Zurich Standards

Zurich Standards

Bröckedde is located in the heart of Germany - where the Rhine and Danube flow into the beautiful Bröckeddesee. This is where RC Bröckedde meets in the Bröckedder Hof - every Wednesday at 1 pm in the Salon Hindenburg.

Alexander Hoffmann                                                                                                    01.06.2022

President Pröpke sighed with relief. After a great deal of effort, he had finally managed to fill all the Club posts for the coming Rotarian year. “I had to put some members under quite a lot of pressure before they would commit”, he said as an aside at the next meeting.

“The Club needs to adopt the Zurich Standards” replied Friend Zorngiebel, an old-school Rotarian whose constant complaints about Rotary’s general decline were normally dreaded. 

“I’ve been reading about how things were in the 1920s at RC Zurich”, Zorngiebel continued, “it was a very distinguished club, a real jewel in the crown." President Pröpke also delved into the historical weekly reports and was very taken with the old club. In Zurich, for example, two thirds of all members applied for a club position and those with the most votes then received the coveted offices. The attendance rules were strict. Anyone who missed a meeting had to apologise in writing, stating their reasons. Those who were absent without excuse were named in the weekly report. 

So Pröpke appointed Zorngiebel as the "Zurich representative" with task of reintroducing some of the old customs, "Try getting RC Bröckedde up to that sort of standard”, suggested President Pröpke and Zorngiebel set about his task with great enthusiasm. Attendance rates increased brilliantly. 

In view of this pleasing development, Pröpke felt suitably relaxed as he set off for his summer holiday on the North Sea island of Norderney. However, as soon he sat in his beach chair on the White Dune, his smartphone buzzed. 

“Where are you?” bellowed Zorngiebel. “I’m on a well-earned holiday on Norderney”, replied the President. 

"That's not how it works, Mr President!" complained Zorngiebel. "What doesn't work?" queried Pröpke. 

"You can’t just go on holiday without reporting in. You obviously haven't read the Zurich reports to the end. In the good old days, Club officers had to report in when on holiday. Please read up about the utter shock when a President didn’t report back from St. Moritz for a whole week." Poor old Pröpke felt rather shaken, promised a remedy and duly reported to Zorngiebel every morning and evening with detailed reports from the island. 

On his return, he studied the Zurich reports in some detail. It had been truly remarkable club, which also invited female speakers very early on, although not always successfully. One report recorded, "Today Greta Garbo should have spoken about her profession. She did not appear." Treasurer Knödler remarked with some relief, "Well at least in that respect we are on a par with RC Zurich. We once invited the lovely Jenny Elvers, Heather Queen 2015, and she didn't turn up either."

President Pröpke had a good chuckle with his old friend, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the Salon Hindenburg’s shabby-chic décor. Whatever his Club’s occasional shortcomings, he actually much preferred Bröckedde Standards.