QUOTE OF THE WEEK

On June 20th, 2019, a group of dedicated Rotarians met at the offices of Dentons to work on Strategic Planning for the Rotary Club of Vancouver . The session was facilitated by Mark Busse. Mark created an atmosphere that resulted in a free flow of healthy dialogue around the future direction and priorities of our Rotary Club.

The primary purpose of our Strategic Planning session is for club members and the Board to explore and discuss the primary role, core values and goals of our club , keeping in mind the current condition and realities in society that affect our club . As part of this planning process, we need to consider changes in operations and strategies, as well as their priority, in order to maximize our club’s potential to achieve our mandate , keeping in mind that we need to align with the core values of Rotary International.

As a reminder the Core Values of Rotary International are:
1. FELLOWSHIP-our combined efforts serve humanity. Fellowship transcends boundaries, whether physical or social
2. INTEGRITY-we are Accountable, Ethical , Fair and Respectful
3. DIVERSITY-encourage diversity in membership and in the services we provide
4. SERVICE-the major element of what we do. Rotary’s culture of service gives us satisfaction and brings greater understanding and peace to the World
5. LEADERSHIP-we are all leaders in our everyday lives and we need to develop the next generation of leaders

Our club’s strategy also has to take into consideration Rotary International’s plan which is to:
1. INCREASE OUR IMPACT-Rotarians are problem solvers and can mobilize networks to create solutions
2. EXPAND OUR REACH-Rotarians can make a difference when we are united
3. ENHANCE PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT-Rotarians need to feel seen and heard and want to work on projects that are relevant and fulfilling
4. INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT-Historically, Rotarians have found new ways to help our communities move forward. We need to stay ahead of changes in future.

Please keep in mind that a Strategic Plan is a “big picture“ view of our Rotary world. Specific tactics required to carry out the Plan rests with our Board, our committees and our members. The concept of a “5 Year Strategic Plan” has been the norm for business and for organizations such as Rotary. However, in today’s fast changing world, planning beyond 3 or even 2 years is nor useful.

Our club has IMMEDIATE AND IMPACTFUL priorities and then 12-36 month priorities. An example of a priority which came out of the 2018/2019 Strategic Planning session is the Networking and Vocational Services Committee, which was suggested by new ( and young ) members as a way to provide a forum to integrate new members in particular, but also to expose more experienced members to the club , should they be brave enough to be interviewed. This program is working well and more interviews are being scheduled.

Prior to the Strategic Planning session the Board sent out a survey too all Club members seeking input and direction. We emphasized the importance of participation a number of times but only received 36 responses. For a political or commercial survey that was a great % of responses, but for a close knit group, such as ours, that was a disappointing response rate. However, the 36 responses contained many well thought out concerns and perspectives, some of which were even provocative and uncomfortable to read.

The survey had 2 purposes, one being to get a taste of what members are thinking about how the club is doing, but the second and more important purpose was to get a handle on what members WANT from their participation in the RCOV, as a Strategic Plan should come from the things people WANT to do, rather then from being told to do.

Of the responders, 45% were club members with greater than 10 years experience, 25% were less than 2 years experience and 30% were obviously from 2-10 years. Carolyn has emailed the results of the survey to the club membership. Hopefully every one has read the results and reflected on the comments. Mark Busse sorted the responses by length of membership, which will be very helpful when assessing where we have work to do.

The results of the Strategic Planning Session and of the Membership Survey can be summarized in 6 specific areas:
1. The status quo is not sustainable
2. Members need to feel relevant and connected
3. The club must embrace technology
4. Enhancing our work in the community and globally
5. Member Engagement and Retention
6. Physical space and Cost of membership

Rather than getting all defensive and arguing specific points, the Board felt we need to get down to the root causes of member dissatisfaction and make the #1 IMMEDIATE IMPACTFUL PRIORITY to be MEMBER ENGAGEMENT.

Members need to believe that what we are doing in the Rotary Club of
Vancouver is relevant and connected to our individual values as well as to Rotary values.

MEMBERSHIP AND MENTORSHIP
Our club will always need new members, especially as existing members retire, move away or pass on. New members also bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm. Our membership committee is doing a great job attracting new Rotarians, but as a group we all need to ensure new members do not become dissatisfied and leave. As such, the Board has requested the Membership Committee to ensure that our mentoring process is effective. Mentors, please follow up with your Mentee. And Mentees, this process is a two-way street, so do not hesitate to contact your Mentor.

NEW MEMBER EXPECTATIONS
The Board has also requested the Membership Committee to ensure potential new members not only have an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of being a Rotarian, but also the financial costs of being a member of our Club. There have been too many occasions in past where new members have resigned due to the cost of participating in our Rotary Club or have requested alternative financial arrangements.

THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER
Carolyn also circulated two documents, one being a Chart showing the Club’s officers, committees etc., the second one containing details as to who we are and what we do. I found these documents to very informative and I suspect that many club members have not gone to the website and seen these before. Hopefully every one has read through them and has learned something. Carolyn had a hard time getting information and updates from some Committee chairs etc., so if you think something is wrong or you can enhance the content please let her know.

We all need to feel that the time, energy and finances that we put into being Rotarians is relevant to our individual beliefs and connects us to communities that need our help. Do we want to be known as a Club that likes to have a nice lunch and simply write cheque to charities? Or do we want more hands on projects that unite us as members? The answer is likely a combination of both, so we need members to bring ideas forward to the appropriate committees and for the committees to give serious consideration to fresh ideas, rather than just dismissing them for the status quo.

As we look for projects, we have to keep in mind that we have commitments to Rotary International, such as End Polio Now. Our contribution of time and effort to this program is very small, but the program is a major part of our mantra. Most members have no idea of the effects of polio in the western world, so should we still be promoting our involvement if membership believes that there are important local issues? This doesn’t mean that we decrease our support to End Polio Now, but instead we include other causes.

Another commitment to Rotary International is in International Service. There were comments in the survey that we are spending too much time and effort in this area. I believe that such comments are related to an overall lack of communication in the club. Our International Service Committee is a very experienced group, which includes a retired diplomat and a doctor who have incredible connections in countries of need. Moreover, the committee has the knowledge and expertise to multiply the impact of our donations, utilizing the donations of other Rotary Clubs as well as Global Grants, so our impact far exceeds our input of time and money.

Based on the results of the survey and Strategic Planning session , many members, (especially newer members) believe that local issues are most relevant to them and are the issues that make them feel connected to the communities in which they live and work. I encourage members to join the Youth Committee or the Community Service Committee and bring your ideas forward, especially for hands on projects. If you are frustrated by the process because “no one is listening “ bring the issue to the Board.

Perhaps we need to look at all of our projects to make sure we are not spread too thin, both in participation and in finances. Should we cut down the number of projects and donations in order to make a bigger impact in causes closer to out hearts?

OUR MEETINGS
Our current meetings are structured around traditions, such as the singing of O’Canada and birthday wishes etc. You will note in the survey that some members find these traditions unnecessary, but they are holdovers which connect us to the past. Many other traditions of the past are gone and our invocations have no religious or political undertones. Unless there is movement to change these aspects I don’t see anything changing in the immediate future. The Board encourages rational, thoughtful suggestions along these lines, however.

While our Speakers Program provides a constant stream of insightful speakers, we need to decide if we want more meetings devoted to Club activities and projects, so that we get to know each other better and get to know what all the club members are working on. To do this successfully, members and committees must participate.

We also need to encourage members who are considering resigning due to the cost of membership in the RCOV or the weekly lunch-time commitment to seek out another Rotary club which meets at a different time and place, with a lower meal cost or even no meal at all , rather than losing them as part of the Rotary family. I know this is contrary to popular thought, but the more  Rotarians the better.

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
One of the remaining areas of concern is EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY. The good news is that there is now an active technology committee in place comprised of young and long term members, with experience in technology and social media.

PHYSICAL SPACE AND COST OF MEMBERSHIP
The final area of concern is our PHYSICAL SPACE AND COST OF MEMBERSHIP. This is a longer term project and the Board would be very happy if someone took this project on. Keep in mind that under our present format it will be very difficult to find a physical space to hold up to 100 people, who will store our supplies and will provide AV equipment. Furthermore a restaurant needs to know the number of people who are attending specific functions, rather than “ somewhere between 50-80.”

FINANCES
This very important aspect of our Club is seldom spoken of other that at the Board level and then in summarized format at our clubs Annual General Meeting. 

The Rotary Club of Vancouver currently has limited sources to finance operations and our charitable works. Our two main sources are Quarterly Dues and an Administration Fee that is charged to the Hearing Foundation and to the Vancouver Rotary Club Foundation. Quarterly Dues and the admin fees cover the following:
1. Our club administrator
2. Office supplies and related expenses
3. Some committee costs
4. Rotary International Dues
5. Honorarium for in-coming club President attending RI Conference

For 2019/2020 with the dues increase, we are budgeted for small surplus, so if we want to spend funds on external services, such as social media expertise, we need to find the funds.

THE VANCOUVER ROTARY CLUB FOUNDATION , COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE AND INTERNATIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEES
The Vancouver Rotary Club Foundation was formed in 1969 to receive, hold and invest contributions from donors or fundraising projects for the establishment, maintenance and support of qualified charitable institutions. The Foundation’s current invested capital is approximately $2.2M.

The Community Service Committee is responsible for the local service activities of the Club. The Budget for the CSC is primarily funded from the investment income earned in the Foundation.

The International Service Committee is responsible for implementing international service projects in the developing world. As I mentioned earlier, not only the ISC is an integral part of Rotary International’s mandate, the impact of our ISC is not simply measured in our donations of time and money, but also in the expertise of our ISC members. ISC members are able to multiply our impact by working with other Rotary clubs, by accessing matching grants through the Foundation of RI, as well as from various government agencies. Funding for the ISC is also derived from investment income earned by our Foundation.

YOUTH COMMITTEE / NEW GENERATIONS
This committee is responsible for creating awareness for young people by providing them with opportunities to attend Rotary sponsored programs in which they engage in activities related to professional development and leadership training... for example, Rotoract, Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA), Youth exchange, Stay in School and various programs at Norquay school.

Much of the funding for the YC needs to come from “non-charitable “ sources as we cannot issue tax receipts to donors, since the recipients are not registered charities. For example, hosting a Youth Exchange student can cost upwards of $8500, especially if we want to provide the host families with a modest stipend for food and entertainment. We rely on Provincial gaming funds to send students to RYLA. Fortunately , contributions to Norquay Elementary and Stay in School for high school students are funded through the Foundation as the Vancouver School Board has charitable status.

If we are to succeed with our youth programs we need to find creative ways to raise “non tax receipt funding”. Events such as the Gala in March 2020 that Katherine, Brian and their team are organizing are aimed at raising such funds, which is we need everyone’s support, including attendance at the event, leads to sponsors and donations to the live auction.

The reason that I am bring all of this up is that we do not have to undertake intense fundraising to maintain a minimum standard of charitable works, because the Rotarians who started the Foundation in 1969 and the subsequent Rotarians who continued to grow the Foundation have made things too easy for us. If we choose, we could operate indefinitely, have nice lunches and write cheques to worthy causes. But it was quite apparent in the member survey and in the Strategic Planning Session that if we want to grow and to be relevant and to attract fresh young members, we need to not accept the status quo and to seek out relevant opportunities to serve.

CONCLUSION
Recent steps to work on the Strategic Plan have included a small group of members who are dedicated to working on the plan. We have also reached out to our various committees to see how their work in the past Rotary year matched up to the previous plan. The good news is that we had 100% response and that many goals were achieved. We now need to put our Strategic Plan into a document that we can share and refer to when we are making decisions on the good work that we are undertaking.

The Immediate Impact of MEMBER ENGAGEMENT will go along way in addressing many of the concerns in the Membership Survey and Strategic Planning session. We will gradually change the status quo; keeping in mind evolution not revolution. (“honour the past, inspire the future” ) Start making our members feel relevant and connected; start enhancing our work in areas where members want to help; and start engaging and retaining members.

Before the development of the Strategic plan goes further, we need to know what members want, so lets open up the floor for discussions, concerns etc.

Some items from Survey to instill discussion and to factor into Strat Plan
1. Out of date and out of touch
2. Many members are not actively involved in our programs and projects
3. Lack of enthusiasm for big events such as Red Carpet Gala
4. Lack of volunteer opportunities
5. Entrenched committees so new voices are not listened to
6. Are we spread too thin... many comments say we are, yet just as many list every other societal hot button there is
7. Sparse attendance at some committee meetings and club functions with many people arriving late
8. Becoming our own Foundation
9. Taking a critical look at what we do to see if we should change
10. Does social media get us anywhere ?