On 30th April 2021, the club reported 15 members with 8 females. 11 were under 30 in age and 3 former Rotaractors. What was the magic of Warwick?

Article by PDG Andy Rajapakse, Assistant Rotary Coordinator

Last Rotary year was a year of opportunities for Warwick Rotary in Queensland. This 2nd oldest club in D9640 chartered in 1932 with 27 members had only 7 members when I took office on 1st July 2020. Then dropped to 3 in March 2021. On 30th April 2021, the club reported 15 members with 8 females. 11 were under 30 in age and 3 former Rotaractors. What was the magic of Warwick?

Last July my first action as Governor was to invite the president of Warwick Rotary to a heart-to-heart chat. Joining me was IPDG Harry Bolton from Tenterfield my Area Leader and PDG Neil Maxwell from the nearby Warwick Sunrise Rotary that had 30 members. I put on the table 2 choices. The easy way out to terminate the club or take the less travelled road to create a "revolutionary change" and make this grand old club relevant to today's world by 30th April 2021.

A simple Goal with a clear focus and timeline. PDG Neil a smart lawyer in Warwick took up my challenge to "Save Warwick Rotary". He had a passion to save this club. His grandfather Sam Maxwell was the charter president in 1932. In the 1950s the club had 40 members. His father too was a president in 1943-44. Neil was club president in 1978-79.

Neil patiently went about with a "changed mindset" that he was starting a new club to attract young professionals and not recreate the same old club his late grandfather formed. He diplomatically approached Rebecca Lancaster a former DRR from Warwick, now an eminent young lawyer to join the club's leadership team to reposition it.

A few months later amidst her busy lifestyle of a lawyer, mother and wife, she introduced 12 other young professionals to the club. Skillfully PDG Neil facilitated a smooth transition of leadership from 2 senior members for Rebecca to step in as President and another former Rotaractor Claudia to be Secretary and a senior remaining member to continue as Treasurer. After a few discussion evenings, 11 new members signed up in April and decided to meet fortnightly to networking evening cocktails.

Warwick club chartered 4 Rotary Clubs in D9640. Stanthorpe 1953, Goondiwindi 1954, Allora 1966. Warwick Sunrise 2000. These 4 have 110 members. Warwick produced 2 DGs. Wal Kieseker 1968-69. Neil in 2001- 2002. A former member of Warwick Ray Brand went was DG of 9630 in 2003-2004. "Revolutionary Change" happens when an outside influence shakes an organization, presenting a clear and urgent need for a major overhaul. This is a strategy I initiated as Governor to reinvent 2 other smallest and oldest clubs too. Allora grew from 4 members to 9 and Kyogle from 5 to 8 to be relevant to 21st-century lifestyles.

These clubs will never be the same. Together they attracted 20 new members to Rotary in 6 months! 14 of them are under 35 and 12 are female. 11 are Rotary Alumni.

While forming 5 new style Rotary clubs, 2 Satellite clubs, 3 Rotaract clubs, 1 Interact club & 1 Rotex club last Rotary year, we mentored & challenged our traditional clubs to reinvent and grow rapidly. 30 of our 58 clubs grew and 16 recorded +3 and above growth. My own club Burleigh Heads grew by +12. Ballina -on Richmond recorded the highest net +38 growth to be 7th largest in Australia with 75 members. D9640 ended the year with net +176 growth and 100% clubs giving US$334,000 to Rotary Foundation. My Champion Team had One Goal. One Focus, One Vision. One Mindset.