Inducting New MembersOne of the favourite parts of being District Governor is being able to help induct new members into the family of Rotary. Recently I was pleased to be invited by President Brad Beckett to attend the Rotary Club of St. John's Northwest Club Assembly and help induct two wonderful new members - Meaghan Drover (daughter of former club President, the late Ed Drover) and Kim Christianson.
(see photo - L-R President Brad, Kim, Meaghan, and DG Don).
This year, most clubs in our district have been succesfully adding new members. From a start on July 1st, 2017 of 1521 members, the latest figures show a total membership in D7820 of 1594! Congratulations and please keep on inviting new members into Rotary. But we can't be complacent - past history shows that we will normally experience a club membership "purge" at year end. As a result, the net increase district-wide in recent years has been negligible or even negative. The challenge for D7820 and indeed all of Rotary in North America, has been retention, not recruitment.
District-Wide Exit Interview Survey Results
In order to find out the real reasons behind why retention of members has been such a challenge, your District Membership Committee has been working on a district-wide Exit Interview Project this year . One hundred former Rotarians, who had recently left their clubs, were interviewed by impartial interviewers by phone and were asked ten questions about their experience in Rotary and as a Rotarian. The interviews were done confidentially and the results have been tabulated so that no club or individual has been identified. The final project report will be available to all clubs once completed.
Committee Chair Wendy Scammell and District Governor Nominee Louisa Horne will be presenting on Membership issues including the Exit Interview Project results at a breakout session at the District Conference in St. John’s, taking place at the Holiday Inn in St. John’s from May 24-27. Register now for the District Conference - "Join Leaders - Exchange Ideas - Take Action". http://rotary7820.com/page/district-conference
TLC 2018 - Be the Inspiration!
Part of the answer to why some members leave Rotary is that their club does not meet their needs and expectations. In District 7820 we believe that clubs should strive to be "irresistible" to their current and prospective members. At this years "Training for Leaders of Clubs" District Trainers Sharon Horne and Lori-Anne Jones have been helping clubs learn how to be vibrant, agile and resilient. You won't want to miss your area's "Training for Leaders of Clubs" (TLC). TLC's are scheduled for Corner Brook on April 7th, for HRM on April 14th, for PEI on April 21st, for Sydney on April 28th and Lewisporte on May 12th. For details on the upcoming TLC in your area, go to the home page of the district website http://rotary7820.com and look under "Upcoming Events".