Assembly Report Membership Service June 2016

Rotary Club of West fife – Club Assembly - Tuesday 14^th June 2016

Membership, Expansion & Retention Committee

President Elect Dave your Membership, Expansion & Retention Committee will comprise: -

Mark (as Deputy Convener), Keith, Martin, Greig, Helen, Robin P, Sandy, Neil, Douglas& myself.

Current Membership

We, as of tonight have a membership of 37, including our two honorary members (Brian and David).

We have been delighted to welcome into Rotary in this current year:- Mark, Martin, Jeremy, Aileen, Robert and from this evening, Grace. We have also been pleased to welcome Helen and Brian who have joined us from the RCs of Fraserburgh and Dunfermline. But that’s not the full story of this year, since we have two more candidates for membership waiting in the wings; so to speak Ken and John. This year has been quite remarkable and I believe it shows what can be done when existing members actively engage with their friends and acquaintances in conversations about Rotary.

Future Plans

In the year ahead we will continue to explore alternative ways to encourage an increase in membership, a significant part of what we must do is contained in the four objectives derived from the series of club workshops which we completed prior to the beginning of this year, and which now forms part of our club’s 5 year plan.

Linked to this and taking note of President Elect Dave’s preferred objectives, our aims for the coming year for my committee are:-

Membership Expansion

1.Achieve a net growth of 4 new members for the next Rotary Year and in each subsequent year per the 5-Year Development Plan.        

2.Achieve greater diversity in our membership with 30% of our members being made up of female, ethnic and new generation groups.  Develop a programme of events and activities to support this goal.         

3.Induct at least one new member under age of 40 each year          .

Membership Retention

1.Achieve 100% retention of surviving members by improving Club vibrancy through engagement of members through ambitious Club service projects, always promoting good success stories to change public image, modifying negative attitudes and behaviour which can restrict growth.  

2.Develop a strategy which ensures that 100% of Club members are engaged in a number of Club projects to encourage participation.  Check that participation of all members is taking place.

I do detect some progress in having a much greater percentage of our membership participating in club activities. Last year I said this would probably be the most difficult task.

This year I think the most difficult task will be finding someone to join our club who is under 40.

We shall continue to raise awareness of our club in our local communities and events such as the recent Crossford gala day and the gala days in August at Limekilns and Culross will provide further opportunities to connect with potential new members.

I believe we should hold another recruitment evening and refine our presentation and learn any lessons from our last successful recruitment event earlier this year. We will also explore further the stated objective mentioned last year of taking this type of presentation and talk “out on the road”. In this way we may be able to find support in another local village to perhaps set up a satellite club. We will also give consideration to setting up an E-club. One way to do this may be to make contact with certain former members to see if they would be interested in this type of association. In this we are open to any constructive suggestions.

There are ten members assigned to the Membership Committee however as already mentioned, the best way to recruit new members is in friendly conversation about rotary, ending with an invitation to visit our club.

I must say this has been ably demonstrated this year by Ian, and I would like to think that every member of our club considers themselves, members of our Membership, Expansion & Retention Committe

President Elect Dave, we look forward to supporting you in the coming year.

Robert Haig – Membership Convener