Hello fellow Rotarians!! I’m sending out virtual hugs to each of you as my Rotary family and hope you are all in great spirits and health as we venture into September. For those with children, I wish them all a healthy, smooth, and exciting transition back to school.
For the District team, we’ve been in “summer school” working hard to make sure we’re ready to support our clubs in the months to come. I think you’ll be excited to see all of what will be offered to members this year.
We are in a pivotal and critical time in Rotary within our District. DG Frank Adamson alerted us to the fact that our membership numbers have been declining consistently in the past 14 years and we will soon be reaching half our size if we don’t do something drastic today. While this is somber news it may be just what we need to spark some innovation in our clubs. Much like the goal for COVID, we need to flatten our District membership curve to survive as a District and we need the support of each and every club member in order to do that. We’re in this together and together we’ll come out of it with more vitality and growth!
So, who’s up for a challenge? Did I hear you say ME! Ah, that’s wonderful. Thank you. I knew you’d be there for me on this. So, here’s my challenge for the month:
Create a club innovation team. (This could be your entire club)
- Look for ways to “gather and connect” as opposed to meeting.
- Find out what new needs have emerged in your community, perhaps as a result of COVID-19. (e.g. anxiety, depression, inclusion, addictions, social isolation)
- Look for ways you can help your local businesses, farmers, faith community, and essential workers.
- Explore ways your members can bring joy to the world collectively while being at home (e.g. painting rocks with inspirational messages and leaving them on a trail, giving blood for a month, fill bags of hope for children returning to school, set up “phone pals” and connect with others, write letters/cards and drop them in the mail)
- Brainstorm ideas on how you can be out safely and be noticed so that others will be inspired to join you. Wear your Rotary swag!! Step up your social media presence
- Look for ways to be more relevant, more attractive to the next generation of Rotarians.
Have fun being creative, try something totally new and drastic, and see what happens. Be a Rotary Rebel and challenge our status quo. Put your GPS on and find a new route to the same destination. Talk to your members and ask them for 1 thing you can do differently to spark a little more vitality. Add to this list and let’s get this family of Rotary together to flatten our curve and maybe even shift it in the opposite direction!! We’re totally up for this challenge RIGHT? Did I hear you say YES!! Ah, that’s the spirit. Now that’s Rotary.
Rotary Club of Fonthill
District 7090 Chair of Membership
