District Governor Visit
Last week, District Governor Janice Hughes came to visit and talk to our club.
The talk was geared towards how Rotary can overcome our biggest challenge which is membership numbers and retention.
Rotary membership is ageing ad declining. When Janice asked our club how many members were in their 20's 30's and 40's, ONE hand went up.
Before Janice had heard about Rotary, her and her friends set up their own service club with similar values to that of Rotary, showing that young people, at least back then, did want to
be part of something which would connect diverse perspectives and use expertise and leadership skills to solve community problems.
Janice then moved to Wanaka and joined the Rotary club there. she found the club inclusive and fun. Around that time the Wanaka club got 16 new members with an active membership committee.
Currently the biggest group wanting information, or are interested in joining Rotary are women 30-39 in age.
So, what kind of clubs attract new members?
Janice gave us a couple of contrasting examples of clubs where a friend of hers had had quite different experiences. in summary, clubs need to continue to be relevant and address hurdles for getting new young members. Perhaps less sitting around having lunch, not being inclusive to new members and more project talk and letting new members get stuck in with organising and carrying out service projects so they see the value in what we're doing.
A huge part of remaining relevant is how Rotary are seen by the public. Going forward with PR initiatives and web presence are all going to help. This is where one of our members had a big mention and thank you. Vicki has been utilising her design and PR skills at district level, creating a fantastic website and marketing campaigns for various on-going projects.
Community Projects are another way for Rotary to be seen positively in the public eye. Half of the money going to Rotary Foundation is given back in grants for these projects. We are encouraged to think of new projects to get access to these funds and get the Rotary brand out there in the community.
Janice is looking forward to welcoming many of us to the district conference in Wanaka next year!
