Governor's Message: Continuity and Change

DG John and Christie Adams pictured with Rotary International President Kalyan and
Binota Banerjee  at the International Assembly in January, 2011

Last month I used this newsletter space to begin a discussion of Rotary International President Kaylan Banerjee’s emphases for this year; Family, Continuity and Change.  In that message I focused solely on Family (see http://6740newsletter.blogspot.com/2011/07/message-from-governor.html ), while today I look the other two emphases of “Continuity” and “Change. “

When I first heard President Kaylan announce the idea of Rotary focusing on “continuity and change” in the same year my immediate thought was that the two concepts were mutually exclusive. Trying to perform opposites is not focusing. Then he explained that Rotary must continue to do the things Rotary does well; and change where Rotary is failing to meet challenges.

Continuity

Fellowship, awareness, and action result when Rotarians come together. Rotarians do amazing things together, things we could not accomplish alone. Together we accomplish projects as diverse as handing out dictionaries to school children at a local elementary school to eradicating Polio around the world. Rotary does service through fellowship well, and that will not change. Rotarians value diversity and understanding of others, and that will not change. Rotarians strive to set high ethical standards in their occupations and their dealings with others, and that will not change. Rotarians are leaders and seek to improve themselves and their communities, and that will not change.

Graduate students at Northwestern University summed up the above values and actions of Rotarians by describing Rotary as “A network of inspired individuals who translate their passions into relevant social causes to change lives in communities”. That is quite the compliment. The Rotary International Board adopted the statement as Rotary’s “Core Essence”. I submit we must continue to uphold and act on core values of Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity, and Leadership.

 Change

So what needs to change? Rotary's biggest challenge is a failure to grow in terms of membership. In North America we are at best holding steady, if not declining in membership slightly. How could that be since we do so many good things well? The exact answers vary from Rotary club to Rotary club; but studies show clubs are failing to bring in new members, or losing existing members faster than they bring in new members.

Failing to bring in new members can be addressed in two ways. First, are we asking qualified friends and associates to take a look at becoming a Rotarian? Statistically only 25% of Rotarians have successfully sponsored a new member in their club. That statistic needs to change. Second, are our clubs known to our communities and to potential qualified new members? In past generations, Rotary membership carried great a social and vocational prestige value to potential members. That prestige alone resulted in membership. I submit that we carry the same prestige today as we did in the past. But today, prestige alone does not attract members to the degree it did in the past. Today, potential new members not only require prestige, but also want to know what we do. Are we known to our potential members and do our potential members know what we do? In the past we did not actively promote our clubs and their service activities, but today we must.

The second membership issue, member retention, requires club leaders to understand that the member’s satisfaction from his or her club membership must be greater than the costs (financial, time, effort, etc.) of that membership. Clubs must be vibrant and active to cause member engagement. Recently Rotary International’s Strategic Planning Committee proclaimed that we must change from an attendance oriented organization to an engagement based membership. To successfully retain members, a club must be focused on commonly accepted goals which are executed with good planning. I submit club leaders must be trained to a greater degree than ever and clubs must think more strategically in their planning. Engagement of every member must be included in that planning. Clubs must change from only measuring attendance, and must also measure and promote engagement to retain its members.

Summary

Continuity and change do not have to be mutually exclusive in Rotary. Who we are, our values and what we do will continue. How we express our identity, invite new members, and how we judge member satisfaction may change.