As the age of a Rotarian rises, we get closer to the reality that at some point a decision is made to retire from Rotary service. This is brought into stark reality every June 30th.

Article by PDG Stephen Lamont, Rotary Coordinator

Throughout the last ten years we have seen membership grow throughout the year but fall by around 4 percent when June 30th approaches. Many people have provided wonderful selfless service to their communities for many years – often for decades. It is important and a key strategy then, that we must strengthen our connection with the next generation of Rotarians so that they are move Rotary forward.

We often talk about sustainability as being important to our planet – but have we looked at ways to provide for, and achieve, Rotary Sustainability. To do this we must invest in our youth, and we can do this by investing in youth focused programs. Programs such as RYPEN (Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment), RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), NYSF (National Youth Science Forum), Youth Exchange and Interact are key examples. These programs are all pipelines into Rotary, providing Rotary experiences and an investment in people – all part of Generation Next.

We also need to invest in maintaining a connection with all people that have been part of other Rotary programs. Reaching out to our Alumni and making sure we continue the connection is something we often neglect. Remaining connected provides further opportunities and a continued pathway to enable different Rotary experiences. Rotary Alumni includes more than just people from our youth programs – but it a great place to start.

We need to fulfill promises and provide reasons to join Rotary in an attractive way. By creating a value proposition that makes us feel good about the journey is a step in the right direction. This is a pathway to enable Rotary Sustainability to become a reality. Generation Next is a very important part of the equation – so make the connection.