Rotarians have Needs (DG News August 2014)

I’d like to explain a little about an exercise on analysing the needs of our members, which I think is quite effective. Our motto of Service Above Self has served us well, and I would never suggest that we should forget this mantra. But volunteers have needs to, and in Rotary we don’t tend to spend much time discussing them.

An employer can use money to pay and motivate workers, but as volunteers, we need to understand that just because we don’t get paid, we still need to get something out of our membership. I have designed a simple, one page questionnaire which can be completed in 10 minutes, which looks at what we place most importance on, and then seeks to discover how our Rotary experience provides for those needs. I’d really like the opportunity to discuss this with your club, in the hope that simple measures can help us keep our members happy and engaged in our clubs. Because happy and engaged Rotarians tend to stay in Rotary! Give me a call if you’re interested on 0402 346 994 or email mark@sugarfreezone.com.au

The Rotarian Needs Assessment can be downloaded HERE.

 

On Sunday, July 27th each of the Group 2 clubs were represented at a membership seminar hosted by the Rotary Club of Loxton at the Loxton Hotel. In addition to our Riverland Rotarians, we were joined by DG Jerry & Briony, District Trainer Damian Leach, DGN Sam Camporeale, AG Mike Woosnam and AG Lesley Mitchell and Neville.

Our special guest speaker was Zone Public Image Co-ordinator Philip Archer, who had previously participated in the District Leadership weekend at Calperum Station. Philip talked about the Zone PR Campaign, and how all districts across Australia have contributed PR grants to support consistent branding and promotional campaigns across Australia, the essence of Rotary, knowing our Rotary story, and inviting like-minded people to “Join the Conversation”. It was a rare treat to have Philip speak to our District Leadership Team over the weekend, to share his insights and participate in some valuable brainstorming – and of course to join us for this seminar in Loxton.

This was followed by a snappy presentation on effectively promoting our Rotary stories on social media by PP Steve Hayter, RC Kent Town. Steve is a recent addition to the district membership committee, with a great track record of building membership in his own club by creating “buzz”, and is a master of not only using social media effectively, but conveying these concepts in a simple and easy to understand manner. Thanks Steve for your enthusiasm and passion.

Following afternoon tea, yours truly gave a presentation that covered topics including our recent membership trends both locally and internationally, the need to balance our recruitment initiatives with retention concerns, and a few insights from various breakout sessions at the recent International Convention in Sydney. I hope this was a valuable presentation and that the participants now have some ideas and are revved up about Rotary! A big thanks to AG Mike Woosnam and RC Loxton President Jenny Mills for their hard work in making this happen, and also the members of RC Loxton who put on a terrific BBQ after the event. We had a broad range of participants in attendance, one being a cheeky little one year old delegate, and a few in their 80s – thanks for your enthusiasm. I am hoping to replicate this event and run it in all groups across our district – so if you like the sound of this, please speak to your AG. Plans are already in place for something similar in Mildura.