MENTORSHIP IS A VOCATION

Rotarians make excellent mentors for the new generation and this Vocation Month it may be good to develop a mentoring program for young Rotarians and Rotaractors.

The term mentor comes from the character named Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey. Mentor was the companion of Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, and he gave guidance and advice as he was away from his home and family.

A mentor, therefore, is to serve as guide to another, usually much younger, and less experienced mentee.

Being a mentor is a way of giving back and paying it forward. It is also rewarding because when you teach others, you learn more about what you teach and about yourself. As they say, we teach best what we most need to learn. It also develops your skills more so both mentor and mentee are enriched by one another.

A mentor is also a leader and a role model. As such, you are able to show the new generation the ways of Rotary and how to live their lives with the FourWay Test as guide

Having a mentorship program within the club as part of our Vocational Service is a way to ensure sustainability. It will help develop the next generation of Rotarian leaders who will also mentor others.

If being a Rotarian is living a life dedicated to “Service Above Self,” then mentoring young people to keep the Rotary spirit alive for generations to come is a worthy vocation.