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‘ROTARY OF ELIZABETH QUAY’

Article by James McLeod, Director of Club Membership and Development, District 9455

There’s no question that as a group, service clubs in the western world are suffering from a sustained decline
in membership that requires urgent attention.
However, pockets of hope exist where some Rotary clubs offer an experience that is aligned to the
preferences and requirements of the modern-day citizen.
Rotary of Elizabeth Quay (REQ) from District 9455 in Perth WA was established in 2016 specifically to attract young
professionals who work in or close to the Central Business District. Their mission is to “Inspire Generosity” and aim to fit
Rotary around their time poor members, not the other way around.
The keys to their early success have centred around what young people want out of Rotary:
1. Feeling that they are making a difference through regular hands on volunteering activities and the occasional
fundraising effort.
2. Opportunities for self-development through listening to inspirational guest speakers, worthy causes or personal
development topics. These monthly meetings are often sponsored by high profile corporate companies which
provide professional venues and catering.
3. Costs are kept as low as possible for all meetings with no venue hire or minimum spend requirements.
4. Project Action Meetings are held twice per month and focus on developing opportunities for giving over a drink
at a local bar. Meetings start at 5.30pm and finish at 6.30pm sharp.
Respecting the past is important, however being relevant to a new generation with different values is critical for survival.
Therefore, the only Rotary tradition that has been adopted at REQ is a formal induction process. No fines, strict
attendance requirements, singing, toasts, head tables, regalia or acronyms.
Focussing on a younger demographic does have its challenges. In today’s world of “what’s in it for me?” you must ensure
you are continuously delivering what “value” looks like for each individual member. In recent times REQ has found an
informal “Rotary Buddy” system be useful to increase ember engagement. All board members are allocated 3 or 4 other
club members as buddies to help address any concerns early. The buddy system not only provides the board with valuable
insight into how engaged individual members are, but it also gives club members the opportunity of developing a casual
mentoring relationship to continue their personal development.
Innovation features strongly in REQ’s past as well as its future. The club has run several Design Thinking workshops that
considered innovative solutions to existing community issues like homelessness and domestic violence. Coming up in
2019-20, REQ will launch its Phinternship (Philanthropy Internship) where over the course of 12 months, high profile
philanthropists, not for profit professionals and academics help educate, up skill and mentor small groups of club
members to raise a life changing amount of money for a chosen charity.
For Rotary to continue to do good in the world beyond the next decade, clubs must do things differently to grow. While
the core principles of why someone joins Rotary hasn’t changed over the years, the expectations around how those core
principles are delivered looks very different.
For more information, visit www.rotaryeq.org or follow by liking us on Facebook

‘WHAT DO WE BELIEVE?’

Article by ARC PDG Stephen Lamont

What is our philosophy as Rotarians and is it something we share with others?
A wise Rotarian friend summed it up by simply saying “Rotary will mean different things to different people”–
and I believe that to be true. However, I also believe that at the heart of all things, each Rotarian wishes to
make a positive difference in the world. We work hard to make that difference and so our joint philosophy
and what we strive to achieve, is all about people.
When talking to others about what Rotary means to us, we really are sharing our philosophy and what we believe is
important. This is important is the context that we often ask likeminded people to join our organisation. A shared belief
and outlook is part of what we need to do to engage prospective members but it is also important to share this belief in
every project and contact we have with our community.
I would like to share some of my thoughts on what I think we believe as Rotarians:
v We believe - in connection and the inspiration and joy that occurs when like-minded people come together in pursuit of a
common cause.
v We believe – at times the world can be unfair but no matter what life throws our way, we can choose to embrace struggle,
learn from adversity, build resilience and grow.
v We believe – that throughout life we will experience suffering and joy, scarcity and abundance, loneliness and love.
v We believe – in creativity and the abundance that can flow when you look at our world in a different way.
v We believe – we each have a gift and there is nothing more empowering than finding that gift and taking it to the world.
v We believe – that by doing things together we can make a positive difference in the world.
The majority of people become Rotarians because they are asked – a simple philosophy – but also a common reality. If we
do not ask – they cannot and most likely will not join. Sharing and demonstrating what we believe is a start to any
conversation on why people should find Rotary to be the organisation of choice to join – if they also wish to create positive
change for society. Start the conversation with others as soon as possible and share what you believe.

Rotary on the Move February 2020 Page 5