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‘HOW TO PREVENT ROTARIANS LEAVING YOUR CLUB DUE TO CONFLICTS’

By Bob Wallace, Rotary Coordinator Zone 24 East, from Rotary Zones 24 & 32 Beyond
Borders August Newsletter

Recently I was involved with a club who on the surface seemed to be doing quite well, some new
members, some interesting projects but there was something else going on. There was some talk
happening and it was clear that not everyone was happy. A few members simple started to not show
up at the Rotary events and meetings. A few members started talking to other members expressing their concerns
and unhappiness. There were several separate meetings among the disgruntled group. Several voiced complaints
to a couple executive members and several talked about leaving the club. It turned out to be an internal conflict
between some members and the executive. A real mess to be sorted out.
The executive could have done several things:
ignore them and the problem will go away eventually
try to talk the person/s out of it by saying it is not important
tell the person to forget about it
the member was probably going to resign anyway
it’s not my problem so I’m not getting involved
None of these things would work because conflict must be dealt with or it will simply get worse.
The executive decided to confront the issues and try to resolve them.

This worked by resolving the conflict so that it did not get worse. A couple of members did leave but many more
than that stayed to rebuild relationships.
At the next meeting the President spoke with passion about the importance of the Rotary Four Way Test as some
recent behaviour that had caused the conflict had been contrary to the fundamentals of the Four Way Test...
of the things we think, say or do:
Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
If the Rotarians truly lived by the 4 Way Test, it is certain that none of the conflict would have taken place.
Results of the conflict resolution process: Retention of members who may otherwise leave. Happier club
atmosphere, Better outcomes and mutual respect for all Rotarians.

So, if a club is losing members, try to dig deeper to try and determine if there is ongoing conflict that is causing
members to simply walk away.

‘PROGRESS IN ROTARY, SOME THOUGHTS’

Article by PP Damien Leach, District Youth Chair, Membership Chair of the Rotary Club of
Campbelltown

The primary ingredient for progress is optimism – the unwavering belief that something can be better
drives the human race forward. Simon Sinek, British-American author and motivational speaker, says
as Rotarians we are inherently optimistic. We believe that the lives of others can be made better through
our actions. In our local communities, or our broader global community, every day we impact live, create change,
and provide a reason for optimism, for ourselves, and others.

But sometimes we can be a be a little disenchanted with our organisation. Whether it is the cost, the people, the
time, or the decision making… we can lose our mojo.
And that’s fine. Because our experiences are up and down. My wife and I have been a couple for almost twenty years.
Have we had our ups and downs? Absolutely (mostly about who is getting up early for the 8am Saturday morning
sport shift), but we are committed to it because we are optimistic about both who we are, and for each other.
I think sometimes as Rotarians, and when it happens to enough people, clubs, we can become a bit depressed. We
don’t see the difference we are making, or we feel like we are “doing everything”, or we feel like there is no new
motivated person in our club and we are sitting next to the same person we have every week for the last thirty years…
and why do they have to chew so damn loudly.
And of course, that type of environment isn’t really that attractive for new members... Would anyone actually give
Fawlty Towers a five-star review on TripAdvisor? Other than the Major, probably not.
We do incredibly work. Just take a moment to think about everything your club does… even the not so obvious. You
are a part of that…. And for that we should all be proud.

Rotary on the Move September 2019 Page 5