Spotlight – Membership
Membership addition and retention are a critical focus area for Rotary; realising that one size does not fit all, RI has introduced Regional Membership Plans (RMP). To facilitate proper understanding and implementation of RMP 2016-17, for our Zones 4, 5 and 6A, and to have full district participation, four Regional Membership Level 2 Training Meets for the Districts of these Zones were organised by Project Lead-RMP, Bharat Pandya and Rotary Coordinators Vijay Jalan (Zone 4 and 6A) and Rajendra Rai (Zone 5) under the direction of RI Director Manoj Desai, at Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai. All District Membership teams — DGs, DMCs and Extension Chairs were represented — 35 DGs, 36 DMCs and Extension chairs participated along with RCs Vijay Jalan and H Rajendra Rai, Project Lead Dr Bharat Pandya and all the 11 ARCs.
Desai provided valuable guidance at Mumbai and RIDE Basker C gave crucial inputs in a practical, business-like style in Bengaluru. The format was participative with focus on Idea Exchange and Information Sharing. Jatinder Singh and Joseph Thomas participated from the RI South Asia Office to give inputs and clear doubts.
Key Performance Indicators – (KPIs)
• All the districts should have a designated District Membership Committee Chair
• Ensure 30 per cent of clubs set and track at least 10 goals in Rotary Club Central
• Each district will charter at least one new Rotary club
• Improve gender diversity by at least 2 per cent
• Improve age diversity by improving the under-40 group by at least 2 per cent
• Improve member retention by 1 per cent.
• Encourage Districts to hold one big Service project/Event involving community and Rotaractors
• New Member Orientation Seminars mandatory for districts to retain new members
• Increase the number of members in My Rotary by encouraging clubs to have at least half their members registered.
The RI Board of Directors have endorsed the importance of Membership with the following statement: Membership is RI’s highest internal organisational priority, while polio eradication remains Rotary’s highest external programme priority.
The strategies that emerged from the discussions included aiming to bring in vibrant clubs with minimum membership; identify 40 Urban and Semi-urban clubs and 30 Rural clubs as Aspiring Clubs. A District Membership Challenge Meeting (Single/Zonal) will be organised by August 15 for clubs with membership under 40/30, where the clubs’ leadership will be challenged to increase membership to minimum level of 40/30. Also, for these clubs, the target for membership growth will be 15 per cent.
Districts should improve gender and age diversity
by 2 per cent as part of the Membership Plan.
Starting new clubs with at least 30 charter members, attempt to exceed targets and holding New Members’ Orientation Seminars by all districts were the other decisions taken.
ARC Mukesh Arneja, ARC Swapan Choudhury and DG Shyamashree Sen, RC Rajendra Rai and ARC Manjunath Shetty and Bharat Pandya were thanked for organising the Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai meets respectively. The message to be passed to Rotarians is to focus on retention while keeping eyes and ears open for growth, to ensure a vibrant future for Rotary. The key phrase to adopt is: Change the Trend, Bring a Friend, Retain that Friend.
(The writer is Project Lead – Regional Membership Plan).
