Greetings Rotarians,
August is Rotary Membership Month. Members are the lifeblood of our organization. With your enthusiastic participation, we can provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace though our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
To this end, it is incumbent upon all of us to nurture our members, so that they feel included and engaged.
Last year, Rotary International conducted its annual survey of our membership regarding their perception of our organization. Over 70,000 responded, which resulted in some compelling findings. As you might have guessed, the reasons why they stay in Rotary is because of:
- Friendship and fellowship
- Learning new things from guest speakers
- Interesting discussion topics
- Opportunities to get involved in the local community
- Making a positive impact in their communities, both local and globally
On the other hand, the reasons why members leave included:
- Club does not represent my values
- Club’s lack of impact
- Cost
- Personal circumstances
- Conflicts within club
- Time
The above list of reasons sends a clear message of what we need to do to retain and energize our members. RI President Jennifer Jones requested that we focus on the comfort and care of our existing Rotarians so that they feel welcome, safe, and included. Recruiting new members starts with a personal invitation. We need to do whatever we can to remove barriers, open doors for inclusion, and convince prospective members them that Rotary is a good use of their talent, time, and treasure. If we can focus our efforts to nurture our membership, we will remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come.
Until next month, thank you for “Being the Change” you wish to see in your community!
Yours in Rotary,
Gary Chow
Governor, 2022-2023
Rotary International
District 5150
