Membership Development

Let's Talk Membership Development

It is hardly a secret that strong clubs, clubs with talented and energetic members, bring the best that Rotary has to offer to the local and international communities.  However, Rotary numbership in the United States has declined over the past few years.  How can this be, when poll after poll shows that Americans are increasingly concerned with improving the health, literacy, appearance, and general quality of life of the communities they live in?    Rotarians need to ask themselves some questions.  Is my club still relevant in my community?  Am I doing what I can to ensure that a decade from now, my club will still be playing a role in making my community a great place to live in?  Is my club helping its members to grow in service and fellowship?   If you are unsure of the answers, or if the answers you arrive at disturb you, we have assembled some ideas to help.   One of Rotary's greatest strengths is its diversity;  Diversity in vocations and professions, diversity in gender, and diversity in ethnicity.  Yet the very thing that makes Rotary attractive, makes membership development difficult.   As we encourage professionals to join Rotary from across generational, gender, and ethnic boundaries, diversity will challenge us to understand how to effectively recruit them, and involve them in Rotary.    The three elements we need to address as we recruit new members are: ·       How do we attract new members from diverse backgrounds? ·       What do we need to include in our orientation programs to prepare them to be effective and satisfied members of our clubs? ·       What do we need to do to keep them engaged and to help them participate in our membership development activities? How we engage and empower ourselves as Rotarians varies depending on age, demographics and other factors that influence what each of us values in our involvement with Rotary.   To assess your clubs current level of commitment to Membership Development, ask your self the following questions. ·       Does you club board have a plan to grow?  ·       Does your club have a membership development committee that works closely with the public relations committee in pursuit of the plan? ·       Does you club utilize the resources of the entire club to work the plan with the membership development committee?.  ·       Does your club hold a membership drive, a focused period of time when every member concentrates on bringing in future Rotarians?    If you answered all questions “yes”, congratulations.  Your club has a coordinated effort to recruit new members.  If you answers no to 2 or more questions, please check with the District Membership committee.  We are here to help you.