August is Membership Month

A significant number of District 9700 Rotarians attended the Presidential Membership Conference in Canberra.
This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to sit down and discuss the issue that is at the very core of Rotary survival- membership.
The opportunity to be with Rotarians at all levels across the 23 Australian Districts was unique.

The importance given this conference was best displayed with Rotary International President D K in attendance.
It was a show of his personal leadership from the top down, as D K Lee is attending something like 14 presidential conferences as well as smaller group discussions to identify best practices for member recruitment and retention.

The first conference was held in Japan followed by Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (July), Argentina and Brazil (August), Mexico (October), Austria and England (December), USA (Phoenix) January, Egypt (February) and USA (Baltimore) in March 2009. Conferences being held in Argentina, Brazil and Egypt are also being held to address child mortality, a top concern that lies at the heart of this year’s RI theme Make Dreams Real.

In Canberra topics explored the changing demographics, developing goals, volunteering trends, mentoring and identifying prospective members. I came away from Canberra firmly believing the individual Rotary member and club are the most important of all in recruitment and membership grains.

The challenge is for clubs to work within their own structure, to bring information to respective zone meetings, evaluate and consider how effective they were. These ideas can then be shared across the district to educate and illuminate the growth within the district.

For Rotary to survive in the not to distant future we must increase the number of club members or clubs and Rotary could disappear.  Some Rotarians may or may not have been aware that as a trial for 2008-2009 it is proposed to have two Membership Chairs for District 9700.

One chair PP Graham Russell will co-ordinate membership for the Southern Region of our district. The second chair PDG Geoff Bargwanna will coordinate the Northern Region. This is to be undertaken to provide improved assistance to clubs and reduce travel time by club members to any central meetings.

The Northern Region will be all of those clubs above a straight line drawn below West Wyalong, Grenfell, Cowra and Oberon, in other words all clubs above this line will be in the Northern Region and all clubs in the Southern Region will be those located below this line. For the Northern Region there will be contact and visits as required to those clubs who want membership assistance, together with a region meeting. A northern region meeting will be held 9.30am to 2.30pm on September 21 at the Forbes Services Club, Forbes.  RSVP before September 27 to determine the appropriate Forbes club meeting venue. Content of this meeting will be condensed from the Canberra conference with D K Lee to encourage clubs and districts to take action to increase membership.

D K has developed a membership recognition program for 2008-2009 for clubs that achieve a 10 percent net increase in membership to receive a certificate signed by the president.  At the district level, gaining two new clubs and a 10 percent net membership increase must be reached. District recognition awards vary depending on the percentage of clubs achieving the membership increase.

The 10 clubs and districts with the highest percentage net membership increase will be recognised on stage at the 2009 RI Convention in Birmingham, England.

Fred Loneragan, District Governor District 9700.