ROTARY MOTTO

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12008, 10 December 1924, Page 3

ROTARY MOTTO

“SERVICE BEFORE SELt” INTERESTING DISCUSSION AT YESTERDAY'S MEETING. ' WHAT ABOUT PROFIT? The Bar, H. Watson (vicar of St. Peter's), speaking at yesterday's luncheon of the Wellington Rotary Club, on tho Rotarian motto—" Service Before Self. He Profits Most vho Serves Best" -said that, -while it put before the world a high ideal, did service and profit really go together. Were they truly patible? Incidentally, he denied the impeachment, often levelled against clergymen. that they are non-producers. . There was a general feeling to-day, ' said the speaker* that the term education and instruction were synonymous. What was the use of instructing a person wjitf was at heart?- That porson would, only be made an »ven greater rascal than he was already. Education. however, was a different matter altogether. They heard much of ethics, hut he doubted very much if very many people really, know the meaning of tlio word. Ho had read a book on the subject, and had come across a statement w something like this: ''That thing is right which in the total result give® a maximum of pleasure over a minimum of pain." That seemed to him very unsatisfactory. What was pleasure and what .was pain? Was pleasure the highest object.? He was interested in right and wrong because it was his business to try and produce as widely as possible the right kind of chaiticter. During tho war a conference had/suggested to the British Government that the law might ho amended so that clergymen might not bo exempted from the-eervice on the ground that they were non-prpducers. Now, lie maintained that it was their job to Produce the most valuable 1 asset to the Empire—good character. It was a most difficult and delicate thing to produce, and it might be said that they did not deliver the goods. ■TCg did not. think he neod elaborato on tiie Rotary’ code of ethics, it was -generally known to them. The speaker referred to the motto bf the Rotary Club. The first, part of ,th* motto. ''Service before self" set up an ideal, and the second part, "He profits most who serves best." •was a statement." Dfid the two stand together ? The second part of the motto might seem to tend in the opposite direction to tho first part. Was profit to be considered in a material way ? Then again they -had to consider how the matter was viewed by those outside the Rotary movement. They all knew that everybody who 6et up an ideal was <-*■- pected to be able to live up to that ideal in ihe face of criticism. On tho other hand there was the question of motive, . whether the statement set out the motto was a sufficient motive for them. They all knew that a- motor-car was- not a motor if it Iras not fed with, petrol, and in the same way they could not be a movies? force if they were not imbaod ■ with the r right, spirit. He did not wish to appear as a critic of Rotary, -but merely to sot them a problem for their opn- good.' (Applause.) , In a general discussion, which followed, Mr .T. Cangbley (Director of Education) congratulated the sneaker, on the war he haerput the problem. Veyy often’ they made statements glibly without exr amining lie statements verv closely. He thought that the sections of their motto were bound up together, because in each there was an answer to tho statement. Thp ipresideht CMr D. A. Ewen) said that Rotary was a personal matter, and the success rested in each individual member afid club. The Rev. Mr Watson was accorded, a hearty vote of thanks. 1