Page 7 - 2020-06-Rotary-on-the-Move-Newsletter-Zone-8

‘WHAT IS THE VALUE OF ROTARY MEMBERSHIP?’

Article by David Baguley, District 9640 Club Development Chair, Executive Secretary Gold
Coast Rotary

Using a model developed by the Institute of Value Management Australia*, the District 9640 leadership

team defined the Value of Rotary membership by answering the following questions:
1. What is the useful purpose of a Rotary club?
2. What are the beneficial outcomes of Rotary membership?
3. What are the important features and characteristics of a successful Rotary club?
Useful Purpose

The primary purpose of a Rotary club was ‘do good in the world’ with clubs having a passion for service impacting

the local community, international causes, youth programs and support for The Rotary Foundation.
Membership Benefits

This answers the prospective member’s question ‘What’s in it

for me?’. These are the benefits that also retain members and
are best described as opportunities to:

• Belong to a reputable world organisation with its
associated esteem and to be associated with ‘game
changing’ major projects such as the elimination of
polio
• Gain a sense of achievement with appropriate

recognition of contributions
• Achieve a sense of belonging with associated fun and
friendship
• Benefit from vocational acquaintance through a
trusted business network with shared social and
ethical values
• Develop personal and leadership skills through access to training programs, mentoring, conference

attendance and hearing quality speakers.

Club Characteristics
Successful Rotary clubs exhibit certain features and characteristics:

• A diverse membership reflecting the local community in numbers, % female members, active business
members compared to retired members, and ethnic mix
• Efficient use of members’ time with well organised meetings, projects and fund-raising, the number and
quality of meetings and delegated responsibility
• Good internal communications and public image through social and other media, gaining community
recognition
• Funding sustainability achieved by a secure fund-raising source, use of community partnerships and /or
effective use of grants

• Shared responsibility indicated by a leadership succession plan, club strategic plan, engaged members -
working well together and a delegated project structure
• Flexibility to make process changes and a willingness to try new initiatives.

Healthy clubs offering value to their members will attract new members, retain existing members and enhance their

public image. An organisation needs to understand the value it is offering to members as this drives their marketing
and recruitment campaigns and should prioritise their strategic planning actions to ensure their continued ability

to grow and deliver their service outcomes. Ultimately a club must deliver ‘Value for Money’ in comparison with
other opportunities for their members’ time and effort volunteered for Rotary. http://www.ivma.org.au

‘MEMBERSHIP VOICE PROGRAM’

VOCATIONAL IN 2020 - by 9465 District committee chair Murray McKay.
Join Murray on 2 June 2020 if you'd like your club to grow through an improved vocational program or just to

compare notes with Murray. Getting Rotary back into business and a lot more. Register here.

LINKEDIN 2020, by Rotarian Kate McKenzie, philanthropy specialist and LinkedIn practitioner.

Using the power of LinkedIn to strengthen you club. Join Kate on 7 June if you want your club to succeed on
LinkedIn. Register here.

Rotary on the Move June 2020 Page 7