{"id":455,"date":"2024-07-26T08:28:28","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T08:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2425.rid3450.org\/?p=455"},"modified":"2024-07-30T04:04:11","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T04:04:11","slug":"district-membership-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dg-newsletter2425.rid3450.org\/?p=455","title":{"rendered":"District Membership Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

District Membership Committee<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Rotary International has created a concise 1-page flyer that provides an overview of the organization. The flyer outlines Rotary’s mission, its global reach and activities, the diversity of its membership, as well as the benefits of joining. Whether you are an experienced volunteer or simply looking to support your local community, this informative flyer highlights why joining Rotary’s network of over 1.4 million members worldwide can be a rewarding experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This flyer can be a valuable resource for Rotary clubs in District 3450 when speaking to prospective members who are interested in learning more about getting involved with Rotary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6210\u70ba\u65b0\u4e00\u4ee3\u793e\u5340\u9818\u8896 – \u52a0\u5165\u6276\u8f2a\u793e<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u8207\u6276\u8f2a\u793e\u4e00\u8d77\u505a\u51fa\u8d85\u4e4e\u60f3\u50cf\u7684\u4e8b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u7acb\u5373\u767b\u5165 rotary.org\/get-involved<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> \u627e\u5230\u5c31\u8fd1\u7684\u6276\u8f2a\u793e,\u958b\u59cb\u70ba\u793e\u5340\u51fa\u4e00\u5206\u529b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6276\u8f2a\u793e\u662f\u500b\u64c1\u6709140\u842c\u6d3b\u8e8d\u6703\u54e1\u7684\u5168\u7403\u7db2\u7d61 – \u5c31\u50cf\u4f60\u4e00\u6a23\u7684\u9130\u5c45\u3001\u9818\u8896\u548c\u89e3\u6c7a\u554f\u984c\u7684\u4eba<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u6211\u5011\u904b\u7528\u4e0d\u540c\u5605\u7684\u898b\u89e3\u548c\u5c08\u696d\u77e5\u8b58,\u4e92\u76f8\u652f\u6301\u540c\u89e3\u6c7a\u793e\u5340\u9762\u5c0d\u7684\u68d8\u624b\u554f\u984c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u52a0\u5165\u6211\u5011:
\u2022\u2060 \u2060\u8207\u5176\u4ed6\u884c\u52d5\u7a4d\u6975\u7684\u9752\u5e74\u5efa\u7acb\u806f\u7e6b
\u2022\u2060 \u2060\u7d50\u4ea4\u65b0\u670b\u53cb,\u64f4\u5c55\u793e\u4ea4\u5708\u5b50
\u2022\u2060 \u2060\u767c\u63ee\u5275\u610f\u6eff\u8db3\u793e\u5340\u9700\u6c42
\u2022\u2060 \u2060\u5b78\u5230\u65b0\u6280\u80fd,\u6210\u70ba\u51fa\u8272\u7684\u793e\u5340\u9818\u8896<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step right up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Rotary\u2019s membership game, everyone\u2019s a winner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Geoffrey Johnson <\/strong>Illustrations by   Rocco Baviera<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to finding new members for his Minnesota Rotary club, Tom Gump doesn\u2019t just walk the walk, he trots the trot: the turkey trot. Gump is a former president of the Rotary Club of Edina\/Morningside, which makes boosting membership a priority. In fact, that\u2019s the fourth item on a list of 10 tips to attract and retain members which has been prepared \u2013 and practiced \u2013 by the club. It\u2019s tip No. 10 that finds Gump clad in a turkey suit. More on that shortly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The tips work: During Gump\u2019s 2016-17 stint as club president, Edina\/Morningside added 31 members. Eleven of them were women; 10 were under 40 years old. With 94 members, the club \u201cwent from being classified as a medium-size club to being one of District 5950\u2019s large clubs,\u201d says Gump, who will be the 2020-21 district governor. \u201cThere were 13 clubs larger than our club in our district, and now there are only four.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tips have proven so effective that Gump has taken the Edina\/Morningside show on the road, using a PowerPoint presentation to coach other clubs on specific ways they can expand their membership. \u201cI have been called a good salesman,\u201d says Gump (who, for the record, is a real estate lawyer and a developer). \u201cBut to me, recruiting new Rotary members is not really selling. It\u2019s matching up potential members with what he or she wants in a club.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you\u2019re looking to add members to your club, consider taking a page from the Edina\/Morningside playbook. Read on for the club\u2019s 10 tips, as well as five suggestions for increasing membership from other Rotarians and Rotary clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a list of all the great things about your club<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The point is not just growing your club, but boosting Rotary\u2019s capacity to make a difference around the world.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

List your star members, the advantages of your meeting location, how many members you have, the kinds of projects and events you host, and so on. The list can serve as a template when sending an email or letter to a potential member. Make sure to tailor any correspondence so it addresses the specific interests and wants of any potential member. For instance, if someone is interested in international work, your email or letter should focus on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep a list of potential members <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s a paper list or if it\u2019s kept on the desktop of your computer. Either way, it makes you think about those people who might be a fit for your club. Discuss the list at board meetings \u2013 not just the concept of bringing in new members, but the specific names and who\u2019s going to contact them and when. And don\u2019t overlook some obvious suspects, such as members\u2019 spouses, Youth Exchange host parents \u2013 \u201cthey already have a taste of what Rotary is about\u201d \u2013 and even former members. \u201cWe had two founding members rejoin recently,\u201d Gump says. \u201cSometimes people need to leave for a reason and then later they have more time and just have to be asked to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know your club\u2019s strengths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Most things are strengths if you target the right audience. If you meet in the morning, you\u2019re probably a good fit for someone working 9 to 5. Meet at noon and you\u2019re more likely to appeal to retirees or parents of schoolchildren. \u201cNot every club is right for every potential member,\u201d Gump says. \u201cIf someone doesn\u2019t fit your format, recommend them to another club.\u201d Keep in mind that the point is not just growing your club, but boosting Rotary\u2019s capacity to make a difference in communities around the world. And with any luck, that other club will send you a potential member one day. Gump points to one member who joined his club last year after a recommendation from the Rotary Club of Edina, which typically meets middays. \u201cMorning meetings worked better for him than noon meetings,\u201d Gump says. \u201cHe has already become a Paul Harris Society member, leads our beer tasting committee, and led our 100th anniversary celebration for The Rotary Foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make membership growth your club\u2019s top priority –<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

and make sure every member understands that. \u201cI always tell presidents and presidents-elect that the best way to make their year as president easier is to bring in more members,\u201d says Gump. New members bring new energy to a club, he explains, and mean more people to serve on committees, work on projects and events, and raise money for the Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look to young Rotarians for fresh perspectives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Want some suggestions about attracting younger members? Look at what\u2019s going on at the Roc City Rotary Club in Rochester, New York. \u201cWe are the next generation of Rotary,\u201d proclaims its website. \u201cThe baton has been passed. It\u2019s now our turn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chartered in February (and a provisional club since June 2016), Roc City targets recent college graduates and young professionals by keeping dues low ($120 annually) and meetings infrequent. \u201cWe meet once a month and have a solid turnout at every meeting,\u201d says Kristina Chartrand, who co-founded the club with her longtime friend Kelsey Christiansen (they met in 2005 as Interactors while in high school). \u201cWe want the game changers and move makers, people who are busy and thriving in their everyday lives. We attract young people who want to get involved but crave flexibility.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At press time, the club had 24 members, aged 21 to 33, as well as 20-plus \u201cFriends of Roc City.\u201d Members are recruited through word of mouth and social media; it helps that Roc City convenes during happy hour at a local pub. \u201cSo many people see us and what we\u2019re doing and just stop by,\u201d Chartrand says. The club plans service projects three months in advance so members can plan ahead, and it regularly schedules speakers for its Adulting 101 series (topics have included \u201cPaying Off Debt\u201d and \u201cHow to Buy a House\u201d). \u201cWe want this to be something club members look forward to every month\u201d \u2013 for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to local volunteers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In fall 2014, the Rotary Club of Evanston, Illinois, held its inaugural \u201cHeads Up, Evanston!\u201d an event that\u2019s equal parts community outreach, game show, and, as one member puts it, \u201corganizational speed dating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWe encourage participants to connect with each other during and after the meeting and find new ways to collaborate and partner based on what they have heard each other say,\u201d explains Past Club President Paul Larson. \u201cWe follow up by sending all participants a PDF with everyone\u2019s contact information as an added convenience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The participants in this service-oriented dating game are local not-for-profit organizations, about 25 per annual session. Representatives from each organization get exactly two minutes to, as Larson puts it, \u201cgive a commercial or news item about themselves.\u201d The time limit is rigidly enforced, albeit in a lighthearted manner. Talk too long and speakers are cut off by a \u201ccheesy disco song from the \u201970s,\u201d Larson says. \u201cThis makes it fun since people do their best to finish before the dreaded sounds of an old Bee Gees tune or the theme from Rocky tells them time is up.\u201d Finish your \u201ccommercial\u201d in 90 seconds or less and the Rotary bell rings, meaning the speaker gets invited back for a free lunch with the club and another opportunity to speak. The \u201cHeads Up\u201d gathering includes a modestly priced lunch \u2013 which \u201corganizations are happy to pay,\u201d says Larson \u2013 and post-gathering mingling around tables laden with promotional materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWhile the event definitely has the potential to build membership in the long term, we use it strategically as a supplement to more direct recruiting efforts,\u201d Larson says. But, he adds, it\u2019s also a way for the club to provide \u201ca service to the community \u2013 a way for us to offer unique value as a forum for leaders.\u201d And because the club also presents its own \u201ccommercial,\u201d he notes, it\u2019s also an opportunity for \u201cawareness building about what Rotary is and what we do.\u201d Sounds like a love connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Talk about Rotary wherever you go \u2013<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

at work, family gatherings, neighborhood get-togethers, parties. You will be amazed how easy it is after you practice awhile. \u201cGetting a lot of \u2018nos\u2019 helped build my confidence, because it didn\u2019t hurt as bad as I thought it would,\u201d Gump says. \u201cAnd most people were happy I asked, even if they did have to decline.\u201d And remember: It\u2019s never not a good time to invite a potential member to a meeting. \u201cPeople say it\u2019s a bad time, for example, because it\u2019s the holiday season,\u201d says Gump. \u201cOur club recruited and inducted three new members during the holiday season.\u201d Nor is there a bad place to talk about Rotary: Gump landed one new member he met at Chipotle. \u201cYou never know where you will meet your next member,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd if you want younger members, hang out where they hang out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a list of club members\u2019 responsibilities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to engage with potential members beforehand. They will want to know how they can fit in with your club and what opportunities there are for serving. The list should also include information about dues, attendance guidelines, and other club expectations \u2013 and it should emphasize the many benefits that come with being a Rotary member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Realize there is no finish line<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even if your club is the optimum size, it\u2019s no reason to stop recruiting. There are always reasons people leave. Of the 31 members who joined Edina\/Morningside in 2016-17, eight eventually left the club: Three had a job transfer, one had a family issue, and two had conflicts with work. Only two people simply stopped participating. Among those who remained, 10 are now very active in leadership roles, and two are \u201con the presidential track.\u201d What\u2019s more, the club added 11 more members between July 2017 and April 2018. \u201cYou\u2019re either growing or you\u2019re dying as a club,\u201d Gump says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emphasize service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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After attending a Rotary event with her mother, Fiona Bassett decided her town in the north of Wales needed another Rotary club \u2013 to complement the three it already had. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To attract new members, the Rotary Club of Wrexham Glyndwr \u2013 Wrexham\u2019s the town; Owain Glynd\u0175r was a legendary Welsh leader \u2013 puts the emphasis on projects rather than meetings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe feel that having a meal and weekly meetings puts some people off joining,\u201d says Bassett. \u201cAs a club, we believe that the money we would spend on food every week could be put to better use.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members are encouraged to attend one meeting a month, where the mood is informal and parents may bring their children if the sitter\u2019s unavailable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tech-savvy club relies heavily on social media to promote itself, its projects, and Rotary: One post notched 42,000 views in 24 hours. It collaborates closely with other clubs in the district \u2013 the Rotary Club of Wrexham Yale helped Glyndwr get on its feet \u2013 and relies on high-wattage events to raise its profile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe host a family fun event that\u2019s going into its third year,\u201d says Bassett. \u201cIt attracts between 3,000 and 4,000 people, and everything is branded so there\u2019s no mistake who\u2019s organizing it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last December, the club\u2019s annual Christmas Lights Switch On drew about 10,000 people, thanks to promotional help from local celebrities, radio hosts, and the town council. \u201cEveryone in Wrexham knows who we are,\u201d says Bassett. \u201cWe gained six new members from our first Christmas event and three last year\u201d \u2013 and the club raised money for End Polio Now and other charities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Celebrate when you get a new member <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to make potential members feel wanted,\u201d Gump says. \u201cOur club makes a poster of the individuals after they\u2019ve been voted in, and we put it in the front of the room at our next meeting. They love it. Some ask if they can take the poster home. One wanted to mail it to his mother.\u201d While celebrating new members, don\u2019t forget that clubs also stay strong by retaining current members. If you ensure that they are having a good experience and realizing the full value of their membership, the club\u2019s current members will be proud to invite a guest to a meeting \u2013 and those guests will want to join an attractive and welcoming club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be persistent <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At times, it will take more than one or two requests to get someone to attend a meeting. Keep asking. \u201cIt took my workout partner two years to convince me to come to a meeting,\u201d says Gump, who joined the club in 2013 after attending just one meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be vibrant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If Gump\u2019s fowl finery is any indication, this is a tip he takes to heart, dignity be damned. \u201cThe week before Thanksgiving, I contacted people on my recruitment list and told them I would be wearing a turkey suit to the next meeting and that they should come and see it,\u201d he says. \u201cA few took me up on the offer \u2013 and some of them joined. It\u2019s all about making club meetings and events fun and vibrant. Other simple things we\u2019ve done is make outrageous centerpieces for our meeting tables. It gets people talking. For example, at Easter we put baskets in the middle of the tables with plastic eggs, and inside the eggs were blue and gold M&Ms with the Rotary logo on them. At St. Patrick\u2019s Day, we had shamrocks with members\u2019 pictures on them; same thing at Christmas, but on foil trees. My club is so welcoming, sometimes it just takes getting a potential member to the first meeting and then they join. Balloons, posters, streamers \u2013 it all helps. It really does work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Embrace diversity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In February, Rotary welcomed its first LGBTQ club, the Rotary Club of San Francisco Castro. The initiative to form the club came from the top down after local Rotary leaders acknowledged that members of the LGBTQ community were underrepresented in District 5150, which encompasses San Francisco and other towns in Northern California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWe received a ton of support from our district,\u201d says the club\u2019s founding president, Lisa De Zordo. \u201cIt was invaluable.\u201d She especially singled out two past district governors \u2013 Eric Schmautz (\u201che planted the seed\u201d) and Leah Lambrecht \u2013 and lauded her former club, the Rotary Club of South San Francisco. \u201cThey were our sponsor club and our cheerleaders,\u201d De Zordo says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From De Zordo\u2019s perspective, the formation of the new club recognized what was already a reality: Many members had already been participating in Rotary events and projects. \u201cWe did not let not being chartered get in the way of our service,\u201d De Zordo says. Now the club is partnering with Larkin Street Youth Services and other local organizations to help at-risk youth, neglected seniors, and the homeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De Zordo thinks it\u2019s essential that Rotary embrace diversity if it intends to grow. \u201cRotary has a real opportunity here,\u201d she says. \u201cWe need to be open and affirming to everyone. If we\u2019re interested in bringing peace to the world, that peace has to start with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That process is well underway Down Under. According to Steven Aquilina, past president of the Rotary Club of Southbank (in Melbourne), Australia has a well-established LGBTQ Rotary network. And in June, Monica Mulholland completed her term as the first transgender president of the Rotary Club of Queenstown, New Zealand. During her tenure, the club hosted an LGBTQ \u201cinformation night\u201d; in a letter, then-RI President Ian H.S. Riseley endorsed the event and encouraged other clubs to welcome people of diverse backgrounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cAt the core of it all is that we\u2019re Rotarians who are LGBTQ,\u201d De Zordo says. \u201cThe focus is always on Rotary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Get them in the door<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In April, at his induction ceremony into the Arch Klumph Society, Rustico \u201cChito\u201d Recto Jr. explained how, almost against his will, he came to join Rotary in 1980 when he was 26 years old. \u201cA close friend of mine had recently joined,\u201d Recto explained, \u201cand he attended the Rotary Convention in Chicago, the year Rotary was celebrating its 75th anniversary. Upon coming home to the Philippines, he was so upbeat about Rotary that he practically twisted my arm to attend a meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, as Recto confessed after the ceremony, he did not share his friend\u2019s enthusiasm. Not easily deterred, his friend picked him up for a lunch date one day. Unbeknownst to Recto, their destination was a Rotary meeting. \u201cI was a little surprised,\u201d he says today, but once introduced to the organization, he was hooked: \u201cI became a member, and from there on, there was no stopping me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recto went on to assume a number of leadership positions, including president of the Rotary Club of Lipa South and governor of District 3820 (Philippines). In addition to their generous contributions to The Rotary Foundation, Recto and his wife, Lydia Miral, have been Rotary Youth Exchange hosts, joined the fight to end polio, and helped provide aid to residents of Mindanao after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, among other endeavors \u2013 all because a persistent friend \u201cconvinced\u201d Recto to attend his first Rotary meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.rotary.org\/en\/tips-increasing-club-membership<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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