We Need a 50-Year Old RI President

April 19, 2016 was Paul Harris’s birthday. He would have been 148 years old. I believe that is perceived by many to be the average age of the members of some Rotary Clubs! In an earlier post I pointed out at the first Rotary Club meeting on February 23, 1905 the four original members had an average age of just over 38. In 1910, at the first Rotary Convention, Paul P. Harris was elected the first Rotary International President. He was only 42 at the time. Of the first twenty Rotary International Presidents (for which dates of birth could be found), the oldest was 49 (Harry H. Rogers in 1926) and the youngest was 33 (Estes Snedecor in 1920). Compare that to the last four RI Past Presidents who have been ages 69, 73, 67 and 69, respectively. Interestingly, most of the official biographies of RI Presidents do not list their age or date of birth. When Rotary celebrated its centennial in 2004, Glenn E. Estess was our President. He was an outstanding Rotarian and a great leader. However, as the face of Rotary for that year, he was also 76 years old and ailing with a bad hip that made him appear even older.

How did we get from Presidents in their 40s to Presidents in their 70s? In my earlier March 2015 post, I blamed the “aging” of Rotary membership in general on complacency and laziness. All of us who are members of a Rotary Club know Rotary is a good thing. However, we are apparently not sharing that with enough of our younger friends or are not adapting our clubs to their social and service needs so that they want to join. Rotary has come a long way with the creation of Rotaract and Interact Clubs as well as the recent enactment at the 2016 Council on Legislation allowing Rotarians and Rotaractors to belong to each other’s clubs, if otherwise qualified. However, the excuse for the aging of our RI President has to fall squarely on politics. I have known individuals who, in their 50s, were told they were too young to be an RI President. Individuals who would have been excellent faces for Rotary. Each of them would have been a “poster child” for attracting younger members. However, they were each told they either lacked service in a particular international position or were told another candidate would be chosen, since this was probably that candidate’s “last chance” to serve, due to age. That was a shame.

Presently, I have met five very dynamic young people from different parts of the world. They will remain nameless so I am not accused of campaigning for them. All five are in their 20s and 30s and I have NO DOUBT that, by age 50, they could and SHOULD each be RI Presidents. I would welcome their elections to that job and believe that a 50 year old President could open the floodgates of membership from the younger generations. Once younger prospects see that Rotary leadership recognizes the value of youth by incorporating it into their leadership, they will want to be a part. You can talk about it all you want. However, using a 76 year old man to promote Rotary to youth seems counter-intuitive. Why not a 50 year old woman or a 45 year old man?

The problem, I fear, is that these young, very qualified and experienced leaders – even at age 50 — will be looked at as TOO young. One of them, at age 30, was even told he was too young to be in Rotary in his country. I am even aware that, in some countries, Rotaractors stay with Rotaract past age 30 for that very reason. They want to do service but are being denied access to Rotary Clubs due to either their age or their sex. Again, that is a shame.

How can we change this thinking? I submit to you that the election of an RI President has become a “lifetime achievement award” instead of the selection of the best person for the job. Granted, the available candidates for the job become few when they each realize the time commitment for the job. As a result, the candidates are usually only people who are retired, independently wealthy, or tremendously supported in their profession and home life. In my own dreams, I have considered the possibility of being RI President, but quickly dispelled those dreams knowing I cannot walk away from my business and my personal commitments for two or more years to serve. I stand is awe of those men who have served as RI President. I have seen their travel schedules and truly wondered how someone in their 60s and 70s could keep up the hectic pace of not only being President, but also maintain the personality and congeniality of the position. Nevertheless, for the future of Rotary, we must find a way to allow younger people access to that position, even though they haven’t served as a Foundation Trustee, a Convention Chair, or a Council on Legislation Chair.

Rotary must create an environment for younger leaders at the international level. The photo I have included with this post is a picture of the RI Board of Directors from last year. Not to be offensive to anyone, but all I see is grey hair! Sorry ladies! How does this group of very qualified, dedicated leaders appeal to a 25 – 35 year old prospective Rotarian? Granted, it is WONDERFUL to see three women in this photo – something that would have been unheard of just thirty years ago. However, when we will see someone in this photo in their 30s or 40s? I hope we don’t have to wait another thirty years! I have names in mind of individuals who can and should be in this photo right now and feel they can add a perspective to Rotary that is sorely needed. When will they be given the opportunity?

Rotary’s Demographic Disconnect

In my July 2, 2013 post, I discussed the Rotary “sex” problem. If you read this blog, you will glean that I am not completely sure Rotary can change some of its past customs from within. I am trying to effect change otherwise. The club I helped form in 2009 had women as four of its first six presidents. There are parts of the world where that would NEVER happen!

Putting women in Rotary leadership positions communicates the message that women ARE welcome in Rotary. Rotary International had its first woman vice president and RIBI had its first woman president last year. I must ask: What took so long? With Ann Matthews and Nan McCreadie in those positions, women should see there are leadership roles available for them in Rotary. However, until the CLUBS and their members become more receptive to and welcoming of women, their percentage of participation in our clubs worldwide will not change.

RIBI has an Equality and Diversity Policy that every club President must sign. However, I have heard it said many clubs just pay “lip service” to that policy — signing it, but not abiding by it. The rest of Rotary does not have such a policy document. I am glad they do not. Although club leadership should be fully open to diversity in membership, Rotary should not use diversity to reprimand clubs or “uncharter” them for not reaching some artificial standard of diversity. If club members are harassing, bullying, or otherwise intimidating female and minority members forcing them to leave their clubs, RI must step in and police the organization. I would also hope the rule of law would prevent such abuse from occurring. Rotary cannot REQUIRE a diverse membership. I submit it surely should PROMOTE one. However, I am not overly optimistic of the full integration of women and minorities into Rotary around the world.

I also don’t espouse Rotary developing or approving “separate but equal” arrangements where there are clubs just for women or minorities, but such “separate but equal” clubs could be a solution to the problem. I am aware of places where women were not invited to join all-male Rotary clubs. So, they formed their own Rotary clubs — clubs which were often more active and successful than the all-male clubs. I have seen ethnic groups band together and form Rotary clubs composed of just members of their ethnic community. Again, such clubs have been successful and prosperous. As long as these clubs are open to everyone and not restrictive of membership, they should be allowed to exist and encouraged to form. What we must keep in mind is that Rotary is about SERVICE, not about ethnic, sexual, or religious diversity. If there are communities unwilling to diversify their Rotary Clubs – SHAME ON THEM! The best solution may be to form new clubs composed of women and minorities. If that needs to be the trend – SHAME ON US! Such a trend is only needed where we have failed to see the benefit to asking these individuals to join our existing clubs.

I have promoted the formation of a Hispanic Rotary Club as well as an Asian Rotary Club in those large minority business districts of my city. Some individuals have acted offended by those suggestions. However, I counter their disgust by pointing out the demographics of our local clubs which have very few Hispanics and Asians, not to mention African-Americans, Native Americans, and other so-called “minorities.” Some times, the failure to integrate is not the fault of our members. Where individuals have problems socializing due to the language, customs and culture of our existing clubs, promoting and forming clubs in these minority communities may allow them to discover the benefits of Rotary and network them with existing clubs for service, both locally and possibly in the homelands of those minority members.

I want my Rotary club to have men and women of all colors, philosophies, and genders because I want to see more hands doing service. Therefore, the only traits I will NOT welcome in my club are laziness, a refusal to do service, a refusal to be accepting of others, and a refusal to open your hearts and minds to the wonders of Rotary. All others are welcome!

 

Choosing to Have Fun Differently

People describe Rotary as an “old man’s club.” Another branding has been “male, frail, pale and stale” to describe Rotary as many a bunch of aging white guys. How did that happen? Rotary was NEVER meant to be an old man’s club!

The first meeting of a Rotary Club was in Chicago on February 23, 1905. There were four members: Paul P. Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Hiram Shorey and Silvester Schiele. I expect most people who look at the photo of that group above see four old guys! However, the oldest of them — Gus Loehr — he’s the guy on the left — was only 40. Next to him, Silvester Schiele — the club’s first president — was 34. Next to him is Hiram Shorey was the oldest at age 42. Paul Harris, the recognized founder of the organization – on the far right – was 36. That makes the average age of this charter group 38. The first new member after them, Harry Ruggles, was also 36. This is hardly a group of old people! How many of your clubs have an average age below 38? I dare say there aren’t many! How did this “young” organization become “male, frail, and stale?” I submit that it was as a result of complacency and laziness. I am sorry if that sounds harsh. Maybe to paint it a different way: It was as a result of too much of a good thing.

In my visits to Rotary clubs over the years, I have seen clubs with members who have been dedicated attendees for 40 or more years. Why are they still in the club? They enjoy the fellowship! They enjoy what their club is doing! That WANTED to continue to be part of it. However, what that does is create a generational conflict with newer (younger) members and if the club is unwilling to adapt to newer member because they enjoy how the club was operating (i.e., the laziness or “too much of a good thing”), the club reaches a critical mass where they either lose the younger or the older members. I enjoy music. Perhaps a musical analogy is that the generational conflict is like comparing the music of Elvis Presley to the music of Elvis Costello. Comparing the Beach Boys to the Backstreet Boys. James Taylor to Taylor Swift. I think you get my point! These generations both enjoy music. However, they listen to different music because they like different styles. Similarly, they seek different social interactions. When a Rotary club steeped in the traditions of the social interplay of members in their 50s and 60s invites prospective members in their 20s and 30s, there is a disconnect. During the Rotary International Convention last June, I listened to a presentation by a longtime, 65-year-old Rotarian describe a “fun” meeting as being one where members wear funny hats. Most younger people would not consider that a fun meeting. However, at that same convention, at the end of the Rotaract preconvention, there was a young Rotarian wearing a light-up, multi-color Mohawk (sort of a “hat”) taking photos with everybody there using a “selfie” stick. Coincidence? Older member Rotary clubs often have communal singing. Rotaractors are more inclined to just to have DJ-driven background music. These younger members enjoy music, but just don’t necessarily want to sing. Is this love of music similar? Younger people often don’t have time for lunch or breakfast and, even if they do meet socially for that reason, it might not be at a venue where older clubs meet. However, they do often meet in groups at popular places. Can a club set up in that meeting location? Younger people usually view a “service project” as something where you get your hands dirty not something you write a check to support. Can a club do both?

From the above examples, I hope you see that there is quite a bit of similarity between young and old. They just choose to have fun differently. I’d like to suggest two alternatives to address the problem: First, form a Rotaract Club. That club, sponsored by your Rotary Club, can allow younger members to “do their own thing” while still being part of Rotary and part of your older club. This is a great way to attract young professionals who may not otherwise be able to afford membership in Rotary. Second, form an evening (or morning) satellite club that meets for coffee (in the morning) or drinks (in the evening) at a popular spot where you can attract younger members who can then plan their projects or help with yours. They would be actual Rotarians and, although they would have an open invitation to attend your regular club meetings, they can avoid what they might find distasteful or “too old” by participating in Rotary through that satellite club and its activities.

Granted, there is no need for your club to change. Your existing club of members in their 50s and 60s can continue as is and be successful at what they do. However, they won’t grow because they are not making themselves attractive to the younger generations. As a result, they will be subject to entropy, decay and eventual death. I will state with certainty that will be the prognosis for those clubs not willing to adapt. What’s your choice?

The Last Day in Sydney

Although David and I attended part of the last day’s morning plenary session, we left somewhat early to spend time in the House of Friendship. The “House of Friendship” is Rotary’s trade show. There are hundreds of booths displaying projects, companies selling products, organizations disseminating information and even a wildlife display with a koala and a wallaby!

After lunch, I decided to forgo the rest of the day’s events to spend some time touring the city of Sydney. I have been in Australia for nearly a week, and have hardly left the convention venue, except in the evening when it is already too dark to see the sights. I took a train to Circular Quay (near the iconic Sydney Opera House), and then walked from there under the Sydney Harbor Bridge to Darling Harbor. Along the way I took pictures and just soaked in the ambience of this beautiful city. Although it was seventeen days before the start of their winter, the temperature hovered around seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit, with a cool sea breeze.

By the time I got to Darling Harbor, I felt I had earned a beer! So, I sat and drank a local beer and watched people stroll by. Although I detected some Rotarians in the mix, most of the people were either locals or tourists. From their appearances and their languages, I could tell just how international Sydney really is. I next walked through the restaurant and shopping district ending up at a wonderful sidewalk restaurant where I ate a kangaroo steak, paired with an Australian wine, while watching part of a light show — complete with fireworks — on the harbor. By that time, my son texted me and asked me to join him and his friends at a nearby restaurant where they were hanging out for one last time together. I was quite exhausted from my walking and was ready to get back to the hotel to pack and get ready to leave the next day. However, I walked to the restaurant and stopped in, just to see the group and say goodbye to those I knew. The above picture showed the group of around thirty who had gathered to celebrate their time together. Of course, after I left, David informed me about thirty or more additional friends showed up and they pretty well took over that restaurant for the rest of the evening.

The picture is, as they say, worth a thousand words… words I will not try to express here. What it shows is young people – most all under thirty years of age – from many countries celebrating together in their way. Of course, in various other venues around the city, I am sure older Rotarians were similarly celebrating together… in their way. Is one way better than the other? Of course not!

As I have observed various international Rotary functions in the past, they typically end, just as this convention did, with everyone joining hands and singing “Let There Be Peace On Earth.” Although the younger people at this restaurant did not join hands and sing (That, my friends, is clearly a generational thing!), they did sit together, listen to music, exchange emails, texts, pictures, Facebook and other social media information and show that peace can and will happen, if we just encourage them to pursue it in their own way.

I’ve already have a friend email me to comment on my blog posts from the convention saying, “You seem frustrated.” I must admit that I am. I do not have the “magic” to find a way to reconcile the generational differences that must be reconciled to allow Rotary to grow. Clearly, if that “magic” can be worked, Rotary will have two million members! However, what we are currently doing as Rotarians is not, for the most part, energizing Rotaractors and younger people to desire to join our clubs. That is, sadly, why there is Rotaract. Rotaract allows these young people to have Rotary their way. Of course, we consider them to be something less than Rotarians. Although Rotaractors profess to want to spend time with Rotarians, my observations have been that this time together has been more courteous than desirous. We, as an organization, do not seem to be able to offer them something that is fun and challenging. Although those intergenerational differences have existed for many generations, I now feel it has reached a critical point that is clearly impacting our organization — either positively or negatively – depending on what we do next.

Past RI President D.K. Lee’s annual theme in 2008-09 was “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands.” A recent quote from RI President Ron Burton is “Rotaract is not the FUTURE of Rotary… it is the NOW of Rotary.” We need to reconcile those two thoughts and find a way to make our organization more attractive. I’d like to mash these thoughts into one for your consideration:

Although Rotaract is the NOW of Rotary, Rotaractors are the FUTURE Rotarians into whose hands we must deliver Rotary. We, as Rotarians, should strive to offer them a dynamic organization willing to bend and change to meet their wants and needs on their terms to advance Rotary’s mission of world understanding and peace.

Once we can impress this creed on our current Rotary Clubs and make it believable to Rotaractors and other young professionals, I believe we will see growth in our clubs. However, this cannot simply be a FUTURE goal, it must be effective NOW, throughout the world… or at least in those places where we want to see club growth.

Mission Accomplished!

February 23, 2012. That was my first post on this blog about my “experiment” to create a new Rotary Club in Oklahoma City. The club was to be a morning club — the OKC Sunrise Rotary Club. My “template” for its development was the successful OKC Midtown Rotary Club – a thriving club of younger members who emphasized service to the arts community. I wanted the Sunrise Club to comprise a wider variety of ages. In writing that post nearly two years ago, I envisioned the club would come together within six to nine months. That didn’t happen! I believe the biggest impediment was the meeting time of day. I found most people I know are NOT morning people! However, as we hit roadblocks in gaining members, I kept saying, “Surely we can find at least twenty morning people in the Oklahoma City area.” I exhausted my list of nineteen people whom I thought would be interested in joining. Of those nineteen, only ONE is actually in the club. However, an interesting phenomenon occurred: As I kept asking, I connected with a former Rotarian who wanted to get back into Rotary. It was his enthusiasm that kept this club alive. He brought in five members. Then, those five asked friends and the club started to grow. We had an initial group of seven, then ten, then thirteen. We were stuck at thirteen for nine months and it seemed like making the push to get the last seven needed members was insurmountable. That’s when I went back and read from that first blog post:

Why would someone want to come to a meeting week after week if they are not having fun or being entertained? … Sometimes the entertainment is education or information … Sometimes the entertainment is the meal, … with a group of friends. Sometimes the entertainment is participating in a club service project or fundraiser. I will posit to you at this point what I consider to be an absolute: IF A ROTARY CLUB MEMBER IS NOT HAVING FUN OR BEING ENTERTAINED, HE OR SHE WILL LEAVE THE CLUB.

At the time I re-read this post, Moore Oklahoma had just experienced the deadly tornado of May 2013. There is nothing “fun” or “entertaining” about the death and damage caused by an EF-5 tornado. However, it gave our fledgling club opportunities for service. We did projects to help victims’ relief efforts. Suddenly, we had three new members! However, none of us saw where we could find four more members needed to charter. We made the decision to become more aggressive with projects and schedule multiple projects in December. We had several individuals who were considering membership and we wanted to convince them our club was where they needed to be. We applied for and received a grant allowing us to replenish school physical therapy equipment destroyed in the tornado. We inquired of a local school for the homeless to see what we could do to help. We made contact with the Salvation Army to find something different to do. Last year, we “rang the bell,” as do many clubs. However, we wanted to do something different. One of our members found out about a volunteer opportunity in a suburb collecting donations at the “Christmas in the Park” light display. With each project, we asked members to volunteer and we scheduled time for fellowship before or after the projects. Since it is often hard to find extra time to help with projects, we scheduled one of them – assembling personal hygiene kits for the homeless school – during our regular meeting. Needless to say, we had nearly one hundred percent participation for that one! We also had twelve help at the Salvation Army’s Christmas Distribution Center. We had eight members deliver the physical therapy equipment and five deliver the hygiene kits. In the process of performing these fun and beneficial projects, we gained our four needed members.

I’m excited about our new club! However, I am also keenly aware that we cannot rest on our laurels of reaching twenty members. I ended my first blog post with this statement:

We get the individual to JOIN, but then we lose them because we — Rotary — was not as advertised. This is where we must change.

It is my belief that because we attracted members to our club through conducting service instead of sitting down for a meal, they might stay. However, merely boasting of past service will not provide satisfaction for long. We are subject to the pervasive attitude of, “What have you done for me lately?” Therefore, in order to be “as advertised,” we must continually look for new and different ways to serve our communities. Membership will take care of itself if we just offer fun, exciting and fulfilling opportunities to serve.

Do Meetings have to be Meetings?

USS Carr Sailor paints a wall during a community service project at the Dom Miloserda children’s boarding house (Photo credit: Official U.S. Navy Imagery)

What is a typical Rotary meeting? My experience has been, in every country where I have attended Rotary, that the group meets for a meal and has some casual conversation. The meeting then convenes with an opening, and then there is a speaker, announcements, and a closing. There are often announcements about upcoming service projects, work days, or fundraisers. Members are encouraged to sign up and take part. Of course, many can’t because it is outside of the time they have allotted to Rotary. In other words, they have planned for and are comfortable with scheduling an hour every Thursday at noon or every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m to be a “Rotary Club member” However, they can’t (or won’t) devote other time to that task.

Any Rotarian who has participated in a fun, heart-warming service project knows it is unforgettable! Participating in one of those leaves you longing to do more. Most of my Rotary friends tell me that their “Rotarian moment” – the point when they went from simply being a club member to being a true Rotarian – was as part of participating in a service project. The reason many club members choose to allot only an hour a week to Rotary is that they don’t see the personal benefit to doing more. It’s part of that “What’s in it for me?” attitude. However, it is understandable. You don’t go back to see a bad movie a second time. Many people leave church because they’re not getting anything out it. People leave sporting events when their team is playing poorly. Well, poor or uninspiring Rotary programs evoke the same reaction. However, even good Rotary program need a little variety, right? Well, why not shake things up a bit?

Instead of having your “standard” meeting, why not plan a regular meeting day as a service project day? You can organize an event where members can still show up at the same time and place and wrap presents, assemble personal care kits for the homeless, sort books for distribution, or assemble toys to give away. You can still have food and drink for the members just as you would at a regular meeting. However, instead of sitting and listening to a program, your membership is going to work! There will still be time to “mingle” with your Rotary co-workers. However, instead of only having a few minutes to talk before the program starts, you’ll have the entire hour to work together! Instead of having to TELL a guest or potential member what Rotary does, you can SHOW them and let them participate as well.

Of course, this is not an every-week idea. However, using a regular club meeting to conduct a service project (particularly if you publicize it well) is the best way I know to show that we are an active, functional service club dedicated to our community’s needs. That’s what Rotary is supposed to be….right?

Thinking INSIDE the Box

Think outside the box (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rotarians spend a lot of time finding ways to make their clubs better. However, their ideas are often too ethereal or abstract and don’t or won’t apply to their club. In other words, they try too often to think way OUTSIDE the box. If you read any books on management, I am sure you have heard the phrase “think outside the box.” It is an attempt to get managers and businesses to do something different; break out of their old routine (their old box) and start something new that might stimulate business growth. Although I encourage that, I also suggest Rotary Clubs are well served by thinking INSIDE the box.

I know at some point, all teenagers believe their parents are idiots. They (the parents) don’t know anything! They give lame advice that doesn’t help at all. It is then amazing to see that, somewhere between ages 18 and 23, kids find that the parents seem to become abundantly… smarter! The resources of Rotary International are much like those parents. There are wise individuals who have served Rotary over the years with good ideas and advice you should heed. Of course, you have to cull through it all to decide what is right for your club and your community’s demographics. The main point I want to make is you do not have to reinvent the wheel.

Using programs such as Interact and Rotaract, you can create a “factory” to churn out future Rotarians ready for service. With the advent of Satellite Clubs, you can form another club tied to your club which meets at a different place and time and might be geared toward either younger or older members. Networking with Rotarians around the world through online forums and blogs, participating in Rotary webinars and attending District Conferences, Zone Institutes, and International Conventions can spark ideas for club growth.

My Rotary District has one of the very best RYLA programs in the world. However, several years ago, when the program director and some of her staff attended the RYLA preconvention at the Rotary International Convention, they came back amazed and full of new and better ideas gleaned from the program presentations and from meeting with other program directors. My son (then, the incoming Rotaract president) and one of his friends (then, the outgoing Rotaract president) both attended the Rotaract preconvention program one year. They were blown away by the magnitude of Rotaract in other parts of the world. That meeting allowed them to network with Rotaract Clubs around the world and make their club better and more relevant.

The point is that most (not all!) of what you might try to do in your club has been tried before. Share your ideas with those who have tried before. Research your programs and ideas through existing Rotary resources to see what can be done to improve them. Use your District resources – District Governor, Assistant Governor and District Committee members. Use the club and district resources at the RI headquarters which exist purely to serve you. They are just a phone call or email away and they are VERY responsive. Thinking outside the box is good. However, you should first explore the box!

The Rotary WOW! Factor

How exciting is your club? When I was District Governor, I would ask club directors to look at club members as they left the meeting. I would warn them, “If you don’t see smiles on their faces, you’re doing something wrong!”

Why is it important to see smiles? I believe there are two reasons. Let me use an analogy to explain those reasons: Suppose you went to a movie that was heavily marketed as the “feel good movie of the Summer.” You’ve read reviews and talked with some friends who saw it and ALL of them said it was the best movie they’d ever seen. I know your interest in the film would be piqued and you would be eager to see it.

SCENARIO ONE:

As you sit down for the movie, you realize the person next to you is texting. After a while, the person starts talking on the phone and the person behind you starts kicking your seat. Next, the air conditioning goes out and you are hot and sweaty. Finally, half way through the movie, the other person next to you (not the one who is still texting and talking!) spills popcorn and Coke in your lap.

SCENARIO TWO:

As the movie begins, you realize the sound is loud. Then, just at the climax of the show, the projection goes bad! The movie stops for fifteen minutes before resuming, but you missed everything during that fifteen minutes.

SCENARIO THREE:

The entire movie plays and, as the credits roll, you realize the movie really wasn’t that good. It just was not your style of movie.

I think most people would accept that, in SCENARIO THREE, it just wasn’t your kind of movie and it was no one’s fault you didn’t like it. Similarly, guests attend Rotary and decide, for whatever reasons, Rotary is just not for them. However, the problem in both SCENARIOS ONE and TWO is you NEVER GOT TO ENJOY THE MOVIE! A poorly run club meeting does not give your members and guests a chance to enjoy Rotary (or should I say “Engage Rotary”?). Similarly, when your club’s officers and directors omit crucial parts of the Rotary “system” from your club, Rotary may not make much sense to new members and guests.

If you’ve been to a modern, state-of-the-art theater, the theater itself is an entertainment experience. Between the colors, lights, furnishings and staff, you could spend the day enjoying the theater without even viewing a movie! That is how your club’s meeting experience should be. That is the WOW factor that must be integral in your club. When anyone attends your meeting they should be impressed by the meeting experience. Your meeting should be lively and interactive. They (your visitor) should be warmly greeted. They should be properly introduced and that introduction should cue other members to personally meet and greet that guest. Your meeting room should be bright and lively. There needs to be energy in the room. Your program should be entertaining (NOTE: Having a high school student come and read the school lunch menu is NOT entertaining!). Of course, make sure the sound system is operating and do a check on both the microphone as well as any visual presentation before the meeting starts.

Your presentation as emcee of the meeting should be entertaining, but don’t “hog” the podium! Announcements should be short and simple. Realize that many of them can be and should be handed out, given privately, or emailed. Use each meeting as an opportunity to highlight some project or committee of your club. Allow visitors to see that you do something other than sit, have a meal, and listen to speakers. There are many other places they can go for that. However, where else can they go to take part in the adventure that is Rotary?

Regularly reassess the WOW Factor is your club. It is crucial to keep your current members engaged, but more important for attracting new members to join in the experience of changing lives.

The Perfect District Conference – Day Three

For those of you who have been following this blog, I have been describing my vision for a “perfect” District Conference. I have already described the first two days. Here’s how I see the last day going. Realize that, most likely, your staff and even the attendees will be exhausted. You must work to motivate them to be energetic. Of course, that is easier to do as they make new friends, learn new activities and just have fun.

DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2014

Sunday April 27, 2014

7:30 a.m.     Breakfast

Do something different for breakfast! Have a “make your own” omelet breakfast or have your Rotaractors cook breakfast. Remember: This is the last day of the conference and you want to give your attendees something to remember! Couple the breakfast with some raffle drawings or announcements of silent auction winners.

8:30 a.m.     Ecumenical service/memorial service

The Conference is where we should recognize those Rotarians who have passed away in the last year. It can either be a somber affair or an upbeat one. Regardless, it should be short and simple. It should also be non-denominational. Of course, I have also enjoyed Zone Institutes where, instead of making it non-denominational, they make it multi-denominational. Regardless, the focus should be on recognizing the deceased Rotarians, not necessarily on praying for them. When I have been in charge of this service, I have gathered a picture of each deceased Rotarian, along with their dates of birth and death, their club and any position they held in the district. Then, I have put together a musical slide show that is prefaced with a short quote or reading to set the mood. The slide show is played and the room left in silence for a few minutes. Also, several of the families of the deceased Rotarians have asked for copies of the slide show. I have tried to provide copies for them, which has generally been greatly appreciated.

9:30 a.m.     Closing Sessions – Membership/Club Service

This is the last session! By now, most Rotarians are ready to go home. What can you leave them with to inspire them? Most Rotarians are proud of their own club. Most want to see their clubs prosper. Therefore, spending time letting them talk about their clubs and giving them ideas for growth and change will help them leave this Conference motivated. The closing session should be all about that! Not only should it include presentations by club membership chairs talking about their development programs, but it should also include presentations by Rotaractors describing what they like or don’t like about Rotary clubs they have visited and why they might or might not want to join such a club. One of the best presentations I ever heard at a District Assembly was a talk by a brand new Rotarian who told us about how she was solicited, inducted, and then educated about Rotary in her club. It was an “eye opener” to a lot of older Rotarians who never really thought to look at membership from the perspective of that new member. If possible, use breakout sessions or table discussions where attendees can take part in group sessions on a variety of topics. The goal of these groups should be to get everyone involved in brainstorming and idea sharing and then make a presentation to the entire plenary session of ideas discussed for (a) membership recruitment; (b) new member education; (c) member induction; and (d) member orientation. Finally, you want to end this plenary session with a bang! Consider an entertaining motivational speaker who can charge your attendees to go back to their clubs and make them better. After all, that should be the purpose of having the District Conference in the first place!

Noon           Awards luncheon

I believe that the reason many Rotarians come to the awards portion of the Conference is to see who is Rotarian of the Year and which club or clubs are Clubs of the Year. It frustrates them when such announcements are not made or those awards not given. I have seen Rotarians get angry because, although the clubs don’t do their projects and showcase their clubs for recognition, they feel slighted when they are not given some recognition for their achievements, or given an opportunity to compete for that achievement. Hopefully, attendees have enjoyed your Conference and made new friends. Hopefully, they have been impressed by the food, facilities, and quality of programming. Use this luncheon to recognize and thank the President’s Representative. It is customary to give a gift reflective of your community. Recognize your outgoing District Governor. Although they still have a few months in office, this is often the place where Districts exchange the official “governor’s pin.” Recognize your Conference chair and committee. Recognize the Presidential Citation and Governor’s Citation winners. Finally, choose a Rotarian of the Year and a Club of the Year. In our District, we usually name three of each – one for the small clubs, medium clubs, and large clubs. Then, adjourn to let everyone go or stay, depending on their time schedules.

1:00 p.m.    Adjourn

One last thing: Get feedback. It would be great if Rotarians had an evaluation form in their packet. Also, meet with your Conference Committee immediately after the event ends to evaluate. How were the facilities? the food? the venue service? Anyone hear complaints? compliments? What might be changed for next year? Do we want to come back or go elsewhere? These are all things that eventually need to be reported, memorialized and then used for future Conferences.

If you and your District just continue to do the same old Conference each year with the same presenters, at the same location with the same sessions, you’ll never see your District Conference grow. Why would I come back to see all of that old stuff again? The way you gain future attendance and ensure continuing attendance is to give your Rotarians and guests – especially the guests – an experience to remember! A District Conference cannot just happen on its own. You need energetic, motivated, and Rotary-educated people to help make it an outstanding event. Good luck in doing so! I’d love to hear of your successes!

The Perfect District Conference – Day Two

English: Rotaract Club of Chatswood 1989, winning the “Rotaraction Award”. Ryde, Sydney, Australia. June 1989. Rotary District 9680 Category:Rotary International (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I last talked about the first day of what I would like to see in a District Conference. You might remember that we ended the day in one of the hospitality suites socializing with our new friends. Now that everyone is settled, you need to concentrate on keeping your staff energized and assaulting the senses of those in attendance. Although this agenda covers an entire convention day, it can either feel like a few hours to those who are participating and having fun, or it can seem like a week to those who are bored. Here’s what I think Saturday should look like:

DISTRICT CONFERENCE 2014

Saturday, April 26, 2014

7:30 a.m.     Breakfast (House of Friendship opens)

Breakfast is presented in the House of Friendship. It is open for everyone. It is a good time to recognize Past District Governors, Rotary Alumni, and other “dignitaries.” The program should be minimal. It is NOT a regular Rotary Club meeting. Allow attendees to mingle while they eat and, if the weather cooperates, allow them to go outside too.

9:00 a.m.     Saturday morning Sessions – Youth Services

These should be the sessions where you highlight your Youth Programs. Somewhere you will want to have a break. Do not keep your audience “captive” for three full hours! However, you should present your Youth Exchange participants, RYLA program, Interact and Rotaract clubs and any other youth events.

I have seen Youth Exchange students who can’t or won’t get up and talk. They are teens thrust in front of a crowd of older people. Don’t make them uncomfortable! The best Youth Exchange presentation I saw was a moderated panel discussion. Both inbound and outbound participants were seated on a stage. A Rotarian moderator walked around with a microphone and asked questions. She was able to get everyone to respond. Then, questions were asked from the audience and members of the panel were able to volunteer to answer. It was interesting and entertaining, mainly due to the skills of the moderator.

We have a great RYLA camp in our District. Many clubs take part in it financially. However, few Rotarians actually come to see the camp. Therefore, a part of the morning session could be devoted to having campers and staff talk about RYLA and what it means to them and to also explain to Rotarians how they can get involved.

The Interact and Rotaract Clubs should be asked to give a presentation. They can have ten to fifteen minutes to tell attendees about Interact or Rotaract and how Rotarians can get involved. Depending on the group, you may also want to have a moderator to help them. However, give them a chance to impress you! They can put on a skit, show a slide show about their projects, or have some of their members talk about their experiences. The goal is for the Rotarians to see these clubs in action and then meet their members and connect with them.

Our District annually does a two-week exchange with a District in Japan, called “Wings of Rotary.” It is a longstanding program in our District and one of which I am very proud. The Conference needs to hear from the participants in this program and see photos and videos of their experiences.

12:00            Luncheon

The luncheon should really be a Rotary meeting. Conduct it like a meeting and allow the President’s Representative to make his or her talk. If they gave their talk the night before at the evening program, you can offer them a chance to speak again, or have another interesting speaker (Please! Stay away from political speakers!). A way I found to increase attendance for this event is to ask each club to bring their club bell and have their presidents at the front of the room so that each can convene their club meeting. This gives each club a sense of pride in seeing their club and their club’s banner in the room, and allows you to get more attendees. You can continue the expansiveness of this meeting by having a parade of flags. Allow the exchange students to carry in their flags. Have the Rotary International flag there too. Use a color guard to present both your country’s flag and your state flag (or flags, if your district covers more than one state or area), and have either the playing, singing, or other presentation of your national anthem or other patriotic song. Adjourn the meeting no later than 1:15 so that attendees will have some time to relax before going to the next session.

1:30 p.m.     Saturday afternoon Sessions – The Rotary Foundation

This session should be more than just a report on money raised and a request for more. I believe most Rotarians only remember those parts of Foundation presentations. Rather, these two hours should be spent with meaningful presentations on what the Foundation can do and how your Rotarians can participate. Three of the best presentations I have EVER heard in my Rotary experience have come at Zone Institutes. One was a young woman who had been a Rotary Peace Scholar in the Middle East. Her speech was riveting! Another, was a woman who came, dressed with her hat, vest, and megaphone, and talked about going on a National Immunization Day. Finally, the third presentation was from a Past District Governor who talked about taking his teenage daughter to Haiti for the dedication of some water wells their District provided. Everyone in the audience was choking back tears as he finished! You want – and NEED – presentations that inspire – not just report. Find those and bring them to your District. Once you inspire attendees, you can end the Sessions with a short presentation on how Rotarians can help the Foundation. In summary, show them the needs and successes before you ask for money.

1:30 p.m.     Family Activities!

Remember: You will have spouses and children attending with their Rotarian. Most likely, those “others” will not want to sit in a room and listen to Rotary presentations. Give them activities and events in which to take part. You can arrange for a cooking class, walking tour, or a trip to a local landmark or event. You should also offer “kid friendly” activities such as a painting station or game room. Include a snack bar with these rooms. Remember, if you get the family members to enjoy the conference, it is more likely the Rotarian will return next year! Just make sure you get them all back to the conference site and get the kids cleaned before dinner!

3:30 p.m.     Afternoon “Coffee Break”

This should be a slightly different kind of coffee break. The room should be set up with round tables, each of which can hold six to eight people. Each table should be assigned a different theme, in the form of a sign above it. They might be “Service Projects,” “RYLA,” “District Grants,” and “Wings of Rotary.” Then, as people enter, they will be asked to go get a drink and sit at a table to discuss the assigned topics. Each table will have a moderator. Then, every ten minutes, a horn will sound and everyone must move to another table. It will be pointed out that, at some time, everyone will be asked to stop and there will be a drawing for a prize. Only those seated at a table when the “stop” command is given will be eligible. The drawing will be an announcement of one of the subjects being discussed. Then, only participants at that subject’s table will be allowed to draw for the actual prize. The purpose is to get people in the room, get them engaged in participating in the event (hopefully, they will learn something while waiting for the drawing) and then get someone to leave with a nice prize. If available, you can do two or more drawings during the break.

4:30 p.m.     Rotary Games

Even though we just finished having some “fun” in the Coffee Break, I am sure most attendees will be mentally and physically exhausted from the day. They’ve learned all they want to learn! This is where a Rotary game or two might be good. I have traveled to clubs and presented two different Rotary trivia games and each has been well received. One is Rotary Baseball (if your country does not play baseball, you can develop the game using any other popular local sport). It is a series of questions taken from the Manual of Procedure or the ABCs of Rotary. It also includes local “pop culture” questions, just to make it more fun. With the baseball concept, there are two teams. The room is divided against each other. Each team has a “coach” who is the only one who can answer questions. However, the “team” can discuss their answers and that is where the fun is! The coach is left in that no-win situation of having to choose one of the answers that his or her team has been fighting over and, if they are wrong, they get to bear the wrath of their teammates! The questions are in separate baskets labeled “Singles,” “Doubles,” “Triples,” and “Home Runs”, just like the hits in baseball, getting progressively harder. If the team answers correctly, they advance that many bases. If they get it wrong, it is considered an out and when the team gets three outs, the other team is allowed to “bat.” The fun is that many of the questions are really impossible to answer…the first time. However, whether the correct answer is given by the coach, the announcer gives the correct answer and the question goes back into the basket. In other words, it is very likely it will be asked again and again. That’s where the learning happens!

The other game is similar to the popular television show, “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” It is called “Who Wants To Be A Paul Harris Fellow?” If available, the District, a Club or an individual can give points or money to make the winner a Paul Harris Fellow. The game involves one contestant who must answer a series of progressively harder questions to move up the board, hoping to get to the top and win a Paul Harris Fellow. If they miss, they lose, and another contestant is chosen by drawing. Much like the television game, the contestants have “lifelines” to use. They can use a 50-50 option, which allows the computer to remove two of the incorrect answers. There is a choice to “ask a friend.” This allows the contestant to ask someone in the audience to help answer the question. Nevertheless, as the game advances, the tension in the room increases as the contestant gets closer to the top. Once again, the questions repeat. So, a later contestant might have a better chance of getting to the top and winning the prize.

The games should all end by 5:30 so that the attendees will have time to get to their rooms, change, and get ready for the evening part of the Conference program.

6:00 p.m.     Buses leave for Saturday extravaganza

The evening event should be kept under wraps as much as possible. Let it be a surprise for everyone! There should be chartered buses to take attendees to the venue for dinner and entertainment, and then be available for return to the Conference site, as they refill.

6:30 p.m.     Dinner and entertainment

The Chuckwagon Feast I described for Friday night could be this event, substituting a dinner at the Conference venue for Friday night. On the other hand, you could have the feast on Friday, and then take everyone to another venue for this Saturday meal. It could be a dinner theatre, a museum, or another outdoor venue. Whatever it is, it needs to have a WOW factor!

8:30 p.m.     Return to Conference hotel (Hospitality suite opens)

Since everyone will have had a full day of activity, they will want to relax and have a drink (again!). Most likely, the activity in the hospitality suites will wind down earlier. However, since it is also the last night of the Conference, friends might enjoy spending more time together. Possibly assign two or more clubs to “host” the hospitality suites and provide entertainment or interesting snacks or other “eye-openers.”

This will be the hardest day of the Conference, since it is the longest. You must find a way to entertain your attendees, knowing that some may tire early, some may be overwhelmed with new information received, and some might be bored. It will be challenge. However, with careful planning, this could also be the day your attendees realize coming to this Conference was the right decision!