| Dear Club Membership Chairs and/or Presidents:
At the recent Presidential Membership Conference in South Bend, RI President Wilf emphasized in his opening comments that Rotary must grow because our service and our impact are needed. The world’s population is growing, and so are the many challenges we face. So, what next? We have posted many of the great ideas we learned at the conference. What can you do to help put those ideas to work? Here is what we ask: Make a commitment to take these steps to grow membership within the next 60 days.
• First: Identify, orient and have your club board approve a new member whom you have proposed
• Second: Take 15 minutes to think about membership from your own leadership role. What are the biggest opportunities to improve membership growth and retention for your club?
• Third: Make a list of the best ideas from the conference -- the ones that fit your club . If you have a long list, divide them into categories, such as retention, attracting new members, diversity, etc.
• Fourth: Take your challenge list and your ideas to your board, membership team or district leadership team. Share what you learned at the conference, reaffirm your commitment to membership growth and invite others to join you in taking positive steps to improve membership growth, retention and impact. Polio does not go away unless someone delivers the vaccine. Children do not enjoy safe water unless someone decides to drill wells. Wheel chair ramps will not get built in your community by magic. Membership will only grow if you and your fellow members find, engage and involve more men and women in Rotary. The world needs Rotary more than ever – for our service, our integrity and our impact. So as you continue your Rotary journey this year, we ask that you give one gift to our organization. That gift is not in the form of money or material things; the gift that your membership team is asking of you is to give the gift of Rotary to at least one other person this Rotary year. Remember, someone gave you that same gift when you were asked to join Rotary, so why not share that gift and the wonderful experiences of becoming a Rotarian with one other person.
What will you do in the next 60 days? We look forward to hearing your story. Please feel free to contact me for any questions, suggestions or for any support that you might need. And watch for the membership section of the Web site and the newsletter!
Yours in Rotary, Kathleen Tosco, District 6360 Membership Chair, ktosco@ntelos.net
District 6360 Membership Strategy, 2007-2008
District Chair: Kathleen Tosco; Current Team Members: Brent Larson (Portage), Brian Kaufman (Kalamazoo)—Contact Kathleen if you would like to join us! You don’t have to be an expert. We want fun people with good ideas.
Strategy #1: Form Committee with representatives from each area; either club membership chair, club president, interested Rotarian (title doesn’t matter as much as ideas). Recruit additional Rotarians from clubs that have successful membership programs going and Rotarians with energy.
Strategy #2: Compare notes on membership recruitment and retention plans that are working. Add elements of plans to club presentation program. Include materials provided by RI and picked up at President’s Conference in South Bend.
Strategy #3: Prepare and deliver membership programs for clubs throughout District 6360. Interactive, idea sharing, reality based brainstorming sessions resulting in action plans that fit each club. Programs can be done by Kathleen, District committee members who are accomplished facilitators, District Leadership, or club membership chairs. In addition, we will make note of RI or Zone speakers/facilitators we have heard and liked. Facilitators, not preachers.
Some ideas we have picked up so far (these came mostly from other clubs!):
Recruit from: County Extension Leadership Programs, Chamber Leadership Programs, School Board and Commission members, RI Foundation Alumni (GSE, Ambassadorial Scholars, Peace Scholars), Business & Professional Associations, parents of Youth Exchange or RYLA kids, former Interacters or Rotaracters. Partner on projects with organizations that serve 20-30 year olds, and look for individuals who could make a natural transition to Rotary.
Techniques: Sponsor a joint lunch or happy hour with Chamber members, publish weekly programs in paper and welcome guests (potential members). Follow up on appropriate guests or speakers with a call and welcome to return (not to join at this point). Offer special themed programs in business or community issues and invite the community to attend for a special $10 (or lunch price) per program and follow up on prospective members from guests. When clubs do projects in the community, wear a club vest, hat or tee shirt with Rotary symbol and club name for visibility and awareness of how the club works together for community improvement. Get free publications from Rotary such as “Rotary Basics” or the “ABC’s of Rotary or better yet make up a wallet sized card with Rotary mission, four way test, your club name and some contact information for the membership chair. Ask for a business card and follow up with an invitation to your club. Seat the guests with the club member who has brought in the most new members (your “closer”). Sell coming to the second meeting, not membership. If they come back, it’s a strong sign of interest. Use new technology to get your story out: web site, Utube, viral marketing. Give new RI sponsor pins to club members who recruit a new member. Contact a successful club of similar size for ideas. Celebrate the achievements of your club! ASK . . .
Retention: Induct new members with appropriate ceremony. Induct a group when the District Governor is there (get AG if DG is not available). District Governor sends a congratulation letter to each new member. Post new member bio and photo on club web site and district web site. Hold special (family included) orientation gathering with committee chairs and officers – fireside gatherings, picnics, happy hour. Follow up extended absences with a “how are you” phone call offering help to remove barriers for attendance (ride share, e-clubs, area make-up schedule, reasons why they are important to the club). Offer stepped up lunch ($2 for soup and bread, $5 for sandwich, $10 for full hot meal). Create post-meeting business networking opportunity for those who want to stay and find out more about each other’s business endeavors (mini-business fair) and the possibility for working together in the business world – this is how Rotary started! Celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, new business set ups, professional awards (you can collect fines for these too!). Have fun at every meeting – awards (serious or funny), prizes (again serious or funny), hat day, bring your spouse (partner, parent, child, grandchild, borrowed child, boss, secretary, doctor, accountant, whatever) day, casual day, high fashion day. Explore programs on how the principles and practices of Rotary also benefit business.
P.S . We are actively recruiting members for the District Membership Committee. Let me know if you are interested and available.
Kathleen Tosco, District 6360 Membership Chair, ktosco@ntelos.net
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