Our 2016-17 year is off to a good start! I have made seven club visits including Waconia’s 30-year Club Anniversary Party. I was also honored to be a part of the 4th of July Parade in Edina.
Rotary International will award the new District Citation to districts that grow their membership by 3%. I have built our District 5950 goals around achieving this award, one that’s doable if clubs with more than 50 members gain two new members; clubs smaller than 50 just need one new member.
This net gain sounds easy, except we also lose members each year. Natural attrition happens from job change, divorce, retirement, etc. Preventable attrition happens when new members don’t get engaged in the club…or weren’t able to pierce long-established cliques…or felt that existing members were hard to get to know because they sit in the same spot week after week and only talk to their group of friends.
Engagement comes in many forms. Consider holding a New Member Social at a Rotarian’s house. Incorporate food, activities where members mix, and a time to share unique features learned during the conversations.
Engagement comes from getting involved. Some clubs initiate a New Member Project. For example, two clubs in Area 3 are collaborating on a fundraiser where they mix and mingle, raise money for PolioPlus, and use the event to attract new members. People join Rotary because they are attracted to your club. What is attractive? It probably isn’t the routine of the weekly meeting. Prospective members get excited by what you do! It is the recent project that changed a life, and the resulting story you tell. Motion creates emotion. Doing is what people want. They stay for the fellowship (your meeting), but it's the service you do that truly attracts new members.
To achieve our shared membership goal, please do your part to engage Rotarians in your club.
Ensure that new members feel a part of your club.
Get them involved in doing.
Create fun social events and service.
Post pictures of your club having fun doing things.
Capture the essence of fun and service on your website.
Attract and engage. Do these and you will grow your membership!
Have you visited the District 5950 website since it took on a fresh new look? A rotating photo banner introduces our real Rotarians doing real service and having real impact together.
New District webmaster Mark Shockey (Edina Morningside) is ready to share his skills with clubs who also want to update their ClubRunner sites. Together with veteran ClubRunner trainer, Jeanne Zetah (Eden Prairie, AM), we are offering a training session on two August dates. Bring your PC for hands-on training and results! Learn how to change your site’s background and format – add stories and photos – create a member directory, etc.
In 2016-17, The Rotary Foundation turns 100. That’s one century of Rotarians improving lives and communities all over the world. And that’s definitely something worth celebrating.
Our Foundation stands at the forefront of humanitarian service, having supported thousands of projects to provide clean water, fight disease, promote peace, and provide people with basic education — and one historic project dedicated to eradicating polio worldwide. Our centennial is the perfect time to share this impressive record of success with the world. Let’s make sure our communities know about the great work of Rotary and its Foundation.
Here are just a few ways you can celebrate this historic milestone:
Host a birthday party, a PolioPlus fundraiser, or other event to create awareness of Rotary and its Foundation in your community.
Promote your club or district projects that are funded by the Foundation.
Find out how your club or district can develop projects in one of the six areas of focus, and apply for funding from a Foundation global grant.
Give to The Rotary Foundation and encourage others to do the same.
Club treasurers received two invoices in July. One is from Rotary International and the second is from Rotary District 5950 for first-half dues covering July – December 2, 2016. Both invoices arrive by email. In both cases, dues are calculated by the members in Club Runner as of July 1, 2016; that is why the two amounts due are similar.
As clubs’ leadership changes, please ensure that the person responsible for your club’s membership records knows how to update ClubRunner so that that your club’s invoices are based on accurate membership numbers. Remember to get your club, member, and officer info updated on your Club versions of ClubRunner, or if you don't have a club version, on District ClubRunner (rotary5950.org) where you can find guidance on how to do by clicking on ClubRunner/RI guides under Club Support.
It is that time of year -- when a nominating committee of District 5950 leaders will pick the 2019-20 district governor. This leader will follow Bob Halagan (2017-18) and Irene Kelly (2018-19). The nominating committee seeks qualified candidates who are recommended and endorsed by their clubs.
Qualifications:
The Rotarian must be a member in good standing of a functioning club in the district, and must have been a Rotarian for at least seven years before taking office.
The Rotarian must have served as president of a club for a full term or be a charter president of a club having served the full term from the date of charter to 30 June, provided that this period is at least six months.
The Rotarian must demonstrate willingness, commitment, and ability, physically and otherwise, to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the office of governor.
The Rotarian must demonstrate knowledge of the qualifications, duties, and responsibilities of the district governor.
A governor, at the time of taking office, must have attended the international assembly for its full duration (one week in January) before taking office.
Have you heard about the savings available through Rotary’s GLOBAL REWARDS Program? Sign up to receive from 5%-20% on products and services, plus know that up to 4% of your purchase price is immediately donated to The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
District 5950’s Global Rewards chair is Ross McGlasson. Contact him at rossmcglasson@usfamily.net for information your club members can use.
Rotary members, their families and friends can support Rotary’s work by bidding on antiques, artwork, jewelry, and collectibles through eBay Live Auctions events. Each month, Rotary will promote on its social media outlets a set of upcoming Live Auction events, and eBay, the world’s largest auction website, will donate a portion of all sale proceeds from those events to Rotary. Live Auctions events enable buyers to participate in auctions across the United States -- held at such auction houses as Sotheby’s, Swann, and Freeman’s -- without leaving home. Under this proceeds-sharing agreement, only U.S. auction sales are eligible.
