Honouring Every Path – Why Every Vocation Matters

Vocational Service Month is a powerful reminder that every vocation matters. Across District 5050, Clubs create meaningful opportunities for Rotarians to share their vocational journeys, the passion, purpose, or circumstances that led them to the work they have done throughout their lives. These stories deepen our understanding of one another, broaden our perspective, and foster a genuine appreciation for work we may never have personally experienced. Most importantly, they allow us to see the value of every profession through a deeply personal lens.

Vocational Service is not about titles or accolades. It is about integrity. It is reflected in the daily choices we make, the way we treat others, and the values we carry into our workplaces and communities. As Rotarians, our vocations are more than what we do, they are an expression of how we live our commitment to Service Above Self.

Within our District, Rotarians represent an extraordinary range of professions. Each one matters. Each brings unique skills, perspectives, and lived experiences that shape who we are and how we show up in Rotary. When we honour all vocations, we honour the people behind them, and the impact they make, often quietly and without recognition.

My own vocational journey began at a very young age, working in every aspect of my family’s restaurant business. The service industry is demanding, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It requires resilience, humility, and an unwavering commitment to customer service. As a child, working was not a choice; it was a responsibility. I learned to contribute, to endure, and to help strengthen my family through hard work. From washing dishes and cleaning bathrooms to serving customers, bartending, cooking, and managing finances, each role, challenging as it sometimes was, shaped the person I am today. Those experiences grounded me in a deep respect for the work others do and instilled a strong work ethic that continues to guide me. It remains a humbling and formative chapter of my life.

Vocational Service also reminds us of our responsibility to support the next generation. It lives in mentorship, guidance offered to young professionals, support for community organizations, and in moments when we choose to apply the Four-Way Test, especially when it would be easier not to. These actions may not always be visible, but they are profoundly impactful. Through mentorship, scholarships, vocational training, Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Youth Engaged in Service, and Youth Adventures in Leadership, we have the privilege of helping young people discover confidence, purpose, skills development, and ethical leadership.

When we share our stories, our successes and our challenges, we help others, especially youth, see what is possible. We show that every job has meaning and that every skill learned can shape a future.

As we begin 2026, I urge each Club to highlight the vocations within your membership. Create opportunities for vocational speakers, storytelling, and mentorship. Celebrate the diversity of skills and experiences around your table. Make space for members to share how their work has shaped who they are and how it strengthens your club’s service.

Thank you for the many ways you live Rotary through your work, your service, and your unwavering commitment to others.

Happy Holidays, All

Best of the Holiday Season to all from Team Miss Vicky!

Many have asked how our 1931 Model A is doing after the misfortune of an engine failure. Enroute to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, last Fall and just 10 miles short of the Canadian border, a brand new (but flawed) piston came apart, leading to a rather abrupt halt to further travel! The good news is that repairs are coming together nicely with the goal of making exhaust just after the Christmas Holiday. After a successful thousand or so break-in miles, we intend to restart the Edmonton Adventure on the 12th of January so that Miss Vicky (and drivers) can attend their first ever hockey game experience at the Oilers Game for PolioPlus on Saturday, January 17th. From there, Fort McMurray, Yellowknife, Harrison Hot Springs, Whitehorse… and Lloydminster(!), are in our sights.

Many folks have also asked: “Why are you tormenting a 94 year old automobile (and yourselves!) with a 700 mile journey to Edmonton in the dead of winter?” The answer for us in the Miss Vicky is simple: just like completing the 10,000 mile Peking-to-Paris Endurance Rally, then rallying 7,500 miles from Anchorage to Cabo San Lucas, we wish to prove that difficult things can be accomplished… even ridding the world of the polio scourge, once and for all.

Winston and I have presented the Miss Vicky Challenge for PolioPlus to many, many Rotary Clubs north and south of our common border. We’ve discovered that fully two thirds of those attending have no, or very limited, appreciation of the forty one year history of Rotary’s signature project known as PolioPlus. The Miss Vicky Challenge and Rotary’s PolioPlus quest is indeed like climbing a mountain: the closer to the summit, the steeper the climb and the closer the possibility (or likelihood?) of failing to achieve the goal. In the twenty five minutes of a typical Rotary presentation, we emphasize the history, some science and the consequences of failing to reach the summit. Therefore, the challenge for Miss Vicky is ultimately to educate, motivate and incentivize fellow Rotarians to continue, step by step, our mutual journey to the summit of a very high mountain: a polio-free world. Join us in January as we restart our journey to “Mount Edmonton” by continuing to contribute generously to The Miss Vicky 2026 Challenge for PolioPlus. This link takes you directly to the Miss Vicky raise.rotary.org website.

Happy Holidays, Lee and Winston

Editor's Note: This is the third of a six part series by Marty Pease on how she ended up in Rotary.

International Project Alliance/Honduras

After retiring, Peter Martin sought a way to put his energies into humanitarian service somewhere in Central America. He and his wife were doing a Mayan ruins tour through Central America and stopped in Copán Ruinas, Honduras. He was in a poor Mayan village when a young girl reached up to Peter’s hand and asked, “May I walk with you?” That sparked Peter’s interest, and he started investigating possibilities in that region. He discovered people in need, few active NGOs in the area, and the dollar stretched far. And Copán Ruinas provided comfortable hotels and restaurants for visiting Americans.

His next step was to find an organization that could support his dream. He stumbled onto Rotary, an organization that does service projects and has a grant system to fund them. He joined the Fidalgo Island Rotary Club in Anacortes, Washington. He realized very quickly that what he aspired to accomplish was beyond the capacity of one club. In 2014, five Rotary clubs in Skagit County, including the Rotary Club of La Conner, came together and created the International Project Alliance (IPA).

The program has since grown to fourteen clubs and has been providing assistance to Mayan villages in western Honduras for eleven years. I am very passionate about this group and the help it provides. In Rotary, it is fairly unusual for clubs to collaborate on a project. When it does happen, the focus is often on a one-time project such as a park, a water system, or a new school. The IPA is unique in the number of clubs working together and the longevity of the program. The IPA’s primary focus has been on education and economic development, including training, infrastructural improvements, and providing school supplies. However, the IPA has the flexibility to meet most requests from the villagers, such as a footbridge, a water system, a new road, silos, ecostoves, student health care, and libraries. As one need is met, another is addressed.

So what does this mean to me? Before joining Rotary, I would never have guessed I would travel to Honduras and be involved in service. My first trip to Honduras was in the fall of 2016. I found the area interesting and enjoyed my time there. I came back saying, “Been there, done that,” with no intention of returning. Well, as it turns out, this June will be my fifteenth or sixteenth trip; I have lost track. 

Why do I love to go? I find the countryside beautiful and peaceful. The pace of life, even in Copán, is slower, though modern amenities are available. Well, sort of. The streets are the original cobblestone. They are so narrow that two cars can’t pass. Only last year did the town adopt a system of one-way streets. The sidewalks are uneven. The power regularly goes out. There may not be running water, depending on the status of the municipal water system. 

The villages the IPA visits are tucked away on the hillsides; it’s truly rural countryside. Though many of the villagers live in poverty, they are happy and grounded. They are very present in the moment. As I observe village life, it causes me to wonder if our hectic modern electronic environment is really any better. Admittedly, every time I come home, I am grateful for potable water and the fact that I can flip a switch to have power. Food and shelter are not my worries. The trips make me even more grateful for what I have here. It does make me more aware that my happiness is not totally dependent on my material wealth. 

Another reason is the reward of seeing the changes in the villages year to year. How the school infrastructure has improved: lights, working latrines, desks, white boards, and so on. Now, children are attending school at least through sixth grade, whereas their parents may have only made it to second or third grade. More and more youth are choosing to attend middle school, high school, and even university. They say education is the best path out of poverty, and the IPA is making that possible for the village children.

A Season of Reflection - Finding Gratitude and Purpose in December

December is upon us, and with it comes that familiar mix of anticipation and anxiety. It’s the rush to wrap up work, organize volunteer commitments, curate gifts for my grandchildren, and prepare for the year-end break. It’s a season filled with joy, but also with pressures and expectations.

On one hand, I’m excited for the extra time with my grandkids and family. School holidays mean more sleepovers, more laughter, and more memories. Yet, there’s also that quiet voice reminding me of everything still to be done, how will I manage expectations? The “if only” thoughts creep in: If only I had more hours in the day. If only I had more financial resources. If only I had more energy to bring all my ideas to life.

And then Rotary grounds me. My challenges, while very real, are small compared to the struggles many face with far fewer supports. I recognize how fortunate I am, and I am deeply grateful for that.

I have a loving, large family, who contributes to the ups and downs in my life, ultimately bringing a balance of care that outweighs the occasional grumpy times. My health is relatively good, though I know I should carve out more time for exercise and self-care, things that easily slip away during a busy day. And then there is my Rotary family which, like any family, has its complexities, but also brings calm in the whirlwind of expectations. Rotary gives me peace and deep satisfaction knowing that I can contribute to meaningful projects in my community and in support of my fellow Rotarians. In many ways, I believe I gain more from serving than I ever give.

As I reflect on Rotary’s monthly themes, December’s focus on Disease Prevention and Treatment truly resonates. Physical illness and mental health issues touch every one of us at some point in our lives. Around the world, Rotarians champion healthier futures by supporting access to medical care, strengthening health systems, educating communities, and advancing solutions that prevent suffering before it begins.

This past May, in Santa Rita, Copán, Honduras our district’s International Project Alliance launched a new program of classes. Those classes were offered by ETAOO,  a local non-­profit trade school, and sponsored by a new partnership of the Rotary Club of Copán Ruinas and fourteen Rotary Clubs in District 5050 that form the International Project Alliance (IPA). Established in 1989, ETAOO is a non-profit trade school in Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, committed to community development through education and skills training. For three decades, ETAOO has offered many courses, including gastronomy, carpentry, barista skills, beauty and cosmetology, electrical work, barbering, welding, and computer skills, among others.

Needs for trade school education have long gone unmet in the 40 rural villages around Copán Ruinas where for ten years the IPA has been working. We have sponsored numerous successful programs and individual students within the traditional schools in the area.  Each village has a primary school, and many have middle schools, that emerged from this partnership of Rotary clubs. But these 60 small villages have not been able to offer more specialized education, focused on the occupations needed in the region, because of the small population base in the individual villages. 

Fortunately, the IPA works with many small villages that all share this need, challenging us to explore, with the villages, the possibility of  a collaborative solution. Our Club, under the leadership of Mark Lascelles (Anacortes) and Walt Guterbock (Fidalgo Island), and logistical work of our in -country contractors, identified families who might have students interested in the idea of expanded offerings. Concurrently we were able to find an educational organization with an excellent reputation already conducting trade education in Honduras.  That group, ETAOO, was operating in the town of Santa Rosa a couple of hours from Copán Ruinas from where the IPA operates. Meetings to explore the feasibility and nature of expanding their offerings led over time to a successful contract under which a new set of classes to meet the needs of IPA villages was established. 

Interests in trade education have been great in the villages, but not a sense of how those needs might be addressed. That type of awareness and serving as a neutral broker and financial supporter was something IPA could bring to the table. Getting funding by the local school system was not a possibility given how far their resources were stretched already. However, we knew our alliance of Rotary Clubs could foster the planning and bring together the needed funding and do so in a sustainable fashion. 

A contract with ETAOO for facilities, equipment and teachers was negotiated and signed. Tuition and fees for each student was funded by the IPA. Each student paid for transportation from their village to and from the school. Because of those costs, and the ongoing need for students to work in support of their families, a scheme was devised to bring these mostly adult students to the school on Saturdays.   

Villages will rarely send more than two students since villages are small and the program, although inexpensive, is not free. After a ride to school of 30 minutes or so students will attend class and return home that day. Admittedly these school days will be grueling, but students are highly motivated and well aware of the challenges their remote locations pose for continuing their education. 

Village needs and family interests led IPA to float a proposal for a partnership initially offering education in four trades: carpentry, sewing, gastronomy and cosmetology. These are trades for which there are needs in the region, if not in every village. Fortunately, given ETAOO’S other offerings, there was no need to purchase equipment to launch these programs, using the existing facilities at the public Cashapa secondary school in Santa Rita. The IPA did agree to maintain the machines. 

Pictures that accompany this article were taken on the first day of class. Excitement among students, teachers and Rotarians was palpable. For some it was the culmination of a lot of planning. For others it was the opening of a door to new work opportunities, and the hope they’ll be bringing salaries back to their villages. 

If you would like more information about or are interested in joining the International Project Alliance, please contact Marty Pease of the La Conner Club or at 720-291-1979.  While Rotary Clubs from Canada, the United States, and Honduras constitute the bulk of the membership, individual Rotarians and friends are welcome to join and/or contribute to these projects and Club activities.