Greeting everyone, at the beginning of another Rotary Year, as we work to CREATE HOPE in the WORLD with our 2023-24 RI President Gordon McInally.

Article by PDG Peter Garnett, Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator

What an impact it would be if every club in our region actively set goals for support of The Rotary Foundation, for membership, for public image and for having fun in 2023-24.

Research shows that you achieve more if you set goals and even more if you write your goals down. Let’s set club goals and document them in Rotary Club Central.

The Rotary Foundation

Think of the funding districts and clubs in our region would have to support our #1 project PolioPlus and Rotary District and Global Grant projects in 3 years, if all Clubs set goals for Annual Fund and PolioPlus giving for 2023-24?

If all clubs committed to:

• contributing to the annual fund, to being 100% Centurion clubs and to gaining one new member of the Paul Harris Society
• contributing to the PolioPlus fund and to gaining one new member of the Polio Plus Society

If all Districts aimed to have two new Major Donors and to giving DDF to PolioPlus

Then we could see a 40% increase in contributions to the annual fund and a 50% increase in giving to PolioPlus, to those made in 2022-23

Membership

Just think of the impact if every club committed to a goal of a NET increase of one member for each of the next 5 years. Is this “a big hairy goal”? Well yes, based on the last year’s results. However, I suggest is it achievable with good action plans for identifying new members and for the retention of existing members.

Then we could see a net increase of 1236 members per year, 6180 in 5 years for our region - a 20% increase in members in 5 years; instead of the 10% decrease over the past 10 years!

Public Image

District Governors have committed to a “Day of Action” on 23 September. When all Rotary and Rotaract clubs throughout our region, are asked to get out in their community to undertake a community project.

Think about the impact of the sight of Rotary banners and “Rotarians at Work” polos or Hi-Viz vests as Rotarians undertake projects in their communities throughout Australia, NZ and the Pacific.

Fun

Experience shows active clubs having fun are our most vibrant clubs. Presidents please ensure the year includes plans for fun social activities, particularly at the completion of project activities. Invite all participants, club and community, for a chat over a cup of tea or coffee, a beer or wine, with perhaps some home baking.

Think about the impact of talking about your Rotary experience of doing projects AND having fun!

Challenge

At the time of writing, 5 July 2023, only 170 of the 1236 clubs in the region (14%) had entered goals in Rotary Club Central for this year!

We challenge District Governors, District Membership/Public Image/Foundation Chairs to proactively work with their Club Presidents to get them to set goals and to enter these goals into Rotary Club Central.