Vocational Service

Vocational Service recognizes the various businesses and occupations that members of Rotary pursue.  It is one of the five Avenues of Service for Rotary.

Rotarians are encouraged to foster high ethical standards in their business and professions and to recognize the value of all occupations as every occupation has an opportunity to serve society.

As a Rotarian, how can you put these ideals into action? Consider these suggestions:

• Talk about your profession in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ occupations.
• Use your skills and expertise to serve a community.
• Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your words and actions.
• Help young people achieve their career goals.
• Guide and encourage others in their professional development.

At Kalamalka Rotary, we learn about our members’ professional through Vocational Talks at our meetings.  We also encourage our members to share their vocational skills with other Rotarians as “It’s Great to do Business With a Rotarian!” 

Vocational skills are also used in other areas of service or when sharing a business or occupational skill with the community. 

Each year, Kalamalka Rotary presents a Vocational Award to an individual in our community who exemplify high ethical standards in their occupation and who use their business or professional skills to help others in the community.

Past winners of the Kalamalka Rotary Vocational Award include:

2003 – Dr. Curtis Latham

2004 – Debbie Peebles

2006 – Jim Hamilton

2007 – Dr Duncan Wray

2008 – Patrick Nicol

2009 – Ed Columbus

2010 – Jane Lidster

2012 – Paul Nixon

2013 – Ruby Sharma

2014 – The Fisher Family (Home Hardware Downton)

2015 – Jack Gareb (Shubert Center)

2016 – Jerry Tellier  (Kal Rotarian/Vernon Restkholm)

2017 – Cheryl Heidt (Enderby Preshool)

2018 – Gerran Thorhaug (Brown’s Social House)

2020 – Art Clark

2021 – Peter Moore

2022 – Brad Houghton

2023 – Bruce Shepherd

2018 Vocational Award Recipient Gerran Thorhaug, owner and operator of Browns Socialhouse, with Past President Ryan Fairburn and Rotarian Dave DeShane