that I was afraid before. I share and talk bravely in class. It is like a new me.

I also learned a great valuable lesson. Through different activities and speeches I learned to have courage and believe in myself. I believe I can be whatever I want to be with hard work. There are no obstacles that will prevent me because I already have courage and believe in myself. These tools will help me to succeed in my life.

I am going to college now. I am not afraid of the new surroundings nor talking in class. I have confidence in myself. I have a solid foundation that I learned from the camp. It will help me to adapt to the new life easily. I am sure I would not be as solid as I am now if I had not gone to the camp.

I can write pages about my experiences at RYLA Camp. I already give an introduction path; it is you to go through all the way. I am sure this camp will help every single life in many ways. . . . I wish I could come back someday. I cannot express my appreciation. Without this camp I would not be as courageous as I am now. I wish all the new coming campers to have the greatest experience and the greatest time. I know you will."

Last updated on January, 2004