Mike Phillips, District Governor, and member of the West Bend Sunrise Rotary Club addressed the Elmbrook Rotary at the Friday Dec. 9th meeting. He reviewed his role as Governor and talked about the structure of Rotary, number of clubs word wide, the Rotary Presidents Theme “Imagine Rotary”, and the challenges of growth and retention.
In President Jennifer Jones's Imagine Rotary theme, she encourages:
· Imagine how we can be better clubs by fully engaging our members within the club
· Imagine how we can grow ourselves through our mission and service to others
· Imagine how we can provide service and benefits to our community and beyond
The Challenges for Club Growth and Retention
Mike reviewed a program for recruitment and retention created by the West Plano Rotary Club. This program has resulted in considerable membership growth and retention for their Club. This program focuses on the use of social media, i.e., Facebook and partnerships between the club and other non-profit community organizations.
Promotion of Projects and Volunteer Opportunities through social media
Our current and planned new projects can be announced through a Facebook Event post with the ability for easy volunteer sign-up. Through emails, the Elmbrook Rotary website, and our newsletter, projects and events can be further highlighted. There are many individuals in our community that may be looking for opportunities to volunteer without the commitment of joining a club. As this program grows, there may be a number of these volunteers who recognize the value of community service, fellowship, and personal growth gained through membership in the Elmbrook Rotary Club.
As community members become aware of our volunteer opportunities and participate, a contact email/phone database can be created. As a new project is posted, former participants can be contacted to see if they may be interest in the upcoming project or event.
Partnerships with other Non-Profit Community Organizations
There are several nonprofit organizations in our area that may be looking for volunteers for their service projects. Volunteer event partnering will increase the awareness, and visibility of the Elmbrook Rotary within the community and metro area. Through partnerships, there will be club exposure and an opportunity to attract more members.
We meet at 7a on Fridays. Rotarians, please bring your friends.
