In his letter to District 7070 Rotarians, Dave talks about the importance of boosting the public Image of Rotary and your Rotary Club. Read more to view some of the tips to increase your Rotary Public Image.....
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
In Part III of the Rotary Leadership Institute, there is a section entitled, "Public Image and Public Relations" and a copy of the presentation is on our District 7070 website under the Public Image Tab.
Public relations efforts being vital to Rotary’s continued growth and service. Creating a positive image for Rotary is the responsibility of every Rotarian, both locally and globally. The role of your club’s PR committee is: to create and implement a plan to tell Rotary’s story to the public and to promote the club’s projects and activities.
Here is the bottom line: When your Rotary Club has a positive public image, your current members are motivated to be active AND prospective members are eager to join your club.
In the Rotary Leadership Institute presentation, and when you log in to My Rotary, and got to "Learning & Reference | Learn by Topic | Public relations ", we talk about getting to know your local media as a "key tip" to help boost your club's public image.
Here is just one tip for you to consider: Consider inviting a local journalist to speak to your club about how to work with the media OR
invite them to join a service project so they can see first-hand how your club is improving your community. How about inviting them to join your Rotary Club.
An excellent example of this occurs here in Oshawa.
In our own Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood, we have two members, Sandra McDowell and Kim Boatman, sisters, in fact, who own and manage a weekly newspaper called The Oshawa Express. Every month, there is an article about Rotary, or our Rotary Club and some of the many service projects we undertake in our community and throughout the world. In short, thanks to them, our Rotary message gets out to the public twelve times a year. The community knows who we are and what we do.
In the Rotary Club of Oshawa, Rotarian Michael Adams is publisher of Snapd Oshawa. And thanks to Rotarian Michael Adams, in the November 2017 issue of Snapd Oshawa, there were 5 pictures and articles involving both the Rotary Club of Oshawa, The Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood, and also World Polio Day coverage , involving all 10 Rotary clubs in Durham Region. Now that is a very special dedication to Rotary, here in Oshawa. Thank you Michael.
We are very pleased to have these three Rotarians, not only serving the community here in Oshawa and throughout our Rotary world, as Rotarians, but they also boost Rotary's public image in every issue.
And don't stop at the print media. The Voice of Oshawa, Terry Johnston, Radio Station CKDO, is a two time Paul Harris Fellow (recognized by the Rotary Clubs of Whitby-Sunrise and Oshawa-Parkwood) for the tremendous work he does each and every year for dozens of charitable organizations and service clubs, in the Durham Region. He has just completed, organizing and running an annual 11-day Spirit of the Holidays Event at the Kids' Safety Village of Durham Region, in Whitby, to the delight of children and families.
Does your Rotary Club have a Public Image Chair?
Does your Rotary Club have a Public Image Director on your Board of Directors?
Does your Rotary Club have a Public Image Committee?
Does your Rotary club have a plan to boost Rotary's image in your community?
Promoting Rotary to the general public can be as simple as wearing your Rotary pin or as elaborate as organizing an integrated marketing campaign, or having members of the media in your community as Rotary Club members.
By increasing the public's understanding of Rotary, we're strengthening our ability to make an impact in communities around the world.
Yours In Rotary,
Dave