Forget the Leader

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."
~ Robert Frost

On the playground of any school, and on any day, you can witness examples of children playing "follow the leader." One hops, skips, or jumps, and all the others follow. As adults, however, many of those grown up children play a variation of that game - called "follow the follower."

On the job, they look around, see how someone else is doing their work, and duplicate the effort. What they don't realize is that their fellow employee is also watching someone else. A circular game of "follow the follower" evolves, resulting in a mediocre work force.

The same can be true in Rotary where club leadership continues to follow the same example of procedure or aim for the same goals set by the previous club leaders.

Consider the story of a telephone operator in a small town. Every day she received a call from a gentleman asking for the correct time. Finally, one day, she asked the mystery caller who he was and why he called every day. His answer? "I'm the one who blows the whistle at the factory each day at noon. I like to be right on time!" The operator laughed and then responded, "Here at the telephone company, we set our watches and clocks by the noon whistle at the factory!"

Tired of playing follow the follower? Want to rejuvenate your club? Begin acting like the unique person you already are. See what everyone else is doing . . . and do something different. Strike out in the direction of your own imagination instead of theirs.

In the words of Henry David Thoreau: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." Find your own Rotary Road!

With thanks to Rotarian Ben Mondragon

Membership Moments -- "Off the Rack"

A few years ago Rotary International instituted the idea that at each meeting membership would be mentioned in some fashion, be it a contest, play, interview or by just a simple reminder of it’s importance to the club. Helene Campbell, D5130, compiled a list of messages to be read at each weekly club meeting to help draw attention to the importance of membership. It's recommended that you also make it a make it a part of your weekly newsletter.

If you would like to have this list of Membership Moments to share with your clubs, please email me at judi5110@comcast.net and I'll be happy to send the list to you. A whole year -- already written! -- What could be easier?

Rotary Awareness = Rotary Membership!

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Rotary coordinators to start in 2010

By Jennifer Lee Atkin
Rotary International News -- 7 January 2010

RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith believes Rotary coordinators will provide a vital link between RI and clubs.

Rotarians will soon gain a new resource – someone who will be well-versed in the many programs of Rotary International and knowledgeable about Rotary club and district best practices.

That new resource will be a Rotary coordinator (RC).

“We want clubs to be assured that they are the most important thing in Rotary,” says RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith, who championed the RC program. “If we don’t take care of the clubs, the clubs won’t take care of Rotary International.”

Adopted by the RI Board of Directors at its November meeting, the program will launch on 1 July. Klinginsmith is appointing the initial 41 RCs, who will serve the same geographical regions as the regional Rotary Foundation coordinators (RRFCs), with at least one RC serving each Rotary zone.

“RCs will be people who have senior leadership experience and a good, strong background in Rotary,” says Duane R. Sterling, a member of the Rotary Club of Warrensburg, Missouri, USA, and Rotarian coordinator for the 2010-11 RI president. Many RCs will be former RRFCs and past regional Rotary International membership coordinators, Sterling says. “They already know the territory,” Klinginsmith adds.

Similar to RRFCs
Just as RRFCs are knowledgeable about The Rotary Foundation’s programs, RCs will be a resource when it comes to multiple aspects of Rotary International and its programs, providing a vital link of communication between RI senior leaders and Rotary clubs.

RCs will focus on offering guidance and tools in three areas: RI programs such as the youth programs, Rotary Fellowships, and Rotarian Action Groups; best practices that strengthen clubs and districts such as strategic planning, effective public relations, and leadership development; and building membership through stronger clubs and districts.

Through their work, RCs will support the three priorities of the RI Strategic Plan: support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase humanitarian service, and enhance public image and awareness. Clubs will also find RCs to be a valuable resource in determining how to meet the annual requirements for the Presidential Citation, Klinginsmith says.

In addition, RCs will assist at Rotary institutes, governors-elect training seminars, and other zone-level meetings. They may also plan and conduct district and regional seminars and workshops where needed, with the assistance and support of district leaders.

Because they will operate in the same geographical areas, RCs and RRFCs will be able to work closely with each other, as well as with the RI director for the zone, Klinginsmith notes.

Moving forward, RCs will be appointed by the RI president-elect and serve three-year terms. Appointees will attend a March institute to prepare for their new role.

Also in November, the Board amended the Rotary Code of Policies to create the RC program and dissolve the RRIMC program, effective 1 July.

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100107_news_rotarycoordinators.aspx

Note: Effective July 1, the RRIMC positions will go away; the job of this new position of Rotary Coordinator will be to work with the districts to “produce stronger and more effective clubs” – which in turn, should greatly affect membership!

Zone 25 RC will be PDG Judi Beard-Strubing, D5110
Zone 26 RC will be PDG Don Kremer, D5230

The Facebook Generation

Attracting the Facebook Generation: Change your culture or start a new club!

As a facilitator of a number of Visioning sessions for Rotary clubs, I have noticed that one of the top membership attributes that clubs strive for is "younger members." The kind of club that will attract men and women who grew up on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will be very different than the clubs we see today. The question is this: are your club and its members flexible enough to give younger members what they expect?

Strategist Gary Hamel, author of The Future of Management, recently wrote a blog post entitled, Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500. In that article, he listed 12 characteristics of online life. Online life is the life of the "Facebook Generation." Text messaging, Tweeting and YouTube are not tools or channels of entertainment. They are just the way life is. As you read each of the 12 points, ask yourself how your club will make the Rotary experience attractive to folks who see these characteristics as "just the way it is."

1. All ideas compete on equal footing

2. Contribution counts far more than credentials

3. Hierarchies are natural, not prescribed

4. Leaders serve rather than preside

5. Tasks are chosen, not assigned

6. Groups are self-defining and self-organizing

7. Resources get attracted, not allocated

8. Power comes from sharing information, not hoarding it

9. Opinions compound and decisions are peer-reviewed

10. Users can veto most policy decisions

11. Intrinsic rewards matter most

12. Hackers are heroes

Can your club provide this kind of experience? Can established members accept a world where new members expect to have an immediate say in club matters? If not, perhaps creating a new club makes more sense. Why create a new club?

Sometimes it is very difficult to combine very different cultures within the same location. When IBM saw a huge opportunity for midrange AS400 computer, they built a new plant in Rochester, Minnesota. The located it far from IBM headquarters in Armonk, New York, because they knew that the AS400 was so different, that it would not stand a chance if it was too close to the IBMers who grew up with mainframes in their blood. When IBM got into the PC business, where was its "Entry Systems" Division located? Boca Raton, Florida.

So if you want to attract younger members - and keep them, you have 2 choices. Either change your culture, or create a new club. And if you are going to create a new club, don't think "Extension." Think about applying the 12 characteristics above because you are not extending your existing club by any stretch of the imagination. You are creating a NEW club that your current members probably won't recognize.

What's working to attract the Facebook Generation where you live?

From Greg Krauska, Past Membership chair,District 5950

The New ‘AMC’ Membership Committee Model

As any Rotarian knows, we communicate best in Rotary using acronyms (DG; PETS; RYLA; WCS; RI to name a few). It is in that same spirit that I introduce you to a new acronym for our District….. the AMC. The next time you are asked to take a Rotary Acronym Test, remember the title of Area Membership Chair.

So exactly what is an Area Membership Chair? In sterile terms, these are individuals who have made a commitment to serve on the District Membership Committee. However, the role of the AMC is much more far reaching and critical to our district than simply serving on a committee. In the structure of the District 5110 Membership Committee, AMC’s are recruited and primarily managed by the Deputy District Membership Chair. All take direction from the District Membership Director. Their primary responsibility is to offer support and assistance to a designated handful of clubs in their local area. A few of their responsibilities include:

 Assist clubs in setting Club Membership Goals.
 Provide assistance with New Member Orientations, Inductions & Red Badge process.
 Raise awareness of Rotarian membership benefits and responsibilities
 Review Attendance reports for your clubs.
 Encourage participation in training opportunities.
 Provide Membership related club programs when requested and appropriate.
 Coordinate efforts with Assistant Governors.
 Attend and participate in District meetings.
 Connect and follow up with Rotary International membership referrals

Although it is the goal of AMC’s to offer assistance, Area Membership Chairs are sensitive to the fact that all clubs are autonomous and each has its own personality.

The transition to an AMC model for the Membership Committee began three years ago through the hard work of District Membership Director Helen Lucas and Deputy District Membership Chair George Lewis. After attending the Presidential Membership Conference and other Zone membership events, and sharing/gathering information from membership peers in other districts about how to better serve and assist clubs with the issues of membership retention and growth, it became apparent that offering a local contact who would have knowledge, access to materials and resources and who may even have a personal relationship with key club leadership members could have a positive impact and influence on membership benchmarks.

The dedicated AMC’s who have made the commitment to serve the Membership committee are making a difference. Now, any club in the district who is in need of help and/or assistance with membership issues has an AMC who lives in their neighborhood, whom they can call, meet with, or even invite to make a presentation. These are individuals who are having a powerful impact on Rotary by offering their time to help preserve and grow its membership.

Past District Governor and author of The ABC’s of Rotary Cliff Dochterman (Rotary Club of Moraga, CA) observed: "Rotary International leaders keep emphasizing membership growth and extension because Rotary's very survival depends on it. If Rotary is to grow, we all must take action." In our district, the Membership Committee comprised primarily of 18 amazing AMC’s is available to help clubs do just that.

Submitted by D5110 District Membership Chair, Helen Lucas

NOTE: Nearly half of the districts in Zones 25-26 now have Assistant Membership Chairs. Though they may have slightly different titles, the job descriptions are essentially the same. Often the AMC is coordinated with the same region as the Assistant Governor. We are seeing a difference in terms of membership growth and Rotary knowledge in those districts who are providing the personal service of an AMC.

Your Voice, Your Solution for recruiting members

Rotary International News -- 4 January 2010

How do you attract prospective members to your club?

W elcome to Rotary International’s problem-solving forum. Each month, Rotarians are asked for their ideas and strategies to address challenges they deal with every day.

Provide your input to help create a Rotary knowledge base of best practices and new ideas that will help Rotarians around the world improve their clubs and their service to the community.

Please use the comments section to share your solution to the problem described below. Return to this page before the end of the month to read solutions from your fellow Rotarians. Comments may be used in abbreviated form in other RI publications, including the Rotary E-Learning Center.
Problem: Finding prospective members

Your club president wants to add two new members to the club.

How do you invite prospective members to a club meeting?

Past problems and your solutions:

* Club members don't volunteer their time
* Club doesn't accommodate family obligations

Go to:
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/100104_news_yourvoice.aspx