We Must Care!

A strong membership program makes a club more stable and resilient. It works both ways, strong resilient clubs are that way because they are meeting the needs of their members at a high level. This gives them a great retention rate, and makes them attractive to new members. In order to develop and institutionalize a strong membership program, we must care about the well being of the club. It takes planning and work, but will pay off big time.

A program developed in District 5170 a while back, is aptly named the "We Care" program. This program is a well thought out process to energize your club. It is totally compatible with the Ignite program, and if you use it as a guide, you will score major points on the Ignite score-sheet. You can find the program on our District website under Membership Development. I thought I would include an excerpt on how to treat new members here for you.

The Rotary Club of Reno is a large club that must continually
work on membership development.

First, on the very day (or before) a new member is inducted, the club should assign him/her two or three Rotarians that will be mentors. The mentors must understand that they are the key to insuring that the new member enjoys Rotary.

A mentor’s job will consist of inviting new members to sit with them at meetings. Make sure that the new member is introduced to each member at the table. By involving new members in conversation at the table they will feel more like they are part of the club. Generally most individuals are shy and they need help meeting new friends. Remember, the quicker we can make our new members comfortable, the more receptive they will be, which will result in making a happier and more productive future Rotarian.

A mentor must take the initiative to invite new members to all District and Club events. A personal invitation by phone always gives a feeling of caring and warmth. Take time during the phone conversation to explain what the event is about. This helps create interest from the new member. At the actual event follow up with more information so the new member understands more completely why it’s important to attend the event and what the objective of the event is.

Immediately assign the new member to a committee that provides interaction
with other club members. This assignment should give them a sense of accomplishment but shouldn't be so difficult that it becomes a burden that in turn leaves a negative attitude about Rotary. The committee should also help build camaraderie.

Always give the new Rotarians avenues to meet members quickly. The quickest way is to ask them to be club greeter. Make sure that other Rotarians who are familiar with the entire membership are assigned to work by their side. You must direct the Rotarian to make a conscious effort to introduce the new member to all Rotarians attending the meeting.

These two Winnemucca Rotarians are checking up on
their "Buddies" who missed last week before their meeting
starts.

If members miss two meetings make sure that a club representative calls them to find out why they missed. Make sure that they are told that the club missed them and be sure not to create a feeling of reprimand.

Each month new Rotarians should be met with, and casually talked to, regarding their feelings about Rotary. Ask them what they would change or modify if they had the opportunity. As our clubs age we seem to get tunnel vision. This is a great opportunity to get new ideas and input. It will also provide an indication whether the new member is enjoying Rotary and if they want to remain a member. All negative feelings must be reported to your membership committee and your club Board of Directors, so that remedial action can be considered.

Remember, "New Members" are those that have been in the club for 2 or three years or less. Statistics show that these are the most likely to leave the club. Don't fall into the trap and take new members (or any members) for granted. How long was it before you really got bitten by the "Rotary Bug"?

In the last 6 years our District has said goodbye to 1,655 Rotarians! Just think what more effort at better retention would have done for your club, the people in your community and around the world!

That's All!

Woody

Treat Your Members as Customers!

Sad Story: How many times have you brought in that new member only to see them leave within a few years? Unfortunately this is all to common. Our highest attrition rate in Rotarians is within the first two years. It is not unusual to find clubs that have said goodbye to enough new members over the last 5 years to DOUBLE THEIR CLUB SIZE. 

Members as Customers: You can stop the revolving door by treating your members as a successful business treats its customers. How many highly successful businesses operate by simply assuming that new customers are totally satisfied, and will forever keep coming back? Not many. We need to know what our current membership wants, and then have the courage to make changes in the club to satisfy those "customers".

Surveys and Assessments: Member Surveys and assessments can be a useful tool to make sure your club is serving your members' needs. The RI Annual Member Involvement Appraisal is one such tool. Another is the RI Member Satisfaction Questionnaire. Using either or both of these tools is a great idea, and scores big points on your Ignite Score sheet. You can also host informal discussions, or create "member focus groups". The key here is to find out what will engage your members and develop them into strong and committed Rotarians. Be sure to involve former members of your club as well.

Implement the changes: The hard work is to actually take action in your club to adapt to the needs of your members. We all to often blame new club members for dropping out. "They just weren't cut out for Rotary" or "They just didn't fit in." My favorite is: "They were just here for business networking". Vocational Service is one of the Five Avenues of Service! I know I joined for networking, and I was successful in that first Rotary endeavor. It wasn't until after that, that I caught the Service bug! Bottom line is that your club needs to make the difficult leadership decisions that are necessary to adapt the club to the changing needs of its members.

Make it worth their while: People have a limited amount of time, and as a Rotary club we are competing for that time. You must make your club worth their while. So meeting the needs of your newest members (customers) is crucial. Just like a business wants to ensure its new customers are satisfied so they will keep coming back, you can ensure that your new members are satisfied, so they stick around and have the chance to grow into great Rotarians of the future!

That's All!

Woody