It is very exciting that the Rotary world is now really starting to embrace the concept of E-Rotary, we are part of this pioneering work and must consider our help towards it as part of our contribution to Rotary Service. As you are already aware, from the 1st July I join the RIBI Membership Development and Retention Committee and I am to be the RIBI Lead for establishment of E-Rotary. An exciting task, however I see it as part of the overall challenge to put the buzz back into membership and recruitment in these Islands. I can’t emphasis how much there is to do, as we face the facts that unless we take this issue seriously, Rotary in the area of RIBI could even go into further decline.
So I look to our eClub members for your support, encouragement and vision to really help me to further the E-Rotary concept and communicate how this will be a new tool in RIBI’s 5 year Strategic Plan. In relation to this we still have much to do in our evolution as an eClub and our learning and experience will be of great benefit to others, so my new role as Secretary for our eClub will be just as much a priority as my role is now as President.
One of the ways agreed by RIBI as to how our eClub can help in the creation of E-Rotary in these Islands, is the incubation of new E-Hubs elsewhere in Britain and Ireland, to this end we are already working with:
- West of Scotland
- Ireland
- Hertfordshire
- East Midlands
In these Districts people are being approached to join E-Rotary through the District 1100 eClub and we consider their membership as part of Hubs in these areas. They will then get to see how an E-Hub (Club) works, joining in with some of the things we do online, including our weekly programme, but also having some opportunities of doing local things in their own area if they wish. This will help them build up their numbers to reach the number required to charter and they hopefully will help us in developing our own model, with other ideas, I very much see this as a partnership way of helping each other.
Our vibrant way of doing Rotary gives us the opportunity to further help RIBI retain their membership and strengthen our ability to refresh and revive Rotary in Britain and Ireland. We are currently exploring how the District 1100 eClub can develop having local Hubs, this is already happening in the Swindon area, where we have quite a lot of members, who meet occasionally and do projects together, I believe we need to try to do this elsewhere in the area, as we have found the E-Rotary concept works better when it is a combination of online and occasional meet ups. To this end we are also exploring the establishment of a satellite E-Rotary Hub with the current Rotary Cricklade , whose numbers are falling and could possibly benefit from being a hub of our eClub, with benefits to both parties. It would then help us develop a further hybrid version of E-Rotary where a traditional Club works side by side with an E-Club, which I believe will be the future direction of Rotary. We also probably need to consider how traditional Clubs whose numbers are rapidly declining can continue to do Rotary, I believe a link to E-Rotary might be one way forward. Having met George who is 90 plus, still active in work and still keen to be a Rotarian, it was shame George found that his Rotary Club had to close due to falling numbers and he was no longer a member of Rotary after 60 years of Service. George is very keen to join our E-Club and I believe this may help in other avenues of service in particular regards to positive ageing support which I have already written about.
Finally we need to be making other Clubs aware that we want to help retain Rotarians from leaving Rotary. If we could offer them E-Rotary before they leave due to varying issues, this will ensure that our membership in RIBI grows.
Great news that more and more people are getting involed with E-Rotary, Tim.
I wonder if it is worth us offering to help members of traditional rotary clubs to get to grips with social media, perhaps they wouldn’t want to join an Eclub, but they might find social media helpful in their day to day life, and then we are helping fellow Rotarians too.
Just a suggestion – I’ve already offered to help Eclub members but nobody has taken me up on it. I don’t profess to be an expert – just someone with enough knowledge to be half helpful!
Good idea Rachel, perhaps the eClub could run a workshop and invite any Rotarian to attend who wants to know more, this we could do perhaps in the Worcester area. Can we talk tomorrow about it.
Absolutely Tim…. I also believe that E-Rotary is still unknown to many people. We need to keep spreading the word!!
It is not just E-Rotary that is not known to many people just ordinary/traditional Rotary is not as well. RI have commissioned one the world’s leading brand consultants and they surveyed people all over the world. Of the samples spoken to only 52% knew that Rotary existed and of that 52% just 20% knew what Rotary did. So there is a lot of work to do in terms of public image and of course image within clubs.
As you work to extend the network of e-clubs, it is important that you try to achieve some uniformity of annual dues. As I have been shopping around to find a e-club I have found dues ranging from the modest £75 of this club to the horrendous US$600 elswhere.
Since any prospective members can, in theory join any eclub, cost may well become a factor in their considerations.
Peter-S
PP, RC of Guisborough & Gt. Ayton, D1030
(Currently enjoying a sabbatical year and looking for an eclub.)
As a member of the RIBI Membership Committee you are ideally placed to suggest/recommend or dare I suggest “instrucr” District Membership Chairs to suggest to Clubs who have very small membership to look at E.Rotary. I know of 2 in Devon which could benefit from such a move.
Hi John, why don’t we start introducing E-Rotary to others in Devon and perhaps rather than ‘instruct’ people will want to join this alternative way of doing Rotary? Perhaps we could have a Devon Hub what do you think?