Ideas for Action Section II

 

Section II – The Existing Club

Contents

Section II – The Existing Club

Strengthening Clubs

Small Club

Moribund Clubs

         

Ideas for Action

No 1 - Undertake a Club Survey

No 2 - The Club M.O.T.

No 3 - The Club Audit

No 4 - The Future Development of Membership in Your Club

No 5 - Some Suggestions for Developing Fellowship     

No 6 - Planning for a Membership Dividend

No 7 - Finding the Membership Dividend

No 8 - Membership Retention

Strengthening Clubs

When a club lacks drive and positive direction and is in danger of drifting, there is a need to take urgent steps to strengthen the organisation and management of the club.

Guidelines from the Club Leadership Plan.

1. One proven way to rekindle the spirit of Rotary within a club is, first, assemble a small task force of enthusiastic and positively minded members to review the health and well-being of the Club, identify strengths and weaknesses and set in train the palliative measures required to reinvigorate and strengthen the Club.

2. The task force should adopt a systematic approach, Commence on a positive note and identify and list the club's present strengths. Are these being fully realised? Carefully evaluate ways to build on these strengths.

3. Next, identify and list any perceived weaknesses. Eliminate these, or, if that is not possible, introduce corrective measures to minimise their adverse effects on the Club

4. In this process, all aspects of Club Service should be addressed. Is the venue good and adequate, with the right setting, enjoyable meals at affordable prices and providing a good place for fellowship? Is the meeting time right for the majority of people at work? Are

Meetings a pleasant occasion, well organised and with good speakers? Is there a good spirit and good fellowship within the Club? Is there a good social programme for members and their spouses/partners? Would visitors find a pleasant welcome and an enjoyable occasion? Would a potential Rotarian guest feel he would like to join the Club? The prime objective of the Task force is to turn the Club around, revitalise the membership and their commitment to Service.

Service Committees.

5. Rotary is a SERVICE organisation, and successful clubs maintain a good programme of interesting service activities and projects. It is important, therefore, the club service committees are well organised, well led and well attended! To improve attendance, many clubs now set aside a regular club meeting once a month for meetings of the service committees. As they meet in their separate groups, arrangements are made accordingly and a buffet style meal may be appropriate. The immediate benefit is the participation of all the members in service committees and their activities. Clubs with low attendances at committee meetings might like to consider trying this approach.

Rotary Awareness.

6. Every club should have an appointed PR officer who can develop a good relationship with the local media. If the Club has no PRO, take steps to appoint one. Publicise the club's local activities in the local media. Find opportunities to involve the Club in playing a leading part in appropriate local community activities and festivities, such as fairs, carnivals, steam engine rallies and the like, where Rotary's name can be prominently displayed.

Publicise your Club.

7. Many clubs now have A4 folded leaflets giving key information about Rotary and about the local Rotary club and what it does, particularly for the local community. Illustrations of various Rotary activities are usually featured. These can be given out at functions and to anyone who might be interested in joining Rotary. An open invitation to find out more about Rotary and the local Rotary Club, can be included, with a contact name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. See RIBI website for stationary templates, www.ribi.org. Literature is also available from the RIBI ROSS Shop.

Membership.

8. Attention to all the above will aid retention and renew the Rotary spirit within the Club . The Club can then focus confidently on recruitment. See the RIBI Information Sheet on Rotary Development and Retention.

Small clubs

1. Some clubs, though small in membership numbers, retain a surfeit of good Rotary spirit and manage, by dint of effort, to maintain a healthy programme of Rotary service activities as well as a good on-going social programme for members. All service tasks are shared . Because of their fellowship and strong commitment, these clubs are somehow able to retain a core of committed members, but, for one reason or another, they find it difficult to attract new members to their ranks. This can be due to several factors. They may be located in a very sparsely populated area which makes recruitment difficult, and/or the lack of critical mass (numerical strength) deters potential Rotarians from joining them. There may be a need for a new recruitment strategy

2. First, carefully review all the Club Service aspects as set out opposite and correct any shortcomings. Then, consider taking a slightly different approach to recruitment. Involving all the members, identify friends and acquaintances who are perceived to be good potential Rotarians. Likewise, identify all the local businesses with perceived potential members and extend invitations to an Information Meeting on Rotary to staff that might have an interest in joining a local Rotary club. Such a meeting would be held in the evening at a suitable alternative venue to the normal club meetings. Light refreshments could be served. Publicity materials could be displayed, particularly of local Rotary activities. This would allow members to circulate and get to know the guests and encourage the guests to get to know each other. A selected Club spokesperson can tell them something about Rotary and the local Club. Questions can be invited.

 

3. For guests who would like to meet again, arrange further meetings to strengthen their new friendships whilst continuing to learn more about Rotary. If a Club social event is organised, there is an added opportunity to meet with spouses/partners to strengthen the growing relationships.

4. After a few such meetings, those in the group who are showing a positive interest in joining Rotary could be invited to their first club meeting together. Immediately, there will be more at the club meeting and some of the adverse effects of an otherwise lack of critical mass will be abated, hopefully to good effect. Induct those who wish to join the Club and continue recruiting.

Moribund clubs

Truly moribund clubs are stagnant, they have lost direction and there is little purpose to their Rotary lives. They will die unless some very positive steps are taken to revive them. In the case of moribund clubs it might mean thorough root and branch reforms to re-establish the Club on a sounder footing and to rekindle the Rotary spirit, before any recruitment campaign gets under way. When that is achieved, adopt the recruitment strategy above.

  

Ideas for Action No 1. Undertake a Club Survey

 

Introduction

Sometimes it isn't always clear what Club members really think. Club management issues at business meetings can be dominated by a small number of articulate members and action can appear to be agreed only for the issue to re-emerge as a silent majority digs its heels in.

A good way to head off such problems is to undertake a survey of members' opinions to provide a baseline for future discussion. A survey can cover a single issue (e.g. whether to change the venue), a group of related issues (e.g. the cost/value of membership), or it can cover the whole range of Club activity (not to be undertaken lightly).

Criteria

• Prepare the ground so that the club wants the survey.
• Know at the start exactly what questions you want answered.
• Design the questionnaire for ease of analysis.
• Enable all shades of opinion to be represented in the answers.
• Strictly observe the anonymity of respondents.
• A 'write-in' question may be included as a 'safety valve'.
• Questionnaires should be issued with a short deadline for return but with the flexibility to ensure that all members are able to respond.
• The analysis should be undertaken as soon as possible after the deadline for return.
• Time should be allocated, preferably at a business meeting, for a full report to be made and for the findings to be discussed.

Form of Questions

While simple questions that require checking Yes/No boxes may be easy to fill in and to analyse they do not allow for shades of opinion to be represented and may therefore encourage conflict rather than help resolution. A much more informative approach is to invite agreement, indifference or disagreement on a five point scale. For variety, and as a check, ask for response to statements of opinion.

Example

An example of a questionnaire actually used by a club, together with a covering letter and a summary of the responses, is attached. Following years of debate the club changed its venue, without losing a member, not too long after.

 

ROTARY CLUB OF XXXXX

 

CLUB VENUE QUESTIONNAIRE

 

Over the years we have had a number of discussions about whether we should continue to meet at the XXXXX Hotel and, if not, to which alternative venue we should move. These discussions have demonstrated that there is a broad range of opinion within the club but they have also shown that we have not always been clear about exactly what we require from a venue.

 

The Club Services Committee therefore, with the approval of Council and in accordance with the Leadership Plan's aim to "actively involve all club members", has prepared this questionnaire with the twin purposes of:

• clarifying the importance to club members of the various elements that make up a satisfactory venue
•  Gaining a clearer picture of the spectrum of opinion on these matters within the club.

The Club Services Committee therefore asks every member of the Rotary Club of XXXXX to complete the attached questionnaire and return it to me by [dd/mm/yyyy].

All responses will be treated in confidence and the information only used as aggregated information.

Thanking you in advance.

A. N. Other

President Elect

[dd/mm/yyyy]

Questionnaire

Please

A.     Assess the importance of each criterion and circle one score for each from 5 ('essential') to 1 ('no consequence').

B.     Consider how far the XXXXX Hotel satisfies each criterion and write in an appropriate score from 5 ('completely') to 1 ('not at all') under the Hotel column to the right.

Criteria

                                                                                     high                                          low                Hotel

Location                                                                                    

1.      Accessibility by Car                                          5             4             3             2             1             ___

2.      Adequate parking                                              5             4             3             2             1             ___

3.      Accessibility by public transport                       5             4             3             2             1             ___

4.      Accessibility to visitors/visiting Rotarians        5             4             3             2             1             ___

5.      Nearness to XXXXX                                        5             4             3             2             1             ___

Facilities

6.      Separate Bar                                                     5             4             3             2             1             ___

7.      Meeting Room for 25 people                            5             4             3             2             1             ___

8.      Meeting Room for 50 people                            5             4             3             2             1             ___

9.      Combined Eating/Meeting room                      5             4             3             2             1             ___

10.   Availability of separate smaller rooms              5             4             3             2             1             ___

11.   Availability of large (>100) meeting room        5             4             3             2             1             ___

12.   Up-to-date audio-visual technology                  5             4             3             2             1             ___

13.   Room availability outside meeting days            5             4             3             2             1             ___

14.   Dedicated storage space                                    5             4             3             2             1             ___

Food

15.   Starter                                                                5             4             3             2             1             ___

16.   Main Course                                                      5             4             3             2             1             ___

17.   Dessert                                                               5             4             3             2             1             ___

18.   Coffee                                                                5             4             3             2             1             ___

19.   Full service at all times                                      5             4             3             2             1             ___

20.   Self-service with occasional full option             5             4             3             2             1             ___

21.   Food quality                                                       5             4             3             2             1             ___

22.   Food quantity                                                     5             4             3             2             1             ___

23.   Food variety                                                       5             4             3             2             1             ___

Price (current prices)

24.   Reasonable bar prices                                        5             4             3             2             1             ___

25.   *Meal price below £15                                      5             4             3             2             1             ___

26.   *Meal price below £12                                      5             4             3             2             1             ___

27.   *Meal price below £8                                        5             4             3             2             1             ___

(*assuming two course meal and coffee)

Optimum quality

28.   Best value for money in hotel stars                   5            4             3             2             1            

(i.e. if you think 5 star quality at a 5 star price is best for the club ring 5.  Rate on the same basis the level that you think the XXXXX Hotel is at.)

Priorities

Please indicate, by ringing as appropriate, your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statements.

29.   "XXXXX Rotary has a tradition at the XXXXX Hotel and we shouldn't change unless there is a real reason for doing so."                                                 

Strongly Agree      Agree        Neutral           Disagree            Strongly Disagree

30.   "The XXXXX Hotel has changed and we should be actively looking for a new venue"             

Strongly Agree      Agree       Neutral             Disagree            Strongly Disagree

31.   "The meetings are too long. We need somewhere where we can meet and eat in one room and don't have to waste time moving around."                       

Strongly Agree      Agree        Neutral             Disagree          Strongly Disagree

32.   "The quality of the meal isn't that important. Let's find a good bar with a comfortable meeting room."                                                                                                        

Strongly Agree      Agree     Neutral                 Disagree          Strongly Disagree

33.   "If the meal price goes any higher I'll seriously consider resigning."

Strongly Agree      Agree        Neutral             Disagree          Strongly Disagree                                           

Thank you

Summary of Replies

 

		A							B
		5	4	3	2	1			5	4	3	2	1
Location
Accessibility (Car)		19	3	0	0	0			9	9	2	2	0
Parking		19	2	1	0	0			10	8	2	2	0
Accessibility (public transport)		0	2	5	6	9			0	0	2	3	17
Accessibility (visitors)		9	7	5	1	0			1	5	6	6	4
Near XXXXX		2	9	9	1	1			2	8	9	3	0
Facilities
Separate Bar		3	9	6	4	0			10	7	4	0	1
Room <25		16	4	1	1	0			13	8	1	0	0
Room <50		6	4	8	1	3			11	4	4	2	1
Combined room		0	8	9	4	1			1	4	5	2	10
Smaller rooms		4	3	8	4	3			6	6	5	4	1
Room >100		2	1	11	4	4			10	5	2	2	3
AV technology		10	6	2	2	2			10	9	0	3	0
Room outside meeting days		5	3	4	5	5			7	5	7	2	1
Storage		7	5	4	6	0			9	5	6	2	0
Food
Starter		7	5	6	2	2			5	8	7	2	0
Main Course		16	4	2	0	0			12	6	3	1	0
Dessert		7	5	5	3	2			5	10	7	0	0
Coffee		14	3	1	3	1			10	10	1	1	0
Full service		2	5	8	5	2			0	4	9	5	4
Self-service		5	8	5	3	1			3	6	9	3	1
Food quality		8	12	2	0	0			2	12	6	2	0

 

Food quantity		1	8	8	3	2			5	13	4	0	0
Food variety		5	13	4	0	0			4	6	10	2	0
Price (current prices
Bar prices		8	10	2	0	2			3	7	8	3	1
< £15		18	2	2	0	0			8	6	3	1	4
<£12		6	4	7	3	2			1	4	3	4	10
< £8		3	0	5	4	10			0	0	4	6	12
Optimum quality
Hotel stars		0	5	16	1	0			0	4	10	8	0

 

Priorities								5	4	3	2	1
"XXXXX Rotary has a tradition at XXX Hotel and we shouldn't change unless there is a real reason for doing so."								6	12	4	2	0
"XXXXX Hotel has changed and we should be actively looking for a new venue"								1	6	6	6	3
"The meetings are too long. We need somewhere where we can meet and eat in one room and don't have to waste time moving around."								0	8	10	4	0
"The quality of the meal isn't that important. Let's find a good bar with a comfortable meeting room."								0	5	2	15	0
"If the meal price goes much higher I'll seriously consider resigning."								0	4	10	6	2

 

 

Ideas for Action No 2. The Club M. O. T

Introduction

Consider discussing the things which may encourage or discourage New Rotarians – and ways to improve the process.

 

 

VOCATIONS                               Does your club have a good representation of different occupations and life experience?	AGE – SERVICE   Does your club have more than half its members with over five years or Rotary experience? New blood ensures that there are 'potentials' for filling future club leadership roles.	PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT   What aspects of your club are contributing to the continuous professional development of its members?
GENDER & ETHNICITY How diverse and representative of the local community is your club?	MENTORING Do you actively mentor and look after new members? Are they given anything to do to start contributing to the work of the club?	ROTARY IS WORTHWHILE Track and record the positive impact that the work of your club has on the lives of others.
YOUTH – INVOLVEMENT Does your club have active relationships and programmes with young?	ENTHUSIASM VITALITY Consider the mood and atmosphere of the club and how it can be people and their leaders lightened.	COST   Are members forever putting their hands in their pockets/purses? Look at ways of keeping the cost of membership as low as possible.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN... Done that way. Try changing it, if it doesn't work, you can always revert.	LOOK OUT Navel-gazing may not be most productive   Look at the best aspects of other clubs and consider changes worth adopting.	FUN    Is your club fun, or is it like a session of root canal treatment?

New Members

·                 Can't join if they are not asked

·                 Won't join if it doesn't benefit them

·                 Won't stay if it isn't worthwhile & fun

·                 Won't contribute unless they are given something to do

 

 

Ideas for Action No 3.  The Club Audit

 

Introduction

How attractive is your club to potential new members?

After a few years a club MAY become a little jaded, a little complacent and often needs to take a very hard and detailed look at itself. The Club may need to review what it does, how it is organised and if any changes need to be made to ensure the Club remains fresh and vibrant.

 

Questions for every Club?

1.     Does the club enjoy a good venue and good food in a convivial atmosphere at a reasonable price? Is the venue central, convenient, and can it cope with a regular meeting at the times the club require. Keeping the cost down IS important.

2.     Should all meetings be at one time of the day?  There are many alternatives that may suit more potential and existing members. Have the members been asked what they now prefer? Breakfast, lunch, early evening with no meals, and early evening with a light snack, evening meetings with or without full three course meals?

3.     Is the meeting time convenient for most of those at work? Attempting to encourage younger members, who will still be working may suggest that the meeting times are reviewed.

4.     Is the club well organised and well led? We are business and professional men and women, and with that in mind we should be operating our Rotary Club in the same way. Making decisions, running meetings, and applying good management practice skills and techniques to everything we do.

5.     Is there good fellowship? Fellowship is often used as a benefit of Rotary membership.  What do we all understand about FELLOWSHIP? ( a group of people being bonded by a common aim, sharing, participation )

6.     Are there good speakers at meetings? Make the role of programme manager or speaker finder a very important and responsible position.

7.     Is there a good programme of interesting service activities?

8.     Is there a good programme of social events for members and their partners?

9.     Are Business Meeting managed well, with everyone involved, and with good decisions made and recorded for future reference?

10.  Is attendance at meetings good? Club should continue to record attendance. How can a Club follow up members who are not attending and finding out why?  AND – helping when necessary.

11.     Are committee meetings well attended, interesting, well managed and a place where decisions are made and recorded? This refers back to fellowship – committee meetings in members homes or at the pub, can really improve 'fellowship'.

12.     Do all the members support club activities whenever they can? Remember the cost, so do not push too hard for all members to be present – sell to the public where possible.

13.     Are guests warmly received and looked after? Guests could be potential members…..

14.     Does the club have arrangements for visiting or keeping in touch with members who are sick? Appoint a Welfare Officer and ask for reports each meeting on members that could be ill.

15.     Does someone monitor attendances to spot members having difficulty attending meetings, perhaps due to work or family commitments, where the club might be able to help?

16.     Is PR good? Are club activities, particularly for the local community, reported in local papers? Make contact with the local press reporter and invite him or her to a meeting.

17.     Do you have female members? Should we still be asking this question ……!

Negatives, from the above, could be a pointer to why you have falling membership or poor attendance.  What action can and should you take?

 

The second part of this section is at Ideas For Action (2b)