Wearing Ivy, Carrying Its Spirit Forward: Gentlemens Rotary Club
The Gentlemens Rotary Club began with a belief: if we value Ivy style, we should also carry forward the spirit of social responsibility and giving back that we admire in its culture. Education and volunteering are how we put that belief into practice.
On November 7, 2024, members joined a career lecture and mentoring session with the Department of Styling at Jangan University (장안대학교). A scholarship donation of KRW 2 million was also made in the name of Gentlemens Club. This is a look back at that day, and at the purpose behind it.
Why we formed the Gentlemens Rotary Club
Our interest in Ivy is about more than a blazer, an Oxford shirt or a particular way of dressing. We want the values we associate with that culture to have a place in our lives, too. For us, that means taking responsibility for the community around us and finding ways to contribute.
Inspired by the service activities of Rotary, we formed a community-based volunteer club. The intention was to turn a shared interest into shared action: members bringing their knowledge, time and abilities to education and community service.
The wider Gentlemens Club community includes people working in education, architecture, social welfare, law, public service, business, sport, photography, film, retail, marketing, design and technology. Different professional backgrounds give us different experiences to share. What connects them is the willingness to make those experiences useful to others.
Sharing experience through mentoring at Jangan
The November 2024 event brought that purpose into a classroom. Working members took part in mentoring and a career lecture with styling students. Rather than leaving our professional experience within our own workplaces, this was an opportunity to share it with people preparing for their next steps.
The photographs record several members taking turns at the lectern. We value this part of the gathering because it gives practical form to the club’s purpose: contributing through the work and experience that each person already has.
A KRW 2 million scholarship donation
Alongside the mentoring, a scholarship donation of KRW 2,000,000 was made in the name of Gentlemens Club. The presentation is recorded in the event photographs below.
Sharing experience and making a financial contribution were two ways of supporting students at this event. Both reflect the same intention: to give something back through the community we have built together.
Wearing Ivy, carrying its spirit forward
For us, wearing Ivy and contributing to the community belong in the same conversation. We enjoy the clothes, and we also want to act on the sense of responsibility that we value alongside them.
The visit to Jangan was one expression of that commitment. Through education and volunteering, the Gentlemens Rotary Club continues to look for ways to turn shared values into something we can do for others.
Event date: November 7, 2024. Photographs and event details: the original Gentlemens Rotary Club record on RENACTS. The explanation of the club’s purpose comes from its founder.
For more stories about the people and places behind the clothes, explore Seoul Notes.