As we enter the second half of the Rotary year, we are all focused on hanging on to the gains we have made in membership. On New Year's Eve most of us raised a glass and toasted last year, and next with a hardy CHEERS! It reminds one of the old TV series Cheers, where each week we followed the exploits of a group of very close friends who met regularly in a bar. The name of the bar? Cheers. What made it so special? Everyone new each other's names, and when you got there, they were "always glad you came." A warm, welcoming and friendly place.
What a great way to approach making your club more attractive. Is your club like Cheers? How can you make changes that would make visitors feel even more welcome? How about your current members (especially those newer ones)? Does everyone know their names? What's more, do they know what they do in their work lives?
There are lots of creative ways to enhance your meetings to make them more fun and welcoming. One excellent idea is to invite a "Mystery Visitor" from another club that is unknown to your club. Have that person come to a meeting and afterwards give an honest appraisal of what kind of impression your club made on her/him. Put this information to use to "Cheer Up" your club and make it even more attractive to current and prospective members.
