DRR Marzeta Bodden on Membership

 

Rotary & Rotaract Share Ideas for Successful Month

Happy August!
 
Without a doubt … it’s summertime! It’s hot, hot, hot everywhere, and things are certainly heating up around District 7020.  Clubs are still buzzing with excitement for the fresh new year, the slate of scheduled plans and activities is in full swing, and there’s clearly the desire for collaboration in service and collective success.  What’s hotter than all that?
 
This month is Membership Extension and Promotion Month and, of course, I encourage us all to engage in efforts and activities in line with the shared goal of inviting people to join the Rotaract family and taking care of our fellow partners in service.  Recruiting, retaining, and educating members helps clubs stay effective and dynamic – all essential to the continued growth and strength of Rotaract and the wider Rotary family.
 
One of the best ways to meet all these goals is to make club meetings, service activities, and social events interesting, fun, and worthwhile.  Members will feel in touch and feel like they’re making a difference, and prospects will be drawn toward being a part of that, too.
 
Over the last month, we’ve seen clubs celebrate the first meetings of the new year like it was midnight on 1 January with hats, streamers, and even New Year’s resolutions.  Entire areas of clubs have taken over public and private spaces to support the District’s big goal of increasing awareness about and encouraging enough blood donations to save 10,000 lives in our region.  And from the beach to the boat to the bar, from the mountains to the marina to the Monday evening chill spot, members have been getting together to further develop plans for the year, unwind after service projects, and just to lyme.  Without a doubt, across the District, Rotaract is making waves.
 
Every club has unique needs and each area has a distinctive personality, so it’s important to know what will work best to ensure that your members and prospective members have an enlightening and engaging experience with Rotaract.  I encourage you to utilise the many resources available to you for tips, insights, and guidance via Rotary.org. Until you do, some quick tips for this month (and the entire year) are:
 
- Make prospective members feel welcome and thank them for their interest in being a part of this organisation.
 
- Keep members engaged and thank them for showing up to make their contributions – big and small.
 
- Share your activities – service and fellowship – with us and the world through your online social profiles and website.  For August, please use the hashtag #RotaractD7020Pride to highlight how proud we are to be members, how we celebrate our accomplishments, and show our excitement to welcome others into the organization.  Also use the usual #RotaractD7020 so we can all follow along!
 
And if you think for one minute that the world isn’t watching, think again. In the first four weeks of July, 95 people have registered for the annual Rotaract District Conference in my beloved Cayman Islands from 8 – 12 June 2016, and the roster of registrants includes Rotaractors from Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago! Even outside District 7020, people are loving, following and wanting to be a part of what we do. I think District Governor Felix will be delighted that we too are ready to UnleashTheAwesome7020!
 
I hope that your plan of activities for August will give you a solid boost in your efforts to build a continually happy, healthy, and thriving club with eager, dedicated, and vibrant members.
 
Yours in Rotaract Service,
Marzeta Bodden, District Rotaract Representative