PRLS: An Attractive Alternative to the Status Quo

Posted by Steve Schumann 
 

District 5240 PRLS Extension Chair David Gore began his presentation by handing out a worksheet like the ones encountered in one of the District's Master PRLS classes, asking to describe a problem we've encountered in Rotary, our business, or in a family setting, and wanting us to pick one and then share it in front of everyone.

 
Steve Curry volunteered a problem he'd witnessed recently: two special Rotary meetings outside the usual meeting time that had really poor attendance. Gore suggested the answer to that problem can be better looked at by taking a PRLS class, where Rotarians and their family learn how to motivate, direct and coach their peers to generate appropriate attendance. These and other personal tools, including public speaking, will equip PRLS enrollees to better success in Rotary, business and life.

 

District 5240 initiated PRLS in 1993, and since then has been exported out of the district into Southern California, Africa and Australia. The "Potental Rotary Leadership Seminars" are professional training for all of us. Gore sees PRLS as a tool for membership development, in giving an understanding that this will be valuable for a Club candidate.

 

Gore emphasized that there is not yet a 100% PRLS club in the district! He said smaller clubs like ours should capitalize on their size to become the first. The problem in attaining that goal is that some club members think PRLS are beneath them. Someone who has had other leadership training will see this as redundant or unnecessary when, in fact, their attendance would motivate others to experience PRLS.

 

What was once nine is now five- the number of PRLS levels offered. From Basic PRLS and its exploration into a foundation of basic leadership, the relationship with Rotary, and communications, to the Master PRLS emphasis of hands-on practical experiential classes, the enrollee gets a massive amount of information and application for only $50 a session, a price that was set in 2002 and still is a great deal! Rotary "family" members, meaning those in Rotoract, Interact, or GSE, get a reduced rate, and potential club members can also qualify to attend.

 

To find a schedule of all the classes in the district, go online to PRLS.org. The site has downloadable enrollment forms, full schedules, and directions to each of the seminar venues.