EDITORIALBy Eric Noel Babaran
SPREADING ROTARY
August is Membership and Extension Month. This month, we focus on the greatest assets of our Club, the members. We will be aiming to strengthen and expand our membership base, as well as design ways and activities to retain the roster we currently have.
For a Club that is as visible as ours, it is somehow easier to attract new members. We have long history of success, we are very much relevant at present and our club is overflowing with so much potentials. These are our selling points which we can highlight when inviting new members. That it is a privilege to be invited in the Rotary Club of San Francisco del Monte, since it means the invitees have what it takes to be productive members.
But more than inviting new members, we should strive to keep the present membership intact and participative. One of the greatest challenges now is how to keep the Clubmen interested and give them a reason to stay with the Club. Probably one effective way to do this is for the Club leadership to guide the members in answering the basic WIIFM question, What’s In It For Me? What do they get out of being a member of Rotary?
There are actually a lot of possible answers we can provide- the personal high of being able to help, the smiles on the faces of the people on the receiving end of our services, the opportunity to meet others and build our social and personal connections, the camaraderie, the likelihood of developing friendships and the chance to be involved in worthwhile goals. But each member will have a different reason, and that’s what each of us must realize to make us want to stay.
It is very disappointing when members suddenly just decide to stop being visible in Club events and gatherings, especially if their reasons are things that can be addressed and be resolved. And this is one way the Club can minimize having M-I-A (missing in action) members - by rekindling the interests of members to the different facets of Rotary which made them join in the first place.
Aside from stressing “being of service to others”, we should put equal importance to fellowship activities as well. Balancing these concerns should prevent members from being burned out and thinking of Rotary as another stress-inducing undertaking. A chance to enjoy ourselves and each other’s company should keep members interested and invigorated, renewing our energy and commitment to be of service above self.
All our plans, no matter how good they are, will just remain plans if we have no members willing to implement these. Our Club will not realize its goals if we as members are not steadfast in our commitment. Our continued success, or our failure, will solely be based on us. I saw this statement in the Rotary.org site, and I think it aptly describes our Club: “Mankind is our Business. Service is our Product. Members are our Most Valuable Resources” We hold the future of this great organization. Let’s make sure it’s a bright one.
