And just like that, the first month of the Rotary year has gone by and we’re in August! Rotary has named August as the “Membership/New Club Development” month. Membership in our District is off to a fabulous start with several clubs inducting new members. How wonderful it is to share the gift of Rotary with someone and give them the opportunity to become a Super Hero!Now that a new member has joined, what does your club do to keep them engaged? Just after their induction is when a new member will feel the most excited about their decision to join your club. Engaging them to keep that feeling high will enhance their experience, for the new member and the club. Don’t leave a new member alone to try and figure out how they fit into your club – invite them to join your club’s activities, service projects, fundraisers and socials as soon as possible.
(This is a photo captured during my presentation to the Carmichael Rotary Club, which has a fun tradition of giving visiting district governors a Stetson cowboy hat!)
If you need more ideas on membership and member engagement, contact our District Membership Chair, Bill Tobin. He’s got a lot of information to share on all things membership!
New Club Development is another way to meet Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta’s goal to “Grow Rotary.” If you haven’t already heard, there are two prospective new clubs in our district that are in the early formation stages– one is a cause-based club and one is made up of Rotary Alumni.
Cause-based clubs are clubs whose members share a passion for a particular cause and whose service projects and activities center around that cause. The caused-based club we are currently working on forming is a Veterans club - one that focuses on services and support for our Veterans.
The other club, a Rotary Alumni club, is going to be made up of people that have been associated with a Rotary program in the past – Rotary Youth Exchange, RYLA, GSE, Ambassadorial Scholar, etc. – and now want to become a Super Hero Rotary member to help us “Do Good in the World.”
There’s still time for folks to become charter members of these clubs – we’re always looking for more Super Heroes! If you know of any friends, neighbors, co-workers or family members who might be interested in either of these new clubs, please direct them to Bill Tobin. He is providing support and mentoring to assist these clubs in their development.
“Rotary takes ordinary men and women and give them extraordinary opportunities to do more with their lives than they ever dreamed possible.” Sir Clem Renouf – 1978-79 RI President
Yours in Service,
Desirée Wilson