By Rowan McClean
Last year, many of our new Rotary club members were asked the reason they joined, and the following responses came to light:
- Have found they have more time
- Wanted to give back to the community
- Recently retired or cut back on their work
- Wanted to feel more connected with the community
- Have been a Friend of Rotary and wanted to convert to membership
- Have found that COVID has highlighted the need for connection and community
- Various combinations of these factors.
It is likely that other members of the community have similar thoughts and circumstances, but may not be sufficiently aware of Rotary and the full extent of its work. Interestingly, none of the new members mentioned that he or she had joined because of a particular global issue, such as eliminating Polio or malaria, disaster relief, improving lives in lesser-developed communities or for refugees; or for local challenges, such as reducing homelessness, suicide, or family violence.
How should we go about identifying prospective members and familiarise them with what Rotary does for mankind?
One way we could do this is for experienced Rotarians to seek out opportunities to present to community groups such as:
- Local Government Councils
- Welfare agencies
- School communities (especially Parents and Friends Associations)
- Sporting Clubs
- Traders’ Associations
- Church groups
- Hospitals
We could also provide Rotary literature to these organisations and place them in the waiting rooms of doctors, dentists and other professional services!
Let’s all get cracking! Past District Governor Julie Mason’s message was “Ask. Ask. Ask”. Perhaps for existing members we should also add “Nurture. Nurture. Nurture.”
All Rotarians should contribute to these efforts…the great work of Rotary depends on it!