Five ways to strengthen your club
By Arnold R. Grahl
Rotary International News -- 26 April 2011
Strengthen you club by using the Be a Vibrant Club: Your Club Leadership Plan to create a long-term vision.
Strengthening your club can be easy. Every Rotarian is capable of taking a few simple steps -- such as picking up the phone and inviting a friend or colleague to a meeting -- to help improve member recruitment and retention, a priority of the RI Strategic Plan.
Mark Mann, president of the Rotary Club of Bricktown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, is a firm believer in that philosophy. As an assistant to a politician in Oklahoma, Mann had been to plenty of civic group meetings, but joining a Rotary club was the furthest thing from his mind -- until a friend invited him. Mann soon discovered that the club wasn't like other groups.
"I tried it out for a couple of weeks and decided it was a good fit for me," says Mann, who joined Rotary in 2004. "I've been here ever since."
We asked Rotary coordinators for a few simple ways that Rotarians can strengthen their clubs. Their suggestions include:
1. Take a survey of club members to determine what the club does well, what it could do better, and what else it could be doing. Schedule a board meeting to discuss the results and determine a plan of action.
2. Design your club website with public relations in mind. Take advantage of the best practices in web design. Make sure you provide accurate information, with your club's name and meeting time and place prominently displayed on the home page. Ask yourself: Does this website help visitors understand Rotary?
3. Plan at least one project each year that reaches beyond anything your club has done before. Be sure to publicize your event in local media. Join with other clubs in your district and apply for an RI Public Relations Grant to promote Rotary on a larger scale.
4. Use RI resources to create a long-term vision for your club. A strategic plan provides a framework for setting goals and ensures continuity. It can also help your club increase membership, enhance Rotary's public image, and carry out more effective projects.
5. Pick up the phone and invite a friend, colleague, client, or service provider to a meeting. Many people join Rotary only after seeing firsthand the spirit of fellowship at club meetings and the commitment to community service.
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