Creative content Writeup RTN Divakar Pillai
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Membership development
“Growth is a sign of life”. If we do not grow, there is something very serious. Growth in membership in clubs brings new ideas, fresh energy and more hands. Retention of existing members is equally important as adding new members.
How are we going to increase the membership. The process starts with identifying the prospect. There was a seminar for LIC agents. One of the participants asked the faculty – “Where do we find prospects?” The faculty replied, “Early morning around 9 in the morning on a working day, come to Churchgate station and you will find thousands of commuters coming out. They are all your prospects. All what you must do is to ask them the right question”. This is applicable to Rotary too. You ask people who are known to you and who are inclined to serve.
After identification, next step is to introduce them to rotary. Invite them as guests to your regular meeting, in which they will get an opportunity to know others. This is very important, because compatibility is very essential for the newcomer to be comfortable with the crowd in the club. After two or three meetings, if the prospective member feels happy, give him/her information about rotary. A well-informed member is likely to continue in the club. The prospect should be informed about the advantages of becoming a Rotarian and its associated responsibilities. Club must obtain the consent from existing members for inducting the prospect. When these procedures are complete and the prospective member has made the statutory payments, you may induct the new member in a very dignified manner that they will remember for a long time.
Statistically, the maximum quitting of members takes place within the first two years of joining. How do you prevent this situation. Involve the members in different activities of the club. That will create the real bonding, and the proposer of the new member must act as mentor at least for one year.
In short, the process of adding new members can be briefed as Identify, Introduce, Inform, Induct and Involve.
August is the designated month for membership growth, let us do our best to raise our membership of our club to fifty (a nice figure!!). That will make us all proud.
RTN Divakaran Pillai
Rotary Club of Khopoli
