This Rotary year I hope we don’t get too fixated on numbers. We know our membership numbers are declining Zone-wide, but at club level there are things we can do a lot to make Rotary a service organisation people want to join.Firstly, can I ask you to take an honest, hard look at your own club: what do you look like to the prospective members in your community? Do you appear to be an elitist, wealthy or exclusive society, have you got baffling, irrelevant old traditions, are your weekly meetings and meals too costly financially and time-wise for working people with families? Are a large number of your members just there for the friendship and not actively engaged in Rotary and serving the community? Let’s ensure the club is meeting the needs of members. Are they active and having fun engaging/partnering with the community and delivering sustainable projects? If we can get our club environment right and present a club that is vibrant, diverse, inclusive, well connected with our community, visible, we will be seen as relevant and attractive.
Secondly, Rotary recognises the need for flexibility and innovation in order to survive another 115 years. Can your club take advantage of hugely relaxed Rotary rules to make changes that will keep Rotary a vibrant presence in your community into the future? Is there room for another club that looks and operates quite differently and that will attract a different membership if your members find change too difficult?
Start the conversation in your club, consider what you can do to keep your club cemented in the community by being truly representative of that community, responsive to need and quick to partner with others and share your skills and experience.
Rotary Opens Opportunities: the District Club Development and Membership Committee can help you see the opportunities for your club
Across the District can we make a real effort to get better at telling our stories, being visible and sharing what Rotary is and does?
Get every member of your club a login for the rotary.org website where they can engage with online learning, see projects, understand project funding through the Foundation, find publicity and branding material… it is a goldmine of information and inspiration and opportunity for members.
Marion Johnston
District Club Development & Membership Chair
027 245 9933
Start the conversation in your club, consider what you can do to keep your club cemented in the community by being truly representative of that community, responsive to need and quick to partner with others and share your skills and experience.
Rotary Opens Opportunities: the District Club Development and Membership Committee can help you see the opportunities for your club
Across the District can we make a real effort to get better at telling our stories, being visible and sharing what Rotary is and does?
Get every member of your club a login for the rotary.org website where they can engage with online learning, see projects, understand project funding through the Foundation, find publicity and branding material… it is a goldmine of information and inspiration and opportunity for members.
Marion Johnston
District Club Development & Membership Chair
027 245 9933