Dear Members of the Rotary family in District 1980,
This week I begin my club visits. I look forward to
interacting with club leadership and members as well as learning about your
projects, partnerships and how you work together with other clubs. Many clubs
have already sent me their (3-year) club action plans. I highly appreciate the
timely delivery as well as the quality of the content and thought that has gone
into them. These action plans are primarily a tool to facilitate club-internal
planning and foster continuity in your club’s priorities, projects and goals as
well as to position activities within the framework of Rotary
International’s Action Plan. Of course, they also build a great foundation for my
visit and structure for the discussions with club leadership.
Rotary International focus upon Membership during the
Month of August. Membership is a key
element in the strategic Pilar “Reach” of the Rotary International Action Plan
and a topic crucial to all Rotary members and clubs. Membership development
isn't just about maintaining club numbers; it’s about ensuring Rotary (and its
clubs) remains a dynamic, impactful, and vibrant organization, capable of
adapting to future challenges and opportunities.
Membership (development) is a high priority, perhaps
the highest, for Rotary. Here are several key reasons why:
Sustainability and Continuity:
Clubs need a constant inflow of new, younger members to sustain their
activities and ensure continuity into the future. Without recruiting younger
generations, clubs risk aging out, losing vitality, and ultimately disbanding.
Diversity and Fresh Perspectives:
Younger members bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and different experiences.
This diversity helps clubs adapt to a rapidly changing world, ensuring Rotary
remains relevant and attractive to potential members.
Relevance and Modernization:
Society and technology evolve continuously. Newer generations help Rotary clubs
stay modern, responsive, and reflective of current societal changes and needs,
rather than becoming outdated.
Expansion of Service:
A robust and growing membership base expands Rotary’s ability to provide
community service, increase fundraising potential, and effectively deliver
impactful projects, both locally and internationally.
Leadership Succession:
Continuous recruitment and development ensure a pipeline of future leaders who
can take on responsibilities, maintain club health, and preserve Rotary’s
mission and vision over the long term.
- Networking and Partnerships:
New members bring new connections, which can help clubs build strategic
partnerships with other organizations and expand Rotary's reach
Our members are the lifeblood of Rotary and having the
right mix of people and skills is critical for us to deliver upon our promises.
The moto “Team Up” as addresses attracting the right people to join the Rotary
family, Rotary and Rotaract, and working together to serve our communities.
During our handover and the district conference in
June, iPDG (immediate Past District Governor) Christoph Blaser clearly positively
assessed the health of membership development in our district’s clubs. Based
upon my own, still limited, experience with the clubs as well as the statistics
regarding membership development over the past years, I share his opinion. Our
district continues to attract strong new members, and membership continues to
grow by roughly 1% per year. We also continue to make progress regarding the
proportion (+4% during the past 5 years) of female members. Many clubs are
actively recruiting younger members and, most importantly, successfully
integrating them. We are on a good path but must remain vigilant, regularly
reassess our progress and ensure that this topic receives the focus which it
deserves.
I would like to re-emphasize that Rotaract is a good
source for new members. Members of Rotaract clubs are already members of the
Rotary family, share our values and are familiar with our organization's
structure and goals. Yet, in Switzerland, still too few members of Rotaract transition
to a Rotary club. We must continue to make our clubs more appealing to younger
members and build bridges for the interaction between the members of Rotary and
Rotaract clubs. New club formats, like theme clubs, could also be a potential
opportunity.
An experience exchange meeting was held by our
district membership committee on the 25th of January in Luzern. It
was chaired by (now) DGN (District Governor Elect) Rolf Tresch, and
participants included the chairs of club membership committees as well as other
interested members of club leadership from our district. The goal of the
meeting was to learn from other clubs how to optimize the processes to identify
and onboard new members as well as to work together to establish a foundation
that can be adapted to the needs and circumstances of each club. I attended and
was impressed by the engagement of the club representatives and their eagerness
to learn and share best practices. The meeting was a success. It was an
opportunity for the leaders of the club membership committees to network, and a
number of high-level objectives were defined. I look forward to the follow up
on the 24th of January in 2026.
I wish you a pleasant August and, for those of you who
have corresponding plans for this month, a happy vacation.
With warm Rotary regards,
Unite for Good – Team Up
John
