Page 3 - Rotary Matters - September 2021

Regional Governance pilot for Rotary clubs

Rotary International is carrying out an extensive consultation process at the moment exploring the
possibility of a regional governance model for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Back in 2011-12 RI Director Stuart Heal from RC Cromwell, New Zealand started exploring a model,
which would provide a more effective regional public image and governance of Rotary. PDG's Eric Russell
and Bruce Richardson were involved in the process.

While the RI Board eventually decided not to proceed the issue was raised again in 2017-18 by the DGs
from Zone 8 (PDG's Kim Harvey and David Egan) and supported later by RI President Ian Riseley.

An RI committee was formally established entitled Shaping Rotary’s Future.

PDG David Egan and
PP D’Arcy Walsh from the
RC Adelaide are members
of the Zone 8 core group
developing the model.

Past RI President Barry Rassin is now leading the strategy for Rotary International.
RI is concerned that the continuing decline in membership, especially in developed
countries, is also weakening Rotary clubs. It is aware that the current Rotary
governance model may still work well in regions where there is strong Rotary
growth such as India and Asia. However it is leaving clubs in our region with not
only declining membership but also rapidly ageing members as well. As a result many clubs have had to
restrict their projects because they no longer have sufficiently fit members to carry them out.

Volunteering is also changing with younger people more interested in cause-related hands-on actions and
less interested in administrative roles. Female membership has risen to around of third in most clubs in
our Zone but now seems to be stuck at that level. The lack of retention for new members is also listed as
a cause of concern.

RI has acknowledged that “the one size fits all’ model of Rotary may no longer be relevant and Barry
Rassin’s committee is proposing 3 regional pilots that are likely to reflect the different versions and culture
of Rotary in different parts of the world. The 3 pilots are proposed for our Zone 8, the British Isles and a
region in North America – all three regions exhibiting a worrying decline in membership and consequential
weakening of clubs.

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