As we come to end of the 1st half of the 2021-2022 Rotary year, we should be asking ourselves as members of the Rotary family: What are we doing to grow our membership and the strength of our clubs?
When we grow Rotary by welcoming new members, we can achieve more. This means expanding our service and increasing the impact of our projects, as well as building an awareness and understanding of Rotary in our communities.
In 2021-22, we're focused on expanding our reach and enhancing engagement, with a goal of achieving and sustaining a global Rotary club membership of 1.3 million and a Rotaract club membership of 300,000. Each of us was given an extraordinary gift when we were proposed for membership in Rotary. We each have an opportunity to extend that gift to others who can benefit from Rotary and help us increase our impact.
Rotary’s Action Plan is the bridge between what we are today and what we want and need to be. It is our plan for fulfilling our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change. Our members, as people of action, are the key to achieving any of the plan’s four priorities. So adding members allows us to achieve more. RI President Shekhar Mehta is deeply committed to growing and sustaining Rotary membership.
If each of us sponsors just one new member between now and 30 June 2022, we'll have no difficulty reaching our goals.
RI President Shekhar Mehta is deeply committed to growing and sustaining Rotary membership. As one of his presidential initiatives, Mehta is asking clubs and districts to:
- Get a commitment from each active Rotaractor or Rotarian to sponsor one new member by 30 June 2022. The Each One, Bring One initiative will help us stay relevant, attract new members, and engage and retain current members and participants.
- Use public events to remind the public that Rotary and Rotaract clubs serve others and create positive change. Members can bring guests to events like Rotary Days of Service or this year’s presidential conferences, where they’ll experience the life-changing impact of Rotary.
- Form an effective membership committee to focus on growth, engagement, and making Rotary accessible to more people. The committee should have processes for finding prospective members, introducing them to current members, inviting them to join, and then offering a clear and useful orientation, fun activities, and Rotary opportunities beyond the club.
- Diversify Rotary by supporting Rotary’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By connecting with prospective members and participants from all backgrounds and inviting them to experience Rotary, we’ll gather an abundance of perspectives, skills, and solutions.
Also...Remember to recognize those who attract new and diverse members and engage and retain those who join. Visit the Membership Society for New Member Sponsors and celebrate your fellow members who have committed to expanding our reach.