Your Voice, Your Solution for recruiting members

Rotary International News -- 4 January 2010

How do you attract prospective members to your club? Rotary Images

W elcome to Rotary International’s problem-solving forum. Each month, Rotarians are asked for their ideas and strategies to address challenges they deal with every day.

Provide your input to help create a Rotary knowledge base of best practices and new ideas that will help Rotarians around the world improve their clubs and their service to the community.

Please use the comments section to share your solution to the problem described below. Return to this page before the end of the month to read solutions from your fellow Rotarians. Comments may be used in abbreviated form in other RI publications, including the Rotary E-Learning Center.

Problem: Finding prospective members

Your club president wants to add two new members to the club.

How do you invite prospective members to a club meeting?

Past problems and your solutions:

20 Comments:

At 8:57AM on 20 May 2010, Anna Driskell-Mier wrote: Our club is exclusively a ladies club in Juarez, Mexico. I feel as if I have many sisters, they (the other club members) are always caring for each other as well as for our community. Our city (Juarez) is right now going through some very difficult and violent times. Rotary brings times of peace and sharing to us all.

At 1:37PM on 5 May 2010, Rosetta E Peters wrote: Attracting Members and Retaining them, is an issue that needs further debate. Rotary International is encouraged to come up with a survey that will give positive feedback on how we should work on the "found" formula on membership retention. Personally, I have introduced a few members to my club and have found that what is retaining them is sheer motivation to be of service. The motto "service above self" is definately applicable, to ONE member in particular.

At 4:53PM on 2 March 2010, Carol Grant wrote: I love the idea about Pat's jar and putting names into it for a significant prize. I will suggest starting that in my club. We have great speakers and lot of fun just hard to get members to bring guests to the meeting.

At 9:25AM on 1 March 2010, Hazel Haas wrote: One suggestion: Take a good look at yourselves as a club first. You are asking potential new members to join you, so what is the attraction for them? Do you have good fellowship, a good venue, a full programme of interesting speakers, interesting hands on projects for them to get involved in? Do you meet at a convenient time for the majority of your members? There are many more questions you could ask, but an audit of your club may help in attracting new members, and also retaining existing ones.

At 10:32AM on 9 February 2010, Pat Fougner wrote: Our Club instigated a "Bring A Guest To Rotary Contest". Members' name is put into"Pat's Jar" for every guest they bring. If the guest becomes a member 5 more entries are added to the jar. At end of Rotary year the Member with the most entries will be awarded a significant prize. After 6 months two new members have joined our Club as a result of the contest.

At 9:51AM on 8 February 2010, Russ Wilcox wrote: I believe that, even in this economically challenged environment, the fundamentals remain important: Good food, Good attitude, Good speakers. If you are in a city with multiple clubs (we have 5 in Salinas, CA)... you are lucky. Competition and cooperation is great!

At 3:43PM on 12 January 2010, Sandy Hayes wrote: I will be forever grateful to the lady who introduced me to Rotary. Her enthusiasm and love of Rotary is something I carry with me at all times. I guess now my goal is to emulate her... to 'share the gift of Rotary' with all the persons I know. It never hurts to invite someone to lunch when you offer more than just a meal!!! You offer the opportunity to make a difference in our world!

At 9:24AM on 11 January 2010, Eamonn O Raghallaigh wrote: Members of the Rotary Club of Dublin Viking are regularly encouraged to target potential members from among their friends and associates. Two or three times each year we then hold an information meeting to which we invite these potential members. An audio-visual prepsentation is made, questions are invited and following the meeting contact is maintained with these potential members.A large number of these target are converted to members.

At 9:27AM on 11 January 2010, Shelley Lake wrote: Our Club invites prospective members to our meetings and they have up to 3 meetings with lunch for free. We encourage members to sit with the prospective member and talk about our Club. If the prospective member shows interest, a Club member generally takes them under their wing and in many cases, propose them for membership in the Club.

At 9:54AM on 11 January 2010, John Isles wrote: Babbacombe & St Marychurch is a small town within Torbay in Devon (D1170( where we have 8 Clubs in close proximity. As Secretary I wrote to every business in the town (105) and suggested they should consider Rotary. Those that didn't respond with a pre=paid envelope were telephoned. We had 30 responses. Held 2 Rotary Awareness Evenings and got 5 New Members immediately all under 50 with 3 more in the pipeline. I used basic marketing techniques to move those that wouldn't move!

At 10:10AM on 11 January 2010, Jovana Karanovic wrote: I think that key is in giving everyone equal opportunity to express his/her opinion and to show good will. President should assign more responsibilities to each member; that way they will feel obligation, but they will also feel they are chosen to develop effective way to help their community, that will motivate them to create new ideas and carry them out successfully.

At 10:32AM on 11 January 2010, Scott Shore wrote: Prospective members may be invited as guest speakers to discuss their business or avocation... they will be welcomed as the "center of attention" while meeting Rotarians and learning about Rotary....and will hopefully be complimented by the invitation to come to a future meeting.

At 2:52PM on 8 January 2010, PDG Michael Rye 1150 wrote: I hear and read so much about membership....the answer is and always will be lies with the Rotarians themselves....we have very active Rotarians who carry a club...and other Rotarians who just make up the numbers...it is the few who are responsible for the wellfare of the club and at times they get dis-spirited with the non-action of fellow members. To this I have an anwer.....if you want to help a club die...then please let me know and I will start a new club....our club has in two years loss 5 members but we have gain 8 with an aim to bring in another 5 this year. If you enjoy Rotary...and are an involved member, there should be no problem in passing on that enthusiasm to possible new members.

At 11:01AM on 7 January 2010, Rtn sukhminder Singh(R.C.Bardhaman Heritage Dist3240) wrote: I will request the club president to conduct a special meeting with good attendance & quality discussion & then invite the prospective member.

At 11:15AM on 7 January 2010, Dr. I.P.Dhakal Past President, Bharatpur RC, Nepal wrote: An invitation of the new member in the fellowship program such as night stay , picnic and cultural programs may be the right time for their social mobilization and attraction in the club.

At 8:57AM on 6 January 2010, Bill Pollard, PDG D7600 (VA, USA) wrote: To me it is pretty simple. Someone thought enough of you to invite you to a Rotary meeting. If being a Rotarian has had a positive impact on your professional and personal then the best thing you can do for Rotary is to help grow our family. Tommy invited me to a Rotary meeting and I will always be grateful for that simple gesture.

At 2:16PM on 5 January 2010, Tracy Aquilla wrote: I like the idea of rewarding or recognizing club members' efforts to recruit new members. Taking this further, perhaps it would also help to urge or even require each club member to invite at least one potential new member per year as a guest.

At 8:28AM on 5 January 2010, Bob Hanna wrote: Give each member a "What's Rotary" card...or make your own. This simple handout can help the conversation when inviting someone to a meeting. Look ahaed on the speaker schedule to find a subject your potential" i intrested in.

At 8:29AM on 5 January 2010, Walter "Cap" Neilson wrote: Its a culture problem! Rotary has emphasized attendance, service, foundation contributions, etc. and has recognized clubs and individuals who excelled in these areas. Now we need to do the same thing with membership recruitment. New and existing members need to now that recruitment is just as important as attendance, service and foundation giving. And those who excel should be recognized and rewarded.

At 8:29AM on 5 January 2010, Prakash Saraswat wrote: At least one meeting each month the Clubs should have a good guest speaker. Such meetings usually have a good attendance and give an opportunity to invite guests. If each member is encouraged to bring one guest with him/her, it would give a good opportunity for the guest to know about Rotary and get excited to join. Good publicity of projects done is another way to create awareness and interest.

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