Q: In my club, only about half our members participate in committees and other club activities. What can we do to get more club members involved?

Answer from Bill Boyd:

Service is central to a successful club, and for me, it is one of the most important aspects of Rotary. The starting point must be to involve all new members in a service activity so they are built into the fellowship of the club and come to understand the joy of serving others.

Individual committees may target a specific Avenue of Service, but this focus may not motivate nonparticipating members to join in. Here are some ways to get everyone to take part in a project:

• Focus your efforts on a local service project that can unite all members of the club as they work to achieve a common goal.
• Assign each committee to tasks related to the project, including needs assessment, promotion, fundraising, implementation, and evaluation, to ensure that the project engages the whole club.
• Get new members assigned to and involved with a specific committee to help with the project, and make sure that most, if not all, members help in some way.
• Build upon the success of one project with additional projects.
• Recognize the interests and skills of club members when you develop projects so getting them involved will be easier in the future.

Many clubs now participate in ongoing service projects that can motivate club members for years to come.

Read about project resources and ideas in Interactive's Toolkit.