Returning To Rotary... For A Night

Ever since I began working ‘normal’ hours I haven’t been able to make it to a Rotary meeting especially at my home club which meets for lunch in the middle of the week. Logistically it just hasn’t worked out. Of course, there have been other activities that have kept me occupied but I have only been able to schedule so much before my wife gets that look in her eye. And, honestly, I can’t say I blame her. There is only so much I can do without burning out and I have to have time at home or else I will just start shutting down.

However, last night, for the first time in months, I was able to once again join my fellow Rotarians in Bala Cynwyd for a wonderful dinner and, as always, excellent discussion. On what would have been my induction night as President of the club, I sat at one of the four crowded tables in the back room of Aldar Bistro and watched as another Rotarian took office. It was interesting to think about what could have been but that moment was fleeting because, while I may not be involved in Rotary like I once was, there are a lot of other things that I enjoy in what I consider to be a great life.

Unexpectedly, the new president gave a bit of a hat tip to me as in the short time I was active in Rotary and at the club, I make what turned out to be a positive impact. As I have said before, sometimes work and life in general can get in the way of things like Rotary but what is really important is that we remain active in our desire to give back and do good work. After all, we each have the responsibility to bring light to the world because while one candle may only be able to make a pin point in the dark, if we each hold a candle we can turn night into day. Rotary is just one of the many places where you can old your candle high.

By the end of the evening there were many people I hadn’t caught up with, many to whom I was introduced, and most that I had a chance to talk with about the long time that had passed. While I doubt that there will be time in the near future when I will be able to attend another meeting, I look forward to the next gathering I will be able to attend and I am determined to do a better job in keeping the like of communication open with my old club. Regardless of what happens, I will never forget what my club and Rotary did for me during a difficult period, the welcoming receptions that I continue to receive whenever I am able to make it to a meeting, gathering, or event, and what it continues to do as it influences my daily life.

 

Thinking Back There Seems To Be Something Missing

Every week I am amazed at how fast time seems to be drifting by. Every once in a while I stop for a moment, look back, and think about all that I have been able to do, see, and accomplish. However, this time around, I noticed something missing from my memories.

Truth be told, I haven’t been able to attend a Rotary meeting since September or October and while I have done my best to keep up to date with everything going on (thanks in large part to the weekly phone messages from my club) there is still a gap in my memory. Obviously, there is a huge difference between experiencing something and simply hearing about it. And because I really only write about my thoughts and experiences, there has been a lack of Rotary related posts since the last time I was surrounded by my fellow Rotarians.

That is something else that I struggle with. While I am still an Honorary Rotarian, I am pretty far removed at this point from the goings on in my club and in my district. Personally, I don’t know if I should really be called a Rotarian. Don’t get me wrong, I take great pride in my affiliation, but I really can’t say that I am earning that honor at this point. That is how I honestly feel at this point. With that said, I still carry the Four Way Test with me as a reminder and I still have a plethora of pins that are used in a Rotary rotation but that has been about the limit of my connection over the past half year.

I’m not sure if my current situation is fair to my club and to all the great people that I have had the pleasure of getting to know since I originally became a member in August 2012. I consider them all great friends who have supported me during a difficult transition period in my career but, since getting things back on track, I have not been able to enjoy their company. However, that only accounts for the meetings. I have not kept in touch with the club as I should have been doing all along. For that, I really don’t have a reason or an excuse.

It just goes to show that for many of us if we are not present and active in a club, organization, or fraternity we gradually become a bit disconnected both from the entity and from the people. I saw everyone once a week for over a year and now I haven’t seen them for over 6 months. A group of people and organization that was once a large part of my recollection and reflection is not oddly absent. I think it is time to change that. At the very least, I should pick up the phone.

Either Get On The Cart Or Go To The Mattresses!

Membership is a major concern for most, if not all, Rotary clubs and new ideas seem to be presented on a regular basis on how to attract new members (especially young professionals in their 20’s and 30’s). Unfortunately, many clubs can hear Eric Idle’s chanting from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” ringing in their ears. What we must do in response is to persevere and let people know “I’m getting better… I feel happy.”

I am not going to waste your time saying I have the answer and I am not going to tell you what is the right way or wrong way to attract members. The purpose of this post is to help you organize and set the ground work for an effective membership drive during the next Rotary year which is approaching fast.

Many of the building blocks outlined below mirror the fundamentals reviewed in my post last week because that is exactly what they are… fundamentals. The following seven steps have been specifically selected as they can be applied to all clubs regardless of geography, size, and financial health.  

1.      Know Your Club – As I have said before, you need to analyze each of the items mentioned in the previous paragraph and see where your strengths and weaknesses are. By knowing the members of your club, their professions, their capabilities, and their interests you can better focus the direction of the club not only with regard to service projects but also in how to proceed in pursuing members and how the responsibilities for that task would be best divided.

2.      Review Demographics – This is not only the other half of the equation in finding the most appropriate service projects but it is also essential in properly pursuing members. Determine the average age and income of the community. Understand what kind of businesses are the most prevalent. Find out what kind of events and speakers garner the greatest attendance in the area. Basically, know the people around you and coordinate your membership initiatives accordingly.

3.      Be Ready To Sell – Just like any sales force, make sure your members are informed. Make sure there is a working knowledge in place regarding all aspects of Rotary and specifically what the club does for the community. Don’t be timid about letting people know you are a Rotarian… this can be achieved simply by making sure your members wear their Rotary pin every day and encouraging members to be open and ready to talk about Rotary when someone asks.  

4.      Focus On Service, Not Food – Now that your clubs service efforts are in sync with both the abilities of the membership and the needs of the community, invite perspective members to participate. We can’t lose track of why we are Rotarians. We are not a club for foodies. We are a service organization. After all, it’s not about the dealership, it’s about the car.

5.      Be Honest and Be Flexible – When a prospect asks you a question be up front with them… we each need to be the embodiment of the four way test. At the same time, speak up and encourage new and perspective members to do the same. If something isn’t working for you discuss it with your fellow Rotarians because, in this instance, silence is the absence of truth. This facilitates an ongoing evaluation of the club… do you still meet at the best time, place, day? Are their new skills available to the club or any other service projects that a new person is particularly passionate about? Make sure everyone is part of the process.

6.      Communication and Networking – How does your club best communicate with one another? How do you communicate with other clubs? You have to know the basics of communications. If no one in your club uses social media then it is useless to post information only pertinent to members on Facebook. With that said, every club should have all lines of communication available to members and prospects ranging from a mailing address to a twitter account. Communication is essential to the networking capabilities of the club and is the key to the overall structure of the community and media relations efforts. The club needs to be open to the public because where else do your members come from?

7.      Make Your Presence Known – Rotary has proven that good PR leads to an increase in membership. Just as each member’s voice should be heard within the club so too should the club’s voice be heard in the community. In order to magnify the club’s efforts a single point of contact, a public relations chair (if you have not done so thus far) should be appointed and all members (officers in particular) should support their efforts by continuously communicating with the chair. A record of your club’s service, achievements, and guest speakers (past, present, and future of each) should be readily available to everyone, Rotarians and non Rotarians (or as I like to say Rotarians and future Rotarians) by way of your club’s social media accounts and, when possible, through traditional media placements. And remember, when it comes to events and announcements, don’t underestimate the power of a press release. 

Is this list perfect? No. There is always something that can be added and there are always essential details that need to be tailored to your club. Are these steps guaranteed to work? No. But they will provide you with the basics. This is not a how to article; this is a way to formulate your own plan. What if it doesn’t work? Try something else. Are we going to give up and let the pessimistic voices win? Heck NO!

We represent the community, we represent Rotary International, and we represent our fellow Rotarians. We are not a group that simply gives up because we can see what happens when we persevere… ask yourself the following questions, how many cases of Polio have been reported this year? How many cases were there before 1985?

The work speaks for itself. We must rise and continue to fight. And if all else fails, go to the mattresses!