BENEFITS OF ATTENDANCE
By Frank
Deaver
Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA
March is designated on the Rotary Calendar as “Perfect Attendance
Month.” It’s a challenging but worthy goal for a Rotarian to attend
every week, even for one year. But many clubs count in their
membership a Rotarian who has amassed multiple years, sometimes 50
or more, of perfect attendance.
For many Rotarians it may be an impossible attainment, for
reasons of extended illness or unavoidable conflicts – a physician
on-call for emergency duty, for example. Still, the challenge to
perfect attendance, or as near perfect as possible, has a noble
purpose.
No, not just one purpose, but at least two. In case we have
forgotten, let’s review the benefits of attendance at Rotary’s
weekly meetings.
Rotary’s reason for existence is often summarized in two words
– fellowship and service. Neither of those can be fully realized in
absentia.
Fellowship. It is at Rotary meetings where we
engage in conversation with fellow members, where we sit together
and share information and ideas, where we eat and drink around a
table while deepening the bonds of friendship. The weekly gathering
allows us to become acquainted with a broad array of local citizens,
breaking us free from the limited contacts we have at work or in our
residential neighborhood.
Reflecting on one’s circle of truly good friends, a Rotarian is
certain to include other Rotarians among those who have become
important in his or her life. This is the reward of Rotary
fellowship.
Service. Rotary defines four Avenues of
Service: Club, Community, Vocational, and International. While an
individual Rotarian certainly serves in one or more of these areas
outside Rotary, it is in corporate effort that the service can be
maximized.
Members serve on club committees and in club projects,
facilitated by meeting with fellow-members at weekly meetings.
Members become better acquainted with others of the same vocation,
and jointly they can promote high ethical standards in a profession,
or share in a vocational project such as mentoring young people
seeking direction in their lives.
Community and international needs are discussed in meetings,
and plans are laid for activity or support in these areas. A local
civic project may be organized and undertaken. Group Study Exchange
hosting or scholar nominations may be discussed.
Attendance. Clearly, attendance at Rotary
meetings facilitates the purposes of the organization, Fellowship
and Service.
Although attendance is strictly defined in the Standard Club
Constitution, many clubs choose to ignore the consequences of
absence until and unless it becomes pervasive. If questioned about
non-compliance with the constitution, they may offer reasons that go
beyond simple negligence.
Clubs that include meal charges with dues, equally collected
monthly or quarterly from all members, have observed that absences
create a lesser charge the club pays for those who attend, thus
benefiting the treasury. They may contend that increased finances
make possible greater support of club service. Critics reply that
Rotary does not exist merely as a conduit of money for activities,
no matter how worthy or needy.
Rotarians do, in countless instances, serve society
individually, but identified as Rotarians. Some defend that they
are faithful to Rotary goals, perhaps more so than others who
attends but do not serve.
These justifications have certain merit, but the fact remains
that Rotary is best supported by those who maximize their membership
benefits – fellowship and service – through faithful attendance.
