Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1927-10-15
DR.. PARK SPEAKS ON
. ROTARY EDUCATION
Service Before Self" is
Creed of Rotary, Subject
of Paper Read at Rotary
Meeting.

Somewhere in every community
we find the sick and needy, and
strange indeed is the man who
does not extend to such a person
the hand of charity.
This is an everyday exhibit of
the Rotary Creed of Service be-
fore Self"
Again-A certain man who trav-
cling to a distant city, to assemble
with other men in a conference
of utmost importance, wherein he,
himself, would be honored among
his fellows to high degree. On
the way he overlook a traveller in
great distress and with true Ro-
tary Spirit he stopped to give
help to the more unfortunate one,
and thersby failed to reach his
destination in time for his own
aggrandizement, which he had so
coveted, when starting out. The
world speaks of this as the spirit
of the Good Samaritan, but l love
to think of it as the spirit Of the
Good Rotarian-for therein lies
In each of these cases there
was certainly a Service before
Self" and it is we'll for this Ser
vice before Self" is the very life
blood of Rotarianism.
But it is of an even finer spirit
of the Rotary Greed Of Service
before Self" that I am going to
speak today.
1t is that God-given desire in
your hearts to live for another's
happiness as best you can, rather
han for that of your own. For
che profits most, who serves
best"
Then, we are indeed Rotarians
of the kind of whom the founders
dreamed when organizing this
brotherhood. 1t is the Rotarian's
ideal.
We would not be here today,
touching elbows in pleasant inter
course, if the germ of that ideal
did not exist in the hearts OF
every one of us 1t is of this no
tary Ideal that am speaking to
you now.
Born when the Almighty created
Man and Woman, this Ideal of
"Service before Self" was breath
ed into the Commandments whit
ten on everlasting stone. 1t was
this ideal of Service before Self
that fired the heart of Patrick
Henry, causing him to plead for
the happiness of his fellows. 1t
was this Ideal of Service before
Self" that moved the heart of
Washington to battle for it, and
that caused the signers of our I'M
mortal Declaration Of Independ-
ence to pledge their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred honor to
secure it. And it is this Service
before Self''-so indefinable, and
vet so real-that causes us to
gather in a friendly spirit around
this board. pledging anew at every
meeting chat Service before Sell"
each for the other.
For, is it not true that we, our
selves, shall not live the true Ro-
tary Spirit, save that as we meas
ure it out to others, both ma
terially, and yet higher, with that
ideal spirit Of Service before
SeR?" We are trying. We are
doing
Every day the earnest Rotarian
has his opportunity, trying to
make this beautiful world about
him yet more beautiful.
We must have faith in each
other. We must believe in each
that his heart is all right toward
us. and that he knows that our
heart. is right toward him. There
must be no distrust-no suspicion
no back biting re-
criminations-fo is it not true
that our very existence is gradu-
ated by our daily intercourse with
each other? Otherwise, why are
we here at all?
A generous act here-a kind
word there-a CHEEKY smile and
hearty "how do you do" blesses
not only the receiver but the giver
a thousand fold. This world about
us is a mighty good old world, just
brimming full and running over
with this ideal of Service before
Self"
do not say to you Let us not
turn away from this Spirit; T"
rather do | say I'VE will not turn
away from this Spirit"
We are not living in our little
community as rivals and secret
enemies. We do not wish to gain
that another may lose. We meet
every day in business and social
relations, we gather weekly
around this common board, to
help, to cheer, to encourage, to be
true Rotarfans wearing not the
mask for selfish ends, but living
Rotarianism as we pledge our
selves to do, when we come to-
gether. Do you agree with me?
So, l say that as Rotarians, liv-
ing every day the principles OF our
association, we should avoid III
natured controversies, state, muE-
ictpal, public, private. political,
secbarian, or personal disputes. All
this seems today to be almost a
fashion in our community. Who
Is to blame? HE that is without
sin, let him cast the first stone. !"
Let us search diligently our own
hearts, Let US study one another