In early March, we need to give back the hour of sleep we got last fall. The days are getting longer. Spring is coming later in the month, and the weather will change from the winter’s cold to more favorable outdoor temperatures. Spring is a time for renewal and new growth.
Speaking of growth, our districtwide membership is showing negative growth. On July 1, 2024, we started with 1,439 members in our 40 clubs. At the start of March, we are at 1,398. This means that collectively, we have lost a net of 1 member per club. We know membership is important to maintaining our strength and doing great things in our communities.
There are many reasons why members leave Rotary, but it should not be because we didn’t meet their expectations. We need to ensure that our new members are informed of all aspects of your club’s operations and Rotary as an international organization. Getting members engaged in club activities and fellowship opportunities is a great way to make them feel a part of the club. If you have not done so, I encourage you to attend or view one of our District’s Learning Facilitator, Scott Learned, ‘Rotary 101’ sessions online. A live Zoom session will be on March 26, 2025, at 12:30. Check the District’s website for more information.
Our club presidents for the Rotary year 25/26 just returned from their President Elect Learning weekend. One of the things they have been asked to do is to work with their clubs to develop a 3-year rolling action plan. The plan is to be developed around 6 priority goals. One of those goals is membership. Regarding that goal, clubs will decide how many members they want to have at the end of the next Rotary year.
Our current RI President, Stephanie Urchick, asked us to grow our district membership by a net 100 members before July 1, 2025. We have been going in the wrong direction. To give ourselves a good starting point for the next Rotary year, I would like us to have net growth by June 30, 2025, of 42 new members districtwide. That will allow us to finish this year with a positive number.
CALL to ACTION:
Rotarians are people of action. I am asking for every Rotarian within District 5400 to make a concerted effort to help us reach the goal of a net 42 growth. Please talk with your club’s leadership and your fellow members about how we will achieve this goal. Now is not the time to look around the room at a club meeting and think that some other members will respond to this call to action. The district stands ready to help in any way we can.
Thank you for your help in completing this goal. March is a month of growth for our plants, let’s make a month where we start growing our clubs.
