How Rotary Meets Our Needs. PART 2. Part 1 was published last month

Article by PDG Brian Coffey, Assistant Rotary Coordinator

Frank Devlyn (Rotary International President 2000-01) is a prominent businessman, who has written three books on Rotary, and others on Leadership and Public Speaking.

His first book ‘Frank Talk’, was written and published in one month – all with Rotarian help.

He highlights people’s concerns about joining:

1. They don’t know what it is

2. They want to know WIIFM (What’s In It For Me)

3. It is a group of boring old men

4. I am too busy

5. It costs too much

We can answer WIIFM through concepts discussed in last month’s article on ‘How Rotary Meets Our Needs’, in relation to Maslow’s Theory and Tony Robbin’s ‘Six Human Needs’. The challenge is ‘What difference can you make in addressing people’s concerns?’   

The three ways that Rotary can grow are:

1. Retaining our current members - That alone is a challenge!

2. Attracting new members

Clubs need to ensure that they are a club - that people want to join

• What is the aura of your Club?
• What is your image? - In the community - On social media - In your meetings?

3. The third way is probably the most exciting sales option we have – the flexibility opportunities to revitalise your club,

• COVID has realised a new way to meet
• Members have responded and changed – we have elderly members using and enjoying Zoom at Club and District level!
• New style clubs are evolving – we are seeing GREAT interest in Hybrid Clubs

Some years back, Rotary International engaged a company Siegel & Gale, to conduct a world-wide survey on membership. Significantly, the survey identified the top two reasons people join Rotary:

• To positively impact their community – through service.
• And for the friendships and connections to make membership an enjoyable opportunity.

Clubs should not be disillusioned believing that members enjoy spending good money, and more importantly, valued time, on fairly ordinary meals, fines, and a speaker selling their cause.

Attracting and retaining members has a direct connection to the public image and activities of clubs. Rotary’s public image is shaped by the actions of each of its members, as well as by its involvement in the community, its presence on the web and social media, and the publications it produces.

The public image will have a major impact on whether your members feel proud to be part of your club, whether your club appears attractive to new members, able to fulfill a potential members need for what Maslow identified as ‘Esteem and Self-actualization’ or what Robbins identified as ‘Growth and Contribution’.

We need to be and appear to be a professional team. To show we are professional and a true, co-ordinated organisation – we really need to portray consistent and professional branding, from your social media to your clothing.

No other organization is quite like Rotary. By using our unique voice consistently in all our messaging, we can ensure that our communications reflect our distinct character.

If we speak, write, and design in one voice, our communications will sound, read, and look unmistakably like Rotary. This will give our audiences a better understanding of who we are. Together, we can show the world that we ARE People of Action.