Embracing Change While Respecting Tradition
Embracing Change While Respecting Tradition: The Ignite Team
By Carmen Goss
After receiving the Ignite Report and Executive Summary our membership met prepared to share constructive comments and questions with a goal to developing strategies for our club's future longevity. The theme of the day was "whatever your opinion, change is the one constant of life". We gathered to collectively as a group determine what will ensure our club's prosperity well into the next 100 years.
As Bill Avery mentioned in his scribe report there is simply too much material to cover and it is important that each member review the materials emailed in the past few weeks by President Rob. With that in mind, below is a brief summary of the themes each committee member addressed.
Chair: Maxine Morrison wants the Ignite Report document to be dynamic not static. She highlighted that it is BOD approved and she is looking forward to developing best practices going forward with a goal to:
1. Using the RI tools
2. Hold a “Living the Brand” workshop
3. Thinking forward, thinking long term
4. Engaging with others
5. Adding City Centre or Downtown to our logo, plus a tag line (an email will come out on this)
6. This is only the beginning!
Membership Specialists: Bill Kaufmann & Steve Stein explained the vitality of the club depends on recruitiment and membership. RI has a 50% attendance requirement. We need to embrace change and respect tradition! We are looking at:
1. New Member Criteria – time, flexibility, financial resources, leader in their field, and their track record in charitable work.
2. Interview – then attend a few meetings and reflect if this club is for you.
3. Sign an acceptance form and reinstate a fee of $500 to join our club.
4. Corporate Membership – same screening process as individual members.
5. Quality trumps Quantity!
1. New Member Criteria – time, flexibility, financial resources, leader in their field, and their track record in charitable work.
2. Interview – then attend a few meetings and reflect if this club is for you.
3. Sign an acceptance form and reinstate a fee of $500 to join our club.
4. Corporate Membership – same screening process as individual members.
5. Quality trumps Quantity!
Programming Specialist: Bill Redmond & Larry Shelley explained a strong program plays an important role in keeping a club healthy and vibrant. The meeting must be fast paced, energetic, fun and informative. It must embrace Energy-Entertainment-Education-Engagement-Experience (5E’s). Moving forward Bill sees the following as critical:
1. Fellowship and networking need to be components at lunch meetings
2. Meeting need to be high energy, engaging and FUN!
3. Trade shows are a good way to showcase members
4. Profiled speakers are a MUST
5. Aternate meeting formats are encouraged
6. Speaker Committee of at least 5 members
Engagement Specialist: Nick Cosentino & Frank Sparks highlighted that many prospective and recent members indicated that they experienced poor levels of engagement throughout their application process and their first few months as a Rotarian. In order to avoid this disconnect in the future the committee will work on developing a greater sense of belonging by:
1. Excite and encourage social activities
2. Meaningful must participate in events
3. Highly encouraging committee involvement - develop beneficial long-standing relationships
4. Broken meetings are FUN!
5. Member related meetings, they involve us.
Communication Specialist: Kerry Longer, Maxine Morrison and Sophie Serifino explained by strengthening internal and external communications through compelling storytelling, the RCC can help mitigate issues pertaining to a lack of awareness. By doing the following we hope to can ensure that the general public, prospective members, current members and potential funders are fully aware of and celebrate the activities the RCC is engaged in:
1. Internal –Create a communications strategic plan, policies to establish clear processes;
2. External – "MyRotary" RI Brand guideline and Club Runner
3. Social Media will get our message out
4. PR Director role will be added in the future
5. Improve our website to be more appealing and user friendly.
2. External – "MyRotary" RI Brand guideline and Club Runner
3. Social Media will get our message out
4. PR Director role will be added in the future
5. Improve our website to be more appealing and user friendly.
We all agree that change is inevitable and necessary. While, change may feel uncomfortable and some easier than others to embrace, implement and adopt. We are a very diverse group of leaders with diverse beliefs and opinions. Let’s not limit ourselves with fear of change. Let’s be open-minded and patient to finding the best practices to implement! The work we do going forward can guarantee our first Rotarian’s from 100 years ago would be proud of our club successes and the changes that have been made that enable our club to adapt to the world we live in. Please direct any comments or questions to any of the Ignite Implementation Committee members directly.