Page 4 - 2020-07-Rotary-on-the-Move-Newsletter-Zone-8

‘EVERY MONTH IS MEMBERSHIP MONTH’

Extracts from articles by Bill Robson, Rotary Coordinator, Zone 24 West. From Beyond
Borders, Nov 2019 and June 2020 Newsletter of RI Zones 24 & 32

We must “Grow Rotary” and this is the challenge given to us by both our President and our Director.

… There are several tools to help with diversity, finding new members, retention and enhancing the
club experience. Check them out here: Membership Assessment Tools
https://my.rotary.org/document/membershipassessment-tools
In addition, there have been many changes recently regarding what constitutes a club and what constitutes a
meeting. Here are some FAQ’s to help clarify these items. https://my.rotary.org/en/club-flexibility-faq
… I know I am “preaching” to the choir, but we all need to be reminded at times that in order to “Grow Rotary” we
must work in harmony. Membership drives Foundation which drives projects and programs which drives Public
Image which drives membership etc. etc. etc. (to quote from The King and I”).
To make this work we MUST:
• Assess our clubs • Make new members feel welcome
• Engage current members • Find ideas to strengthen your club
• Connect with prospective members • Stay current
• Follow up on our membership leads

‘ROTARY TRADITIONS’
•
Does your club have its own traditions? Many do! Over the years, traditions develop, mutate and sometimes
disappear altogether. Does your club sing, do you recite the Four Way Test or the Pledge of Allegiance? Do you have
a prayer or a thought for the day or even a Rotary Moment? Have Sergeant’s session …
Traditions can be flexible, sometimes fleeting and even on occasion a hindrance. Be aware of your club’s makeup
and don’t let them become a hindrance to new members.
The Rotary Club of Crawley in Western Australia, whose membership is one of the fastest growing and most diverse.
They no longer sing the national anthem or fine their members. Some tradition is important, but too much time
spent on these rituals may prevent a younger member from feeling at home in your club.

‘NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEAD’

Article by Kim Lisagor Bisheff, story originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of The Rotarian magazine.

Six Rotarians revealed the secrets of balancing family and work that allowed them to take on the role of district governor before
turning 50, Shia Smart is one of them.
Shia Smart - District 9810, Australia | 41 clubs; 1,128 members

Shia Smart joined Rotary when her son, Flynn, was four months old. “So effectively he’s only
known Rotary,” she says. “He’s been brought up with it.” Now 15, Flynn travels with his mother
to district functions and has logged more meeting hours than many adult Rotarians.

During the same period, Smart, who lives about 15 miles east of Melbourne, was developing her
career as an IT business analyst. “I’ve always worked for other people,” she says. “I’ve had
flexible working arrangements, but I’ve never been in a position where I control what I do or
where I’m going.”

So how did a working mom become a Rotary district governor? Club culture played a significant role, says Smart,
49. She’s a charter member of the Rotary Club of Mont Albert & Surrey Hills, which enacted policies that encouraged
working parents to rise through the Rotary ranks: They welcomed children at meetings, relaxed attendance
requirements, and scheduled board meetings outside business hours.

That culture empowered Smart to shape her year as district governor to accommodate her job and her
responsibilities as a parent. Her first move upon learning that she would become DG was to get her son’s school
calendar so she could schedule club visits and meetings accordingly. And when she got a new job just before the
start of her term, she set her schedule to make it work. “I said, ‘I need all these days off for Rotary,’ ” and her new
employer assented. “I have been very lucky that Rotary is so structured and organized.”

Every step of the way, Smart says, she has made an effort to communicate with colleagues, friends, and family about
her Rotary life. “It’s amazing how accommodating people can be when you explain things,” she says. “Take people
on the journey with you, and you will find they are very supportive.”

Rotary on the Move July 2020 Page 4