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‘SUCCESS STORY FROM A FABULOUS CLUB IN DISTRICT 9980’
Article by ARC PDG Karen Purdue.
The Rotary Club of Waimate, D9980 NZ, strongly believes that involving and supporting young
people as early as possible in the Rotary family and in service to their community, has many benefits
for future membership of the organisation.
The first Rotakids club was chartered in Waimate in 2016, following in the steps of another very
successful program that had been operating for a number of years.
That program involved the head girl and head boy prefects from the local high school being made ‘honorary
members’ of the club.
This has been extremely beneficial to both the young leaders and the Rotarians.
As honorary members they attend the club’s weekly meeting and participate in club activities.
At the monthly ‘Club Night’, committees present and update members with information and the honorary high
school members report on local youth and high school news, activities and needs.
It has given Rotarians a lot of satisfaction and pleasure to see how the students develop confidence with their public
speaking and to see how they engage with members and their community.
Many students leave Waimate to go onto tertiary education at various New Zealand Universities.
It’s a highlight for the club when past ‘honorary’ school members are ‘back in town’ and they choose to attend a club
meeting, sharing with members what they are now doing with their lives.
For many, a strong connection with Rotary has continued as part of the Rotaract family.
This year, the Waimate club welcomed two new Honorary Members from Waimate High School, Catherine Nichol
and Campbell Shedden.
The Rotary club of Waimate has been very innovative and successful in installing the Rotary values and ideals in our
future Rotarians!
Zara Wilson, also a former
‘honorary member’ is
Dilraj Toor (far left), along with Claire Rollinson (second from right), President of the Rotaract Club
treasurer and secretary for the Rotaract club of Dunedin. Massey University.
SHARE YOUR CLUB OR DISTRICT SERVICE PROJECT AND MEMBERSHIP BEST PRACTICES.
We would like to hear from Clubs or Districts telling us what they have done. Please include a summary,
contact details, a couple of captioned photos, and email to Issa Shalhoub, this Newsletter’s editor.
We also would like readers to share their experiences and stories on Best Practices in their Clubs and what has
worked for their Clubs in gaining new members and also what has helped in keeping members.
Rotary on the Move September 2019 Page 7
