Vocational Service

Vocational Service focuses on the opportunity that Rotarians have to represent their professions as well as their efforts to promote vocational awareness and high ethical standards in business. For decades, Rotarians having been applying the "4-Way Test" to their business and personal relationships and in recent years, a "Declaration of Rotarians in Businesses and Professions" has given expression to their concern for ethical standards in the workplace. From offering career guidance in high schools, to seeking ways to improve conditions in the workplace, Rotarians and their clubs engage in many different kinds of vocational service.

Our Club has given thousands of dollars in scholarships to local college students. We are part of the Rotary International network that comprises the largest non-profit provider of scholarships worldwide.

We currently offer two $500 scholarships to students attending Frederick Community College each year. The students will continue to receive the scholarships as long as they continue to meet the established criteria. Interested students must write an essay. Interested students may inquire at the financial aid office at Frederick Community College.

Additionally, our club has sponsored students in the 4-Way Test speech contest each spring. This contest is open to all high school students. Working with the Frederick Rotary Club and the Carroll Creek Rotary Club, we offer scholarships to students at the local level and serve as a sponsor if they are selected to go on to the district level. Students can win in excess of $1,500 if they are judged to have the best speech at the district competition. Interested students should inquire with their high school guidance department or administrators.

The Rotary Club of Fredericktowne sponsors one or two high school student members of the Interact Club to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) conference. The program is designed to help train students that have demonstrated leadership abilities and wish to continue on with leadership roles. The students undergo four days of intense learning and workshops. There are also competitions amongst the attendees. Our report from this past year's students was that the conference gets an A+.

Along with the Vocational Avenue of Frederick Rotary and the Carroll Creek Rotary, a newly formed Interact Club has been formed with members from all high schools in Frederick County. This group serves as a sort of Junior Rotary Club. It teaches the same principals as Rotary Clubs, but is geared for high school students. The students do community service projects, have fund-raisers and are planning trips for education and international understanding. There are now over 100 members. Cochairing the Advisory Committee to interact is Dan Oakes from Fredericktowne. News and activities of the Club can be viewed on the web site: www.frederickrotaryclub.org.

A newly formed internship program has also been formed jointly by the Frederick, Fredericktowne and Carroll Creek Rotary Clubs. This project is designed to help the Frederick County Public School system place high school students in internship positions with companies and organizations with which they may desire to seek a career. Inquiries may be directed to the Interact Club web site listed above.

For the past two years Fredericktowne Rotary has given $500 donations to the Frederick YMCA Youth Scholarship Campaign, helping to support child-care, after school programs and athletic scholarships for children in need.