"There is always a lot of talk about increasing membership".

There is an underlying pressure to many it seems, to always talk about and promote membership drives. The reality is that most club presidents would be absolutely happy if their clubs experienced growth of a mere 5 to 10% over the course of their year. And in my years within the Rotary organisation, I have found that in many cases it is the same leaders who bring in the new members on a regular basis. I suggest a simple, powerful and dynamic change that could literally shake our District as well as make a powerful statement to the organization at large. I learned to follow that simple phrase “keep it simple stupid” many years ago, and while I have never considered myself stupid by any sense of the word, THIS is a most simple approach

Let’s not shoot for a five to ten per cent increase in membership over the next year. Let’s do something amazing! Let’s DOUBLE our membership in one year!

EVERYONE BRING ONE

You read that right. I am proposing that each and every active member of District 6950 bring a guest that joins the club within the year. That simple! This is a reasonably realistic expectation that I know each one of you can accomplish!

Rotarians have different ideas on how to increase membership. You can analyze this until the cows come home. There is no secret formula to membership growth. Membership growth takes a little effort, determination, and of course enthusiasm. You want to share Rotary, RIGHT!

Let’s keep it simple. I would like you to go out and “Find ONE and bring ONE“. It’s that simple. And in the larger scheme of things, I would like “EveryONE to Bring ONE

EVERYONE BRING ONE

Ok, so you have brought in a new member. Now what?

In the long run, the growth of our clubs and District depends on several factors. To keep members involved, Rotary must be of value to the member starting from day ONE.

1. Interesting Club Meetings Effective club meetings that make Rotary worthwhile for new and veteran members alike are very important. Meetings should be interesting, varied and entertaining for the membership. Rotarians should attend meetings because they want to.

And don’t forget, meetings should begin and end on schedule. Who wants to waste an hour on a boring program. People have limited time. They will join and remain in Rotary if they recognize the value to be worthy of their time invested.

2. Cater to Them Regularly scheduled social events are important. Remember, Rotary was founded on the idea of fellowship and networking. Events away from the club give members a chance to “mingle” Encourage all members to bring guests to club functions.

3. Engage Them Give Rotarians the opportunity to make a greater impact. Remember, we are much stronger working together rather than alone.

4. Recognize Them Identify and understand who our Rotarians are, what they value, and the relationships and experiences they seek. Find out why they joined Rotary and why they want to stay in Rotary.

5. Build Value Make your club attractive to the new generation. Rotary has a lot to offer for the younger generation including building proficiency in leadership development, business ethics and public speaking skills. We need to provide them the value they seek!

6. Promotion Continuous marketing of Rotary throughout our communities and District. Think outside the box (or as Governor Roger Proffers likes to say “what box”). The world has changed a lot in the past 108 years, especially in the past twenty-five years. I cannot necessary say that Rotary has, especially at attracting younger members.

7. Networking Remember, Rotary was founded on the idea of fellowship and networking. Paul Harris himself started Rotary to network and make friends. Embrace this as a valid part of Rotary. Clubs should continually advance the “Object of Rotary” by developing acquaintances with local businesses, professionals, managers and community leaders.

8. Retention We spend a lot of energy attracting people to Rotary, but unfortunately, at times do not provide them with the reason to stay in Rotary. All the factors listed above (and many more) should be taken into account to gain and retain members. The value of membership to a Rotarian must be greater than the time invested and the cost of the membership.

People join Rotary because they want to build new friendships, network, be involved in the community and volunteer their time in a meaningful way, and feel like they are making a difference. We must help our members get excited about the ways of Rotary and provide them with the opportunities to achieve their needs and desires.

One of the true measures of an effective Rotary Club is the ability to attract and retain members.

***

There is always a lot of talk about increasing membership? It’s really simple.