August is Rotary Membership Month

Ok, so you have brought in a new member. Now what?

In the long run, the growth of our club on several factors. To keep members involved, Rotary must be of value to the new member starting from day ONE.

1.  Interesting Club Meetings  Effective club meetings that make Rotary worthwhile for new and veteran members alike are very important.  Meetings should be interesting, varied and entertaining for the membership. Rotarians should attend meetings because they want to.

And don’t forget, meetings should begin and end on schedule. Who wants to waste an hour on a boring program. People have limited time. They will join and remain in Rotary if they recognize the value to be worthy of their time invested.

2.  Cater to Them Regularly scheduled social events are important. Remember, Rotary was founded on the idea of fellowship and networking. Events away from the club give members a chance to “mingle” Encourage all members to bring guests to club functions.

3.  Engage Them  Give Rotarians the opportunity to make a greater impact. Remember, we are much stronger working together rather than alone.

4.  Recognize Them   Identify and understand who our Rotarians are, what they value, and the relationships and experiences they seek. Find out why they joined Rotary and why they want to stay in Rotary.

5.  Build Value  Make your club attractive to the new generation. Rotary has a lot to offer for the younger generation including building proficiency in leadership development, business ethics and public speaking skills. We need to provide them the value they seek!

6.  Promotion  Continuous marketing of Rotary throughout our communities. Think outside the box (“what box”). The world has changed a lot in the past 109 years, especially in the past twenty-five years. We cannot necessary say that Rotary has, especially at attracting younger members.

7.  Networking  Remember, Rotary was founded on the idea of fellowship and networking. Paul Harris himself, started Rotary to network and make friends. Embrace this as a valid part of Rotary.  Clubs should continually advance the “Object of Rotary” by developing acquaintances with local businesses, professionals, managers and community leaders.

8.  Retention  We spend a lot of energy attracting people to Rotary, but unfortunately, at times do not provide them the reason to stay in Rotary. All the factors listed above (and many more) should be taken into account to gain and retain members. The value of membership to a Rotarian must be greater than the time invested and the cost of the membership.

People want to be a part of  Rotary because they want to build new friendships, network, be involved in the community,  volunteer their time in a meaningful way, and feel like they are making a difference. We must help our members get excited about the ways of Rotary and provide them with the opportunities to achieve their needs and desires.

 One of the true measures of an effective Rotary Club is the ability to attract and retain members.

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