Speeches :

Service is the Key to Membership

Speech Delivered at the Multi District Membership Seminar
( R I Dist: 3020, R I Dist: 3150 and RI Dist: 3160 at VIJAYAWADA)
22 July, 2007

Rotary is very much concerned with its declining membership in spite of very determined efforts to increase the number of Rotarians. In spite of starting nearly 500 new clubs, every year, the absolute number is on a decline. Ashok Mahajan at vijaywada

Where is the Resistance?

Is Rotary becoming too costly?

Are the young business and professional men and women too involved in their business to spare time for Rotary?

Does the stress and fast pace of the competitive world of today prevents the growth of Rotary?

Does Rotary not present challenging tasks equal to the capabilities of the young men and women?

Are there egotism, intolerance, groupism, rivalry and such other evils that disillusion a newly inducted Rotarian?

Is the new entrant not given responsibilities and chances to show the worth?

The answer is not quite so simple. Each of the above factors and some more is the root cause of declining membership.

We need to make “service” fashionable.

We need to retain our members with more care.

We need to assimilate the new members assiduously.

We need to tackle more challenging tasks.

We need to make Rotary simple and affordable.

We need to attract more young men and women and assign them tasks that will draw out the best in them.

We need to promote the “FAMILY” atmosphere in Rotary.

We need to appreciate, applaud and recognize. And we need to do all these urgently.

While discussing the membership growth there is always a debate on “quantity or quality”?

In Rotary it is quantity that seems more important. After all we need more members, more clubs, more projects, more helping hands, more publicity and more of every thing.

Can quality be relevant? For a change let’s talk about quality instead of quantity.

“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent efforts.” – These words of 19^th century English essayist John Ruskin are timeless. In manufacturing for example, it is not enough simply to turn out a few high quality specimens in each production lot. Every single one should be as nearly perfect as we can make it. How would we like it if a surgeon performed a quality operation only once in a while? We should have the same high standards in our own business, what ever our product or service.

To achieve quality, we must live quality lives and do quality work, and in Rotary, we must measure our projects by the quality of our personal and joint commitment.

Secondly, with the growth of most urban area in to multiple housing societies and multiple mini-townships the scope of starting new clubs is excellent. Even the semi-urban areas are growing in their potentials. Rotary clubs can be started in viable areas.

RETENTION

A mammoth 80,000 to 1,00,000 Rotarians leave Rotary every year and many of these are disillusioned, disappointed, dissatisfied, discouraged. Only if we can halve the figures of those leaving Rotary, we will show an exhilarating growth. Add to this, the number of new entrants through new clubs and the result would be so soul satisfying that we would never lose the numbers game. What is needed is a blue print for retention, a plan for assimilation, a strategy to attract new members and the not-so-old Rotarians.

For this, we need total commitment and the right attitude. The function of retention and assimilation is not the prerogative of the club President or the board or the proposer. It is the combined responsibility of ALL members to take active steps to ensure retention.

Winston Churchill was, one day, working overtime at 10, Downing Street and was late for his broadcast to the nation, which was to be on air in the next half an hour.

Coming out of 10, Downing Street, which was deserted at that time, he could not spot any taxi, which would take him to the broadcasting station. He walked a few yards when he spotted a taxi, which was unoccupied. He flagged the taxi to stop and told the driver to take him to the radio station.

The taxi driver said. “Sorry Sir, I am going home and will not be able to take you. Please flag down another taxi.”

“But I’m in a hurry. Please drive me down.”

“Sorry Sir,’ he replied, ‘I am going to my home to listen to Mr. Churchill’s broadcast to the Nation.”

Churchill was very pleased. There were people so very keen to hear him and ready to sacrifice a little money. However, since he was getting late, he said, “I’ll pay you double your fare”. The taxi driver smiled, opened the door of his cab and muttered, “To hell with the broadcast of Mr. Churchill”.

What’s your attitude? To hell with membership retention? Cultivate the right attitude.

When you go for a RYLA and start a campfire, you need the right kind of wood and dry leaves. You need to nurture it by blowing air through your lungs – and the smoke may bring tears to your eyes – you have to supply the right fuel as the initial tall flames subside and you have to work hard to keep it going. Once it gets going, your efforts can be relaxed.

So it is with Retention. Initially, you have to choose the right material and once you’ve done it you have to light the fire with care and persistence and if tears come to your eyes, they are worth the effort.

I will not insult your imaginative minds and your intelligence by narrating the various steps you can take to ensure retention.

Charming fellowship, involvement in club activities, service areas and at regular club meetings, involvement of the entire family in club projects, delegation of responsibilities in various projects, continued Rotary information and above all an atmosphere of happiness and oneness can charm any Rotarian to stick to Rotary and serve with pleasure.

One source that needs to be tapped is Women’s work force. Ever since women have joined Rotary, the face of the club is changing. We have not yet tapped this great force. We have yet to reach the full potentials in this field.

Membership development includes the involvement of all club members – recruitment of new members cannot continue to be restricted to the efforts of one or two diligent members.

There is an unlimited potential for growth if Rotarians and clubs recognize the urgency of having a balanced membership that includes men and women, a wide range of ages, a good mix of people from different classifications.

Rotarians need to be continuously kept up-to-date with Rotary Information and activities and be involved in club projects. Committed to service and seeing the need for extending their service to the community. Rotarians need to re-affirm their commitment regularly by proposing new members.

If community needs are to be met and Rotary is an integral part of community life, then additional members are needed to effectively serve communities.

Promoting the need to increase the membership of Rotary without reference to serving community needs is counter productive and is a major cause of negative reactions from districts and clubs.

Effective and meaningful service can only be achieved through quality membership that has the desire to serve its community.

Rotary in its second centenary will reach its zenith only because we realize the need to grow, the way we could grow and avoid the pitfalls that have hampered our progress. Let each one of us Lead the Way of a new comer and to offer our hand to all those who would be tempted to leave Rotary. Let our Hand be the restraint for membership loss. Let the community know how Rotary Shares.

And finally we must introduce, execute and perpetuate a scheme by which we can assimilate and retain existing members and new entrants. This area is the most neglected area of membership growth and needs urgent attention. There are many formulae for retention and we MUST give adequate attention to retention. If we only stop this leak, we may not have to do too much to increase our numbers.

By 2005, we wanted to reach 1.5 million Rotarians. We have not reached this figure but let us, first ensure that we progress forward to a better member than one existing today. Let us not go downwards. That in itself will be an achievement. Once we steady ourselves we must climb slowly but steadily. We need a bigger number because Rotary is destined to fight and conquer bigger problems. I know we will succeed. Let us all be serious to improve our strength.

Ashokmahajan.com

Service above Self

Speeches :

RETENTION