District gives green light to develop district sponsored,
District-wide EClub!
By Julie Martineau, District Club Extension Committee Chair
Growing Rotary and giving great people the opportunity to be a part of this service focused organization is always at the top of the district’s agenda. Last Fall, the District appointed an Alternative Club Exploration (ACE) Committee to explore how to:
- Re-engage former Rotarians,
- Attract new members by minimizing cost and scheduling conflicts, AND
- Retain members who may be on the verge of leaving Rotary.
Two surveys were distributed to gather satisfaction levels from current and past members of District 5910 Clubs.
- Current members: the #1 reason our members are Rotarians is community and international service. They are proud to be Rotarians and they enjoy their meetings. Our traditional clubs are doing a great job meeting the needs of the majority of their members.
- Past members: also expressed their love for community and international service but found that traditional weekly meetings often posed hardships related to work and family conflicts, and cost.
Both surveys also provided a description of different innovative Club models. The outcome from both surveys reflected interest in the EClub model which is an online Rotary Club of like-minded people who believe in and live Rotary’s 4 Way test, and support Rotary’s global initiatives, but cannot commit to the requirements of a traditional club.
The ACE Committee has identified a number of key components and resources regarding the formation of a proposed Rotary District 5910 EClub, but ultimately decisions must be made by the Charter membership of the proposed EClub. Several members of the ACE Committee have agreed to support the charter members with this initiative, so, if you are interested in being a charter member and craft its direction, or you know someone who may be interested, contact either Julie Martineau at jmartineau@mccfoundation.org or Ruth Suhler at leahone@aol.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
We give sincere thanks to the other Rotarians who composed this dynamic committee: Leland Dushkin, Conroe Club; Craig Escamilla, Beaumont Club; Julie Martineau, The Woodlands Club; Chuck Meyer, The Woodlands Club; Bunny Pratt, District 5910 Rotary Membership Chair and Bryan Club; Real Provencher, Magnolia Club; Ruth Suhler, AG and Galveston Club; and Jim Wiggins, Conroe Club.
Interested in finding out more about the District’s EClub and join the Tuesday, March 2nd virtual meeting at 5:30? Email Ruth Suhler at leaone@aol.com to get the link.