From "Rotary on the Move"
 Which is more valuable to your Rotary club? A. One new member? B. One retained member? The answer is definitely B … a member retained is a satisfied member- engaged and fully involved in the work of making our world a better place!
We often focus so heavily on recruiting new members that we forget how vital it is to the health and vibrancy of our Rotary clubs to retain engaged members. Here is a simple, yet powerful way for you to help engage your members: Pick up the phone and start creating connections. Nothing engages a member more than a personal connection. It’s a smart strategy that a lot of membership organizations have used to grow. In fact, Sarah Rintamaki, the Founder and Executive Director of Connecting for Kids used personal connections to help grow her organization over 300% in just the first year.
  “Personal contacts are invaluable,” says Sarah. “Whether it’s business, or non-profit, or whatever, everything truly is a personal relationship. Whether it’s a donor, or a family, or a professional, or a member, they need to have a conversation with somebody.” It works for new members . . . but unengaged members love a phone call, or at least a personalized email. It may be the one thing that keeps a member engaged so they don’t leave your club. Past Rotary International President Ron Burton tells his personal story – had it not been for one phone call from one member of his Rotary club during a time in his Rotary life when he was unengaged and considering leaving, Ron would not still be a Rotarian today. Give it a try. Make a commitment to reach out to one unengaged or even lost member every single week. Put it on your calendar right now. Friday afternoon at 3pm, schedule your first call. Sometimes that extra nudge … that connection with another Rotarian … is all that’s needed to retain a member.
Rotary Coordinators for Membership, Kelly Atkinson (Zone 27) and Sherri Muniz (Zone 21B).