Helping club and district officers achieve success

July 2010 | Vol. 1, Issue 1

club clinicIdeas for keeping new members active and involved

the future is nowWays all districts can team up under Future Vision

the year aheadIncoming district governors, like those shown above, will lead boldly

meeting placeHow 2010 Council decisions affect your duties

Bigger, Better, and Bolder!Rotary is the premier service club organization in the world, and all Rotarians should be proud of our achievements. Rotary is now on the world stage due to PolioPlus, and our public image is better than ever. Yet, we should not be spoiled by our success at the international

level, because the real test of success for Rotary is the strength and vitality of our clubs!

The Board adopted a revised RI Strategic Plan at its November 2009 meeting that clearly recognizes the importance of our clubs, and the first priority of the new plan is to support and strengthen clubs. I agree wholeheartedly, and I have appointed 41 new Rotary coordinators to provide assistance to our clubs and districts. Simply stated, their job is to help the district governors to help the clubs.

Rotary lives and breathes in our 33,000 clubs, and it is the clubs that improve lives by Building Communities — Bridging Continents. If we succeed in helping our clubs to become Bigger, Better, and Bolder in the next year, then it is clear that the best days of Rotary are still ahead. We are fortunate to be Rotarians! Together, we can make the world a better place!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Ray Klinginsmith

ThE yEAR AhEAD

RI president: Think big, seek best practices, innovate As you embark on the 2010-11 year to continue the work of Building Communities — Bridging Continents, look to RI President Ray Klinginsmith for support to make Rotary more effective and enjoyable for all

Klinginsmith is encouraging Rotary leaders at all levels

to think big. “Think about major projects, because that’s

what gives Rotarians pride in their club,” he says. “And if

those projects also are visible in the community, people

become interested in Rotary and join, if asked. If you get

that cycle going, clubs will be bigger, better, and bolder.”

All Rotarians should seek out best practices to build

upon what works, Klinginsmith adds. “What I’m trying to

do is create a culture of innovation where we can take a

fresh look at everything we do, to see whether or not it’s a

best practice or just a traditional practice. If we are already

doing it in the best way, I don’t

want to disturb it. But if we can

find a better way to do it, then we

need to start some new traditions.”

One new initiative

Klinginsmith already has in place

is the Rotary coordinator program.

With a mission aligned with the

three priorities of the RI Strategic

Plan, RCs will work closely with

regional Rotary Foundation

coordinators to assist their zone’s RI director and help

keep Rotary running smoothly. (See “Ask the Expert.”)

Innovation also comes from the local level,

Klinginsmith insists. “Clubs and districts can innovate on

their own by looking at their own practices and sending

word up the line about what is working well for them. It’s

very much a two-way street between Rotary International

and the clubs — you cannot have one without the other.”

To Klinginsmith, success depends on all Rotary leaders

knowing their role and how to work together, beginning at

the club level.

“It’s the club presidents who really run Rotary. I want

to help them do what they want to do and facilitate their

service as they see it,” he says. “I also want to thank them

for their work and give them whatever suggestions I can

from my experience to make their job a little easier and

more effective.”

“Clubs and districts can innovate on their own by looking at their own practices and sending word up the line.”Ray Klinginsmith

July 2010 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org

MEETING PLACE

2010 Council creates the office of immediate past club president, widens the time period for district assemblies and PETS, and sets a minimum age in the ‘Rule of 85’

Rotary’s legislative body, the Council on Legislation,

adopted several new enactments and resolutions

during its April meeting in Chicago. Measures that

received little publicity but may be of particular

interest to club and district officers are cited here.

The Council passed enactments to

Create the office of immediate past president for

all clubs.

Change the provisions for excused absences by

setting a minimum age for eligibility of 65. This

alters the so-called Rule of 85, which refers to the

aggregate of a member’s age and years of Rotary

club membership.

Allow district assemblies to be held in March,

April, or May, and presidents-elect training

seminars (PETS) in February or March.

Require transferring or former members to provide

a certificate from the board of their previous club

confirming prior membership.

Specify time frames in which clubs must be

notified of district governors-nominee and

challengers.

Council on Legislation decisions affect officer duties

CATCh uP oN ThE CouNCIL

News articles on the RI website detailed major decisions and daily highlights of the COL’s April meeting, including:

• theUS$1annualpercapita dues increase

• thenewfifth Avenue of Service: New Generations

• theapprovalofe-clubs

• theelectronic subscription option for North Americans receiving The Rotarian magazine

Council representatives listen to debate on a proposed item of legislation.

Enable successors to fill vacancies of a governor-

elect or governor-nominee who becomes unwilling

or unable to serve.

Empower the RI Board to act when a district

has repeated election complaints within a five-

year period.

Enactments are Council decisions that

immediately affect the RI Constitution, the RI

Bylaws, and the Standard Rotary Club Constitution.

Resolutions are recommendations to the RI Board

of Directors that do not affect RI constitutional

documents.

The Council’s official Report of Action is being sent

to club secretaries and district governors and is also

available for download. One copy of the 2010 edition

of the Manual of Procedure (035) will be sent to all clubs

as soon as it is available.

July 2010 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org

invites them, along with potential members, to a monthly

R2R (Rotarian-to-Rotarian) event, an informal reception

that allows for conversation and the exchange of Rotary

information.

When Mary Fislar, of the Rotary Club of Rock Island,

Illinois, USA, noticed that too many new members were

leaving within the first three months, she suggested

mentoring. In the two years since the program’s launch, the

club has recruited and retained 14 members.

A key element of the curriculum is the completion

of 11 tasks within six months, including attending an

orientation session, serving on a committee, and visiting

another Rotary club.

“Whatever activities you choose to offer, make sure they

say involvement, and keep them current,” says Fislar.

The Rock Island club uses the Inventory of Interests,

available in New Member Orientation: A How-to Guide for Clubs

(414, US$1 or a free download), to ensure that new members

are engaged in areas they enjoy. Other available Rotary

resources include the ABCs of Rotary (363, $3.50), Membership

Video Set (427, $10), New Member Information Kit (426, $5.50),

and the print or online version of Rotary Basics (595, $0.75 or

free online).

See "Top Priority" to learn how one club put new members to work on a World Polio Day event.

Improve your member retention rates by finding ways to keep new members active and involved

Keeping new members coming back week after week begins

with an informative and inspiring orientation program. But it

doesn’t end there.

“Retention is a big issue for many clubs. It’s important to

make new members feel welcome, engaged, and fully aware

of the club’s operation,” says John Fortney, a member of the

Rotary Club of Toronto.

In addition to hosting a welcome dinner, Fortney’s club

asks new members to serve as sergeants-at-arms and

CLuB CLINIC CLuB DEADLINES

1 JulyFor clubs to submit semiannual reports and club dues … For clubs and districts to begin submitting Matching Grant applications

31 AugustFor 2011 New Orleans convention attendees to submit group housing requests to the official housing agent, Experient Inc. Requests after 31 August accepted on a space-available basis.

Other nOtices

2010-11 Fund Development Club Goal Report forms are still being accepted.

Rotary Basics (595) appears in the August issue of The Rotarian and in Rotary regional magazines, with a multimedia version available online.

Secretaries of clubs with outstanding financial obligationsoverUS$250willreceivereminderson30 September to remit payment by 30 December to avoid termination.

Club presidents and secretaries should register for Member Access to update member and club information, pay dues online, view club reports, and register their club treasurer and Rotary Foundation committee chair.

See the Awards page and the Rotary calendar online for more upcoming deadlines.

Turn new members into lifelong Rotarians

July 2010 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org

States Military Academy at West Point, New

York, who discussed the military’s code of

ethics and facilitated discussion groups. More

than 150 youth, including many Interactors

and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

participants, took part in the daylong event.

During breakout discussions, students

worked through role-playing exercises to

explore how to apply The Four-Way Test to their daily lives.

“We talk about situations such as cheating on an exam, or if

they heard a friend was doing something wrong,” says Bhatia.

“We ask them what their reaction would be and stress the

importance of [their] own values.”

To help plan the event, Bhatia drew upon his professional

experience as a former business executive, and a related

annual Rotary tradition in his region: a five-district

leadership and ethics conference that’s held each October for

Vocational Service Month.

DISTRICT DEADLINES

1 JulyFor districts to submit endorsed 2011-13 Rotary Peace Fellowships applications … For districts to begin submitting District Simplified Grant requests … For clubs and districts to begin submitting Matching Grant applications

15 JulyFor districts to submit 2010-11 PR grant applications

31 JulyFor 2009-10 district governors to submit governor allocation expense reports

31 AugustFor 2011 New Orleans convention attendees to submit group housing requests to the official housing agent, Experient Inc. Requests after 31 August accepted on a space-available basis.

1 septemberFor district governors, immediate past district governors, RI directors, and past RI directors to nominate Rotarians for the RI Service Above Self Award

Other nOtices

District governors: Consider nominations for RI and Rotary Foundation service awards.

Governors and governors-elect should log on to Member Access to update committee appointments, share ideas, and view reports.

Rotary Basics (595) appears in the August issue of The Rotarian and in Rotary regional magazines, with a multimedia version available online.

DISTRICT CoRNER

Put words into actionGovernor receives RI Vocational Service Leadership Award for his efforts to develop an ethics seminar in his district

If you have a passion for vocational service, share it with

other Rotarians — and your community — by developing a

related event or ethics seminar.

“Our first job is to serve the community, and ethics is

a major concern in the community,” says 2009-10 District

Governor Suraj “Raj” Bhatia, who organized an ethics seminar

for high school students that also helped boost Rotary’s

public image in District 7490 (New Jersey, USA).

Because of his initiative, Bhatia was one of several

district governors recognized with the RI Vocational Service

Leadership Award, launched in 2009-10.

The seminar featured Rotarian speakers as well as a

retired lieutenant colonel and young cadets from the United

PLAN youR EVENT

An Introduction to Vocational Service

Find more information in the new publication An Introduction to Vocational Service(255,US$2orafreedownload).

Here are some tips to organize an ethics seminar:

• Invitethepublictoattend.

• Includeprominentcommunityleaders and dynamic guest speakers.

• RecognizeRotarianswhoareleading by example in their professions.

• DiscussTheFour-WayTestand Rotary’s contribution to ethics.

• Offerbreakoutsessionsinwhich participants discuss difficult ethical situations.

• Developacoincidingyouthprogram to include the entire family of Rotary.

Suraj Bhatia

Putting new Rotarians to work can improve retention and inspire community support for Rotary’s top priority

To Aaron Garber, carrying out a service project seemed like a

natural way for new members to learn about Rotary. As 2009-10

president of the Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia, USA, Garber asked

six new Rotarians, along with a member who had transferred from

another club, to form a Red Badge team and develop a project to

support World Polio Day on 24 October. The results included:

A media blitz leading up to World Polio Day that boosted

community awareness of the disease through newspaper articles

and a 30-second TV public service announcement

An End Polio Now display ad that ran on three electronic

billboards on World Polio Day

Three iron lung exhibits run by Rotarians, Rotaractors, and

Interactors, set up at shopping centers, a chamber of commerce

event, and a high school football game

A mailing of World Polio Day awareness letters to 300 area

physicians, describing Rotary’s role in global polio eradication

and inviting donations to PolioPlus

Raising more than $1,400 for Rotary’s US$200 Million

Challenge

“The Red Badge project challenged people to understand

how our community extends beyond the city limit signs,” says

team member Barney Horrell. “The project was the perfect

introduction of Rotary’s principles being put into action.”

ToP PRIoRITy

New members help lead club’s fight against polio

By ThE NuMBERS

1,224,384RoTARIANS WoRLDWIDE*

33,855RoTARy CLuBS*

530RoTARy DISTRICTS**

8,126RoTARACT CLuBS

186,898RoTARACT MEMBERS

12,559INTERACT CLuBS

288,857INTERACT MEMBERS

6,942RoTARy CoMMuNITy CoRPS

159,666RCC MEMBERS

* As of 30 April. ** As of 1 July.All other figures as of 31 March.

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Bill

Orn

dorff

A billboard in Salem, Virginia, USA,promotespolioeradicationas part of a World Polio Day project carried out by new members of the Rotary Club of Salem.

PLAN youR END PoLIo NoW PRojECT

World Polio Day, 24 October, provides clubs and districts with an ideal opportunity to hold their major project of the year in support of polio eradication. Strategies include involving new members, new clubs, the family of Rotary, and the general public. Now is the time to start planning.

For ideas, see what clubs did on World Polio Day in 2009 and learn about possible fundraisers.

July 2010 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org

Working togetherContrary to popular belief, Future Vision pilot and nonpilot districts can partner on projects

Two districts from opposite sides of the globe develop a

decade-long relationship, reciprocating visits from Group

Study Exchange (GSE) teams and partnering on a variety

of projects, from increasing literacy to improving access

to health care. One district participates in the three-

year Rotary Foundation Future Vision pilot starting this

month; the other does not.

Because pilot districts no longer take part in the

Foundation’s Matching Grants, Ambassadorial Scholarships,

or GSE programs, instead using global and district grants to

fund their activities, club presidents and district governors

may mistakenly believe that they will not be permitted to

continue collaborating with nonpilot districts.

“The Rotary Foundation Future Vision Committee

understood that

districts that have

cooperated for

several years would

have difficulty

if one became

a pilot,” says Foundation Trustee Chair Carl-Wilhelm

Stenhammar. The committee has suggested several ways

pilot and nonpilot districts can work together:

Humanitarian projects A nonpilot district can use a

District Simplified Grant to fund a project carried out in

a pilot district. A pilot district may use a district grant to

support a nonpilot district’s project.

Vocational exchanges A nonpilot district can use a GSE

award to send a GSE team to a pilot district. A pilot district

can use a district grant to send a vocational training team

to a nonpilot district.

Scholarships A nonpilot district can send a scholar to a

pilot district using an Ambassadorial Scholarship. A pilot

district can send a scholar to a nonpilot district using a

district grant.

Pilot and nonpilot districts may also make a donation

from their District Designated Fund (DDF) to one another.

Whether they partner with a pilot district or not,

nonpilot districts are encouraged to learn about the pilot.

“One day, the nonpilots will be part of the Future Vision

Plan,” stresses Stenhammar.

The Future Vision pilot runs from July 2010 to June 2013.

NEWS you NEED

Rotary’s investments recovered 2009 losses, and contributions to The Rotary Foundation are up for 2010 as the organization’s financial picture continues to improve.

Bill Gates congratulated Rotarians for passing the halfwaypointinRotary’sUS$200MillionChallenge.The cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recorded this video message encouraging Rotarians to keep up the fight against polio.

To help promote the growth of Interact, the RI Board of Directors lowered the age of eligibility from 14 to 12.

Rotary’s Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund has raised overUS$1.3million.Rotarians in Haiti are laying the groundwork for sustainable restoration projects that will enable long-term rehabilitation.

FourmembersoftheU.S.Congress and one government official received Rotary’s Polio Eradication Champion Award on 5 May in Washington, D.C.

Former Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar Roxana Saberi,wholefttheUnitedStatesforTehran in 2003 as a foreign correspondent, has become an international celebrity and a face for human rights in Iran.

The 2010 RI Convention is now history. Learn about what happened at the event.

Get free articles for your club or district newsletter orwebsitefromRotaryInternational.UsetheRSS news feed for delivery to your personal news reader or club home page. Sign up for Weekly Update to receive stories in your e-mail inbox every Friday.

ThE FuTuRE IS NoW

FIND ouT MoRE

Learn more about pilot and nonpilot district partnerships. Send questions to futurevision@rotary.org.

July 2010 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org

ASK ThE EXPERT

Who are the “key three,” and what do they do?

Tom Thorfinnson, RI vice president,

responds:

The three players involved in the “key

three” are the RI director, the regional Rotary

Foundation coordinator (RRFC), and the

Rotary coordinator (RC), who is new to the

mix. It should be a team effort. Collectively,

the three players will be available to meet all of the clubs’ and

districts’ needs and inquiries within their zone.

The RRFC has two purposes: One is to promote the

programs of The Rotary Foundation, and the other is to

assist with fund development. The Rotary coordinator

position is intended to be very similar to the role of regional

Rotary Foundation coordinator, but instead deal with the

Rotary International side of things. Rotary coordinators

will help with promoting the programs of RI and with club

development.

This is what I would classify as developing a good

product — the Rotary club — and membership will just

follow naturally from that. The only way to do this is to

elevate the RC to the same level as the RRFC and create this

trio of players.

One of the jobs of the

director in this whole

package is to communicate

to Rotary leaders in our

zones the resources that

DID you KNoW?

Your new Rotary coordinator (RC) takes office 1 July. The 41 RCs provide expertise on Rotary International and its programs, including the RI Strategic Plan.

Shop.rotary.org is now powered by Amazon, giving you the option of using an existing Amazon.com account to place and track orders, manage order history, and maintain a wish list. Rotarians will also have access to product recommendations and reviews, along with promotional offers throughout the year. New products now available for purchase include:

• 2010 Montréal Convention Speeches DVD (SPEECHES7,US$25)

• 2010-11 End Polio Now Calendar(961,$15)

• Rotary Video Magazine collections 1-4 ($30each)

You can save time and money by using webinars to meet with people around the world. Visit the Training section of the RI website to find tips and guidelines for planning an effective online meeting or conference.

A repository of best practices written by Rotarians on topics such as service projects and club administration is available on the RI website.

Having difficulties printing a Rotary Leader article? Try downloading the page as a PDF first, and then print the PDF document. See page 9 for more information about using the Rotary Leader reader.

Tom Thorfinnson, 2010-11 RI vice president, addresses incoming Rotary coordinators at a March institute.

GoT A QuESTIoN?

You ask the question, we find the expert. Submit your question to rotary.leader@rotary.org.

are available through both the RRFC and the RC. The first

call for assistance might be to a director, and the director

should determine who might best assist them. If it’s a purely

administrative matter, the director might step in. If it’s a club

or Foundation development issue, we’ll direct them to one of

the other key three.

It is a tremendous asset to Rotary to have Rotarian

volunteers such as RRFCs and RCs with regional knowledge

and the proper cultural background so they can tailor their

training to the needs of the clubs in their regions.

Jam

ie B

erg

hoW To uSE ThE ROTARY LEADER READER

The mission of Rotary International, a worldwide association of Rotary clubs, is to provide service to others, promote high ethical standards, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Rotary Leader, an electronic publication for Rotary club and district officers, is offered in eight languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Rotary Leader is published by Rotary International, One Rotary Center, 1560 ShermanAvenue,Evanston,IL60201-3698USA.

Web www.rotary.org Fax 847-866-9732 Phone 847-866-3000

Subscriptions To subscribe to Rotary Leader, visit www.rotary.org/rotaryleader. There is no charge to subscribe.

Submissions Rotary Leader welcomes article ideas about club and district successes, including fundraisers, publicity efforts, service projects, and membership drives. E-mail a description, photos, and contact information to rotary.leader@rotary.org. Due to the high volume of submissions, we cannot promise to feature your story.

This is the July 2010 issue of Rotary Leader.

Editor Janis YoungManaging Editor Jennifer Lee AtkinGraphic Designer Karen CastensWriters Joseph Derr, Ryan Hyland, Dan Nixon, Peter Schmidtke, Diana Schoberg, Maureen Vaught Photographers Miriam Doan, Alyce Henson, Monika Lozinska-LeeCopy Editor Shannon KellyProofreaders Kelly Doherty, Susan Hyland

Copyright © 2010 by Rotary International

The Rotary International and Rotary Leader logos are trademarks and intellectual property of Rotary International. All rights reserved.

Editors of Rotary publications and websites are welcome to reprint items.

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