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August is Rotary Membership and Extension Month, a time when all
Rotarians are invited to make a special effort to invite friends and
colleagues to join Rotary.
Rotary enjoys a rich and sometimes complex tradition and
organizational structure, with many programs that can be confusing
to prospective members, new members and even not-so-new members.
The club is the cornerstone of Rotary, where the most meaningful
work is carried out.
All effective Rotary clubs are responsible for four key elements:
sustaining or increasing their membership base, participating in
service projects that benefit their own community and those in other
countries, supporting The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
financially and through program participation, and developing
leaders capable of serving at club level, and later beyond the club
level in Rotary district and International roles.
What Rotarians get out of Rotary depends largely on what they put
into it. Many membership requirements are designed to help members
participate more fully in and enjoy their Rotary experience.
Rotary Service
All Rotary clubs share a key mission: to serve their community and
those in need throughout the world. By participating in club service
projects, members learn about their club's involvement in local and
international projects and can volunteer their time and talents
where they are most needed.
Membership recruitment and retention
To keep clubs strong, every Rotarian must share the responsibility
of bringing new people into Rotary. Even new members can bring
guests to meetings or invite them to participate in a service
project.
The value of Rotary speaks for itself, and the best way to spark the
interest of potential members is by letting them experience
fellowship and service firsthand.
Keeping members interested in Rotary is another responsibility. Good
club fellowship and early involvement in service projects are two of
the best ways to sustain the club's membership.
The ideal composition of a Rotary club reflects the community's
demographics, including professions, gender, age, and ethnicity.
Such diversity enriches every aspect of the club's fellowship and
service.
Attendance
Attending club meetings allows members to enjoy their club's
fellowship, enrich their professional and personal knowledge, and
meet other business leaders in their community. Club meeting times
vary to accommodate members' family and professional commitments.
Some clubs meet during the traditional time of the lunch hour, while
others meet in the early morning, after work, or in the evening.
Some Rotary clubs meet via the Internet.
Rotary policy requires members to attend at least 50 percent of club
meetings in each half of the year. If members miss their own club's
meeting, they're encouraged to expand their Rotary horizons by
attending make-up meetings at any Rotary club in the world — a
practice that guarantees Rotarians a warm welcome in communities
around the globe.
Rotarians can also make earn a make-up attendance credit by
participating in a club service project, attending a club board
meeting or a Rotaract or Interact club meeting, or attending an
online meeting at one of the Rotary e-clubs.
“Rotary Basics”
is an indispensable tool for introducing new and prospective club
members to the fundamentals of Rotary.
Click HERE to
access a copy in PDF format
http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/595en.pdf
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Here are some notes that may be useful as you explain
Rotary to a prospective new member.