MEMBERSHIP MANTRA: BACK TO BASICS

Posted by Debi Bush (Denver Cherry Creek) membership@rotary5450.org 
 
Help Grow and Engage Members
 
At the District Conference in beautiful Keystone, recognitions were announced for % growth in membership. A hearty congratulations and mazel tov to the four clubs recognized: South Jeffco, Grand Lake, eClub One, and Denver Southeast. One of these clubs had a 44% net growth in members – the Grand Lake Rotary Club.
 
What is the secret sauce for Grand Lake’s amazing growth? This club has grown from 27 members in July 2014 to 42 in April 2014. This is a club up in the mountains that I perceived to have seasonal membership. At least for this year, seasonal does not apply to their numbers and the club has agreed to adapt to be more flexible for its current and potential members.
 
After speaking with club president Geoff Elliott, he shared 9 best practices:
 
  1. Challenge our club members to get involved, and we have great leadership to guide smaller teams.  Our leadership team makes sure we quiz new members on their interests and how they would like to be involved, as little or as much.
  2. Update the club regularly on finances and explain how that $ is used, thanks to Bonnie Severson, Gayle Langley, and Jennifer Brown we have much to be proud of, solid and transparent.  I truly believe this firm sense of finances gives us the confidence to say yes to new opportunities we would otherwise pass.
  3. Embarked upon a new venture that is taking us out of our comfort zone = a Ducky Race to fund one big project each year, this year is the Grand Lake Trailhead Hub project you and I discussed some time ago.  Steve Kudron and Jennifer Brown are leads here but the leadership group is probably 5-7 members, remarkably active.
  4. Require all grant and scholarship recipients to revisit us and report progress – keeps our meetings fun and interesting and shares a feeling of success.
  5. Visit our Interact Club regularly and help in any way we can.
  6. Hold Summer meetings 8:00 am in the basement of Trinity Church – traditional meeting with speakers, tap everyone we can to share.  Then Winter meetings are at local restaurant 6:00 pm much more social with spouses often attending.  We get a different crowd in the evenings and folks tend to stay around longer and will probably do one evening meeting a month this summer.
  7. All this is built upon our great Bingo team led by Steve Etten, Al Olsen, Ted McAdam, and Jim DeMersemon and others I am unfortunately neglecting.
  8. We build on overlap with other groups and have members call out Rotary whenever possible for instance at local Theatre productions and our President Elect Pastor David Heil reminds the congregation of Rotary events regularly.
  9. Last, but certainly not least, is Larry Bacon who promotes Rotary relentlessly and is probably responsible for 90% of our growth, coaches newbies, he is a dear friend and true mover and shaker in the finest Rotary fashion.  For instance, he leaned on my at church one Sunday, reminding me how generous Rotary was to my 2 boys and told me in no uncertain terms that I *owed* Rotary and should join, and here I am a proud President of such a great group!  Larry shows servant leadership at its best.
Some clubs may think that some of these best practices won’t work for their club. First of all, you never know until you try. Secondly, take the underlying messages from Grand Lake’s best practices and remind yourself of your club’s best practices while trying something new.
 
Get your Rotarians emotionally involved and committed to Rotary for that is Engagement!
 
Let’s make membership the flame to attract new Rotarians and engage our current Rotarians and light up our district to continue to be at the forefront of membership initiatives and growth.
 
Exemplary Membership Growth (in alphabetical order)
Aurora Fitzsimons
Centennial
eClub One
Erie
Grand Lake
Kremmling
South Jeffco