You’ve started a new club or are in historic club, now it’s time to nurture it
In the last year or so, District 7030 has launched several new Rotary and Rotaract clubs! But, while this is a great achievement, particularly at a time when most of the world is experiencing a decline in members and clubs, the work isn’t done.
Along with existing and long-standing clubs, keeping any club thriving is as important as getting them to the charter meeting if you want to reap the long-terms gains of membership growth. Since both a majority of charter members can be new to Rotary, as well as, having several veteran members of clubs unfamiliar with necessary modern practices in Rotary, it is essential to nurture clubs by embracing flexibility and seeking diversity.
Rotary is committed to growing and diversifying its membership to reflect the communities it serves. Flexibility is essential as we adapt to changes in the world with new approaches such as virtual meetings and hybrid ones that combine the virtual and in-person experience. District 7030 added four (4) new and vibrant Rotary and Rotaract clubs during the 2020-2021 Rotary year, all of which have added scores of new members to the District.
So, the questions of how to nurture new or long-standing clubs that may not know the best Rotary way and how to do this most effectively are pertinent.
Here are some simple answers and advice on how to keep your club thriving by giving them a cause, staying flexible, adding diversity, and having fun!
Give them a cause and a way to act
Asked why they joined Rotary and why they stay, many Rotarians say that they stay for friendship, fun, and service. Thus, you have to keep members engaged with service projects or they will likely leave.
What are the best type of service projects? The ones that focus around a cause, as there is nothing more engaging or motivating than working on a cause. Before COVID-19, some of the members of The Rotary Club of Minnesota Veterans would drive for two hours to come to an in-person meeting or service project even if it was a simple blood, food, or clothing drive.
Combine service with fun and you have a winning activity. For example, member of the Rotary Club of Edina/Morningside signed cards for active military personnel while simultaneously having a pizza and beer party and their newly sponsored Kaleidoscope Rotaract Club serves individuals with autism and their families and has similar events.
Be flexible
Rotary International studies show that most people leave Rotary because of too many requirements and financial obligations. Clubs can alleviate this by being flexible.
- Meeting Time: Most traditional clubs meet on Monday through Friday over breakfast or lunch. New clubs tend to meet on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings.
- Meeting Place: Most traditional clubs meet near where members live or work and typically meet at a restaurant or a hotel and participate in a mandatory, fixed-price meal. That is changing as new corporate Rotary clubs are meeting at work and young professionals are meeting at bars and restaurants without the burden of fixed-price meals.
- Meeting Format: Most traditional clubs typically have four business meetings a month. Many new clubs have two business meetings a month and replace the other meetings with a social or service project. Some clubs also have “Rotary In-the-Workplace” where members visit a Rotarian’s place of business and tour it. For example, Rotarians visited an airport owned by a member of their club and took those that wanted to fly on a short plane ride. Others visited local grant recipient facilities and conducted service projects there. Members can even unpack boxes and load the shelves at local food bank or distribution centers.
- Meeting Delivery: Before the pandemic, most traditional clubs met in person. Now most clubs are meeting on virtual or “hybrid” virtual/in-person meetings. There is an excellent blog on how to set up such a meeting. Many clubs and districts take advantage of technology and have members that come together virtually from several different countries from around the world.
Add diversity of all kinds to build interest
Over the last few years, several districts have started many new cause-based clubs, reduced membership barriers, and provided new flexible membership models. With such changes and accommodations, new members, particularly new younger members and new female members are inevitable.
Of course, striving for gender parity is not enough in Rotary. Clubs need to seek diversity of all types in order to remain relevant, impactful and to thrive – within some districts Pride clubs have been formed or are currently being formed.
Have fun
In District 5950, the Rotary E-Club of Global Travelers, which formed on 23 April and was chartered on 1 May, recently conducted a virtual friendship exchange with India. After taking a virtual tour, the club participated in an online Indian cooking class. This was soon be followed by a yoga and meditation class.
If you nurture your new clubs by giving them a cause, encouraging flexibility, adding diversity, and having fun – your club is destined to not only survive; but also to thrive!
The Nurturing New Clubs course on the Rotary Learning Center provides best practices for guiding new clubs during their formative years.
Adapted From An Article by
Tom Gump, governor of Rotary District 5950,
member of the Rotary Club of Edina/Morningside,
Minnesota, USA