Governor's Message January 2016

Make Your Club Meeting THE Place to Be!!

Member engagement in the club, its activities and programs is vital. By “engagement” we mean that a member is committed to one or more of the club’s programs or activities as evidenced by his or her participation or monetary support – an investment of time, talents or treasures.

Attendance at the weekly meetings of the Club is one of the extremely important aspects of Rotary membership. Attending the meetings directly affects our Rotary experience. Good meeting attendance – if not perfect attendance – is important and a noble goal. It builds goodwill and better friendships and is beneficial to all concerned. I just happen to think that Rotarians should attend meetings because they want to and are interested in being there ---- not because of our rulebook! Members may not always realize that meeting attendance is an important measurement tool for club leaders. It reflects if members enjoy the club and the meetings.

Almost every Rotarian I know is very busy. We all have business or family obligations that make meeting attendance difficult at times. Most clubs tend to point fingers at non-attending Rotarians as “bad Rotarians.” On the other hand poor attendance says as much – or more – about the club as it does the individual. Often clubs with poor attendance are not giving the members what they want and that is something clubs must recognize and can fix!

Club leaders – you should be paying attention to membership records - but use them to assess the club, not condemn the Rotarian. Then have the courage to make the changes that the members want and you will make them raving fans of the Club and all its meetings and activities.

Your club might just need to dust itself off and create a vibrant atmosphere. It can be done.

Is your club attractive enough – is it fun, does it provide value to members – to keep members coming to meetings?

Talk with the members - those who are and are not coming and ask them:

"What is the club not providing to members that it should be?"
"What can we do to improve your Rotary experience in our Club ?"

Focus on what you can change. And remember - one size does not fit all. What works for one club may not work for your club. Be flexible and open to trying new ideas.

Start by looking at:

            - Location
            - Meeting time
            - Speaker lineup
            - Communications

Here are examples of what some clubs are doing:

1. A lunch club offered an alternative breakfast meeting with great success. Members who had not been able to be at the lunch meeting for years showed up! Now they are considering a Satellite Breakfast Club.

2. A morning club meets at various locations each week - they "Rotate". To keep people informed they simply put it on their website and in their newsletters. Visitors are directed call before visiting the club for their "rotating" meeting location.

3. A lunch club holds cocktail parties at least quarterly and encourages people to bring a friend. There is no presentation, just a warm welcome and an opportunity to connect with one another.

4. Another morning club started a monthly after-hours gathering for emerging leaders in the community. Rotarians are encouraged to bring a non-Rotarians with them.

A well run Rotary club has meetings and events that members attend because they want to, not because they have to. They participate because they want to spend time with their friends, because the meetings are fun, because of good programs, or especially because they know they will be greeted warmly and made to feel welcome – which is increasingly unusual in our impersonal computer-based world!

Need more assistance or ideas to re-energize your meetings? Call Lance Chima, District Membership Chair at 330- 388-8892 or via email lance@chimatravel.net or me at 330-495-9814 or at cawarren@neo.rr.com.

Watch for our upcoming District events - they are a great place to exchange ideas with fellow members from our 52 clubs!! www.rotarydistrict6630.org

Other resources for you: Strengthen Your Club Video (on Vimeo)

Your partner in service -

District Governor 2015-16
Home Club: Rotary Club of Akron, Ohio

Contributions to this article from my friends and fellow Rotarians: Brent Rosenthal, Assistant Rotary Coordinator (Membership) Zone 30; PDG, Membership Chair District 6690 and Lance Chima, Membership Chair, District 6630