One of the most surprising things I learned this year at President Elect's training was the fact that nearly all of the clubs in our district have seen decreased attendance rates at meetings and in membership.  Clubs have experienced decreased numbers as members age out and fewer and fewer young professionals feel called to serve their communities "in person". Therefore, our district has placed a significant importance on learning ways to grow and sustain...as well as ways to generate a larger audience at weekly meetings. 

 

Rotary Clubs have decided to come together to talk about ways that we can share ideas that have been shown to increase member engagement, attract new members and retain members. We have five clubs in District 6630 that have had net growth of 25-50% and a couple of district clubs who continue to retain larger membership numbers every year. Sharing best practices is integral to improving the Rotary experience for everyone.

 

On Saturday October 19, 2024, we will hold a club experience summit at Paradigm at Mentor High School. We will hear from District 6630 Rotarians to learn how they make meetings more engaging, listen to growing clubs on how they became more attractive and engaging to new members, and hear from brand new members on why they were attracted, why they joined and what will keep them in Rotary.  Currently I will be attending, as well as fellow Kent Rotarian David McKeen. Some other Kent Rotarians will be assisting in the efforts that day also on the facilitation end. David has offered to carpool if anyone is interested to do so with him. Please let me know if you are planning on attending, so that I can make sure we are all registered and well represented. Thank you for understanding how important this is for our club's success and for the future of Rotary Clubs in our district! 

 

Rachel Kerns