MEMBERSHIP

I did not attend Rotary last week, and asked members to send me reports of our meeting. Ian Evans-Membership chair- was kind enough to provide me with the presentation he made on 
 
 
MEMBERSHIP
 
AUGUST in the world of Rotary is designated as MEMBERSHIP Month - 
a time to focus our minds and Rotary activities on
three Key Actions as regards our clubs and their programs.
 
The Rotary Club of Nunawading  has 53 members  (including 3 from from NewGen) and is the second largest club in District 9810 , the largest being  Box Central with 54 members.   
 
Last  evening at our meeting I spoke to the 3 points below printed in the August edition of Change Maker.
  1.            How do we ATTRACT more new members?
This reminds us that we need to make it as easy as possible for potential members to know that we exist. We need to ensure that our ‘Public Face’ on all social media and in our public activities is portraying an active, inclusive and energetic club that would help new prospects to ‘do some good in the world.’
  1. How do we ENGAGE our current members?
Research in the world of Rotary tells us that most new members leave Rotary in their first three years of membership, usually because the club atmosphere is unwelcoming, stale or inactive. But the other key reason, is that they have not been engaged in the clubs’ activities and their expectations about ‘doing good in the world ’are unmet.
  1.            How do we RETAIN our current members?
Because their expectations have not been achieved, they have not met their Rotary Retention Point. In essence, a Rotarians’ Retention Point is the moment when they decide that their Rotary club is absolutely ‘their tribe’ and they undertake a lifelong commitment to Rotary.
(I have written a brief article about Rotarians’ Retention Point which has been distributed to all Club Presidents and is printed elsewhere in this edition of ‘Change Maker.’)
 
Underpinning the importance of these three Key Actions, is the reality that the numbers of Rotarians in Australia has decreased by nearly 25% in the past ten years, as evidenced in the reduced numbers in our own District. No amount of Re-Districting will ensure Rotary’s long-term future, UNLESS each one of clubs seriously addresses these three Key Actions.
 
In addition, as a Baby Boomer myself, it has become more and more apparent, that we need to be building a Rotary organisation that is going to appeal to potential members from Gen Y or the Millennials. These young people who have become adults in this century, need to see that we are an organisation with clubs that are prepared to change with the times, that are adept with technology and are prepared to be flexible in their approach to meetings, commitments and activities. Our Rotaract Club members are a wonderful resource and we have much to learn from them about adapting to change and working with the younger generation.