Engaging Membership

Jenny shared insights on how their club successfully recruited nine new members, emphasizing the importance of preparing the ground for recruitment by creating a welcoming and engaging club experience. She highlighted the club's efforts to remove barriers and focus on the quality of the experience for potential members. Jenny also mentioned attending a membership workshop in Sydney, where they implemented some strategies, and noted that their club is one of the youngest in District 9815, formed 21 years ago.

Jenny discussed how certain Rotary Club rituals, such as toasting and fine sessions, can act as barriers to inclusivity. She highlighted that these traditions, while seemingly important, may not serve their intended purpose and can sometimes be embarrassing or exclusive. Jenny encouraged club members to consider potential barriers in their own clubs and think about ways to make meetings more welcoming to all members.

Jenny discussed the club's approach to engaging members through diverse activities beyond traditional speaker meetings, including packing nights, museum visits, and community service projects. She highlighted the success of Saturday Coffee Club catch-ups for members who cannot attend Tuesday meetings, noting a member's initiative to send computers to Sri Lanka. Jenny emphasized the importance of maintaining a structured yet welcoming environment, with meetings starting and ending on time, and stressed the need for new members to feel a sense of belonging through shared activities and fellowship.

Jenny discussed the importance of publicizing the good work of Rotary clubs, highlighting the lack of press coverage for Roche and the need for electronic communication in the modern era. She emphasized the significance of an updated website, social media presence, and community engagement, including a monthly article in a local newspaper. Jenny also stressed the importance of promptly following up on website inquiries and using effective photos to showcase Rotarians in action.

Jenny discussed the importance of engaging new members to meet their expectations and retain them, emphasizing the need for early involvement in projects and activities. She highlighted several successful projects, including supporting food organizations, maintaining vegetable gardens, funding a boat engine for safety, and installing solar lighting in schools. Jenny also noted that new members have brought fresh ideas and energy, which has been beneficial for the club.

Jenny presented the Judy Ford model, a successful membership recruitment strategy that involves club members nominating potential new members, sending handwritten invitations, and hosting an informal cocktail party event. The model resulted in three new members and two more pending inductions, with 38% of the club now being female. Brian shared that while his club has made progress by eliminating fines and formalities, they are still working on implementing a website and considering alternative membership recruitment events like sausage sizzles at the Basketball Center.

Jenny shared her successful approach to organizing information nights that attract new members to Rotary, emphasizing the importance of framing events as information sessions rather than membership drives. She explained that newsletter sign-ups are collected at registration with an opt-out option, and while some members suggested holding these nights every six months, she finds quarterly events more feasible. The discussion concluded with Bob and Colin praising Jenny's methods, particularly the emphasis on continuity and shared workload, which have contributed to the club's growth in their district.