MEMBERSHIP MANTRA
Posted by Debi Bush, D5450 Membership Chair and Denver Cherry Creek Rotary membership@rotary5450.org
Flexibility Is The Name Of The Membership Game
Every so often the question of virtual Rotary meetings comes up by potential members. Rotary understands that it has to accommodate individual needs and not force potential members into the meeting structure that has been in place for more than a century.
Enter eClub One in our own District 5450! The President Elect for eClub One, Emmanuel, has this to share with all of us so we can understand the beauty of eClub One and how this club forged the way for continued flexibility within Rotary. There are lessons to be learned that can be applied to “terra” Rotary clubs as Emmanuel refers to them.
A club that grew by more than 20% and is keeping his members.
The particularity of Rotary eClub One is that we are all over the map, literally, as shown at https://rotaryeclubone.org/about/meetourmembers/. Can you imagine a club where every week you learn about a member, his/her culture, ways to celebrate some holidays, priorities with family, work, anything else that we Americans take for granted? Well, with Rotary eClub One, there is a constant learning about all these things.
How do we do that? Every member, every week (well, at least 2 times in a month) is required to participate in a forum posted by a member. We are constantly challenged with new discoveries of one another and keeping interested because we want to know more. In a Terra Club, you will have a head table, a podium, a speaker and good-day, good-bye for the rest of the members. How do we even know what happens to the others unless, by chance, we hear something said before the meeting? With our club we always learn and have an ear for what is discussed.
The fact that we are constantly asked to participate in the club makes us engaged and feeling part of the club, wanting to stay in that environment. Additionally, the Board of Directors is asking us to serve at least 4 hours per month: serve in our community, with or without a local Terra Club that could be in Kenya, France, Australia, Germany or anywhere in the world. Our District Governor, your District Governor Peter asked to keep track of our hours to put a value of our service above self. Would you believe that in only the first six months of the year we logged in 2470 hours of Service Projects and 248 hours helping local events? It is because of this involvement that we keep busy and feel that we must stay with the club, with Rotary.
How did we grow so much and so fast? We were able to convince a group of Rotarians whose club was dismantling to join us. It took a lot of work to achieve it where the secretary worked over time and we had wonderful Rotarians stepping in and helping others. They joined, they stayed and more joined us after that.
We are Rotary eClub One. We are very proud to be part of the Rotary club that never sleeps. We are the world's first web-based Rotary club --chartered in 2002 in District 5450 that is Keeping Rotarians Involved, Informed, Inspired and Connected! Each year the members of Rotary eClub One have a chance to have dinner together. Normally, that event is held on the Monday evening during the Rotary International Convention in the city where the convention is held. Once in a while we choose instead to have dinner in the city of the Rotary club that sponsored us, Boulder Colorado. And this is the year, as we will meet in Boulder late April! Check it out at http://rotaryeclubone.org/about/backtoboulder/ and join us.
There is so much to learn and digest and learn some more about Rotary and attracting and engaging members. Reach out to the District Membership Team for resources of all kinds and to share your successes and challenges.
Let’s make membership the flame to attract new Rotarians and engage our current Rotarians and light up our district to continue to be at the forefront of membership initiatives and growth.
Exemplary Membership Growth (in alphabetical order)
Aurora Fitzsimons
Broomfield Crossing
E-Club One of D5450
Erie
Grand Lake
Highlands Ranch
Longmont St. Vrain
Mountain Foothills
Westminster 7:10