1. Governors-elect October 26, 2016
Rotary Institute
TITLE
Governors-elect
October 26, 2016

2. Membership: Job One
Kelly: As your RCs we are here to serve you and help you in achieving the most important task as District Governor – retaining and growing your membership.
Nothing is more important because we can all agree it takes Rotarians to do the good work we do in the world. Yet, in our paired Zones only 3 Districts have consistent sustained growth over the last three years (5420, 5770, & 5790). Only one district has a higher membership today than it did 11 years ago (5750).

3. STEPS TO SUCCESS
We are approaching this endeavor in the same way that a scientist seeks to prove his or her hypothesis. So, let’s start with our hypothesis: There are certain key membership principles that when applied consistently will result in membership growth. These key principles include:
1. Analyzing data to ascertain obstacles and barriers.
2. Setting a written realistic membership goal.
3. Putting a written membership plan in place to achieve the membership goal.
4. Working the plan.

4. “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
Benjamin Franklin
Founding Father
It was the great Benjamin Franklin that said” if you fail to plan you’re planning to fail.” I would simply add “if you fail to commit your plan to writing and then not work to fulfill your plan moving forward, your plan will fail.”

5. YOUR CADRE OF MEMBERSHIP SPECIALISTS
HERE TO SERVE
YOUR CADRE OF MEMBERSHIP SPECIALISTS
So, the approach we are using this year is that these key principles have been used by the Districts that are growing and have been used consistently. So, through the use of the Cadre program which is available to each of you, we are teaching these principles to the clubs in your districts and then tracking the results. Each of these principles has been field-tested in the districts mentioned above.
Schedule with
PDG Glenda Thomas

6. CHARTS
In addition, we have and will continue to provide, a detailed chart tracking the history of every club in your district. It is color-coded and easily read. Green stands for the club is growing, yellow stands for the club has neither increased or decreased membership, red stands for the club is losing membership. The comparison is made based on July 1 data provided by Rotary International. When analyzed, a district governor or a district membership chair may easily identify the challenges he or she faces in the district and then take action.
However, as a leaders in your district armed with all this information that can turnaround your membership numbers once understood and applied, if you as a district leader do not avail yourself of the Cadre program and get the membership charts in the hands of presidents and club membership chair. nothing changes. This step is necessary if the principles taught in the Cadre program are to be consistently applied to grow and retain membership in your district. It’s just that simple.

7. CADRE OF MEMBERSHIP SPECIALISTS
TESTIMONIALS FROM
CADRE VISIT ATTENDEES
“…your Cadre Membership Workshop exceeded our expectations!”
“The best part of the seminar was working in groups to practice making a membership plan.”
“A new face delivered a similar message we've been delivered in a new format. They were listening.”
Sherri: We are asking you to assist your Governor and Governor-elect in encouraging support and attendance at the planned cadre visits for your district. The surest and finest way you can insure future success in membership development and retention is to help build the strongest possible foundation for that now
We do not know if the cadre program will be funded again next year, but we will do everything in our power to continue to train and prepare excellent Cadre of Membership Specialists to support you in getting this valuable training down to the club level. Training which teaches clubs the value of using their Rotary story to enhance recruitment and retention of members –focuses on developing realistic membership goals and developing a written plan for achieving the goals – not just pulling a number out of a hat and calling the number the plan. and includes discussion with club members about the value of using the trilogy approach (which will talk about in a few minutes) – We will keep you informed about how this program moves forward – but the valuable takeaway today is “Use the Cadre program now -- this Rotary year – to help build stronger clubs for our future”

8. CLUB CHARTS
We will continue to provide you and your membership chairs the color-coded charts – these charts have proven most valuable to governors, membership chairs, and clubs. . it helps you make decisions about where to spend valuable time and resources, and as we go forward we will provide webinars just for you as future governors helping you use this most valuable resource for helping your district develop and attain your goals through your specific action plan.
Included in your handouts is your district’s chart as of October 12, the chart lists every club in your district and their 11-year history. It even lists clubs that have disbanded . . the information on this chart is invaluable in your planning work.

9. 3rd Tuesday of every month: MEMBERSHIP MATTERS WEBINAR
HERE TO SERVE
3rd Tuesday of every month:
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS WEBINAR
Learn about a new tool
Explore a new opportunity
Share a new success story
We encourage you to attend the monthly Membership Matters webinar the third Tuesday of every month. Learn all you can now to help you and your team plan and build your training programs during this Rotary .

10. MEMBERSHIP FOUNDATION PUBLIC IMAGE TRILOGY CONTINUUM
Confidence in the Trilogy Approach
Sherri: As we mentioned a few minutes ago, an important key to both the Cadre curriculum as well as to the training we provide your membership chairs is the concept of the “Trilogy Approach” or as I call it the “Together We Can” approach . . .
We all know that the best stories we tell about our passion and dedication to Rotary come from telling the story of the projects we have witnessed that utterly change the life of the beneficiaries, from the polio drops that prevent that dread disease from afflicting our youngest most vulnerable population, to seeing the joy in the eyes of a wheelchair recipient and his or her caretaker knowing that now the individual will have the freedom of movement without being carried . . to the look on the face of a little boy who receives his first pair of brand-new, never before worn pair of shoes . . .and we all know that the bulk of the funding for these projects comes from Rotarians donating their money to our Foundation – the most powerful change-agent we have as Rotarians. And we all know that the more Rotarians we have, the more funds are donated, the bigger and more impactful the projects, the stronger the stories that can be told – resulting in better public image – resulting in more members and more satisfied member – resulting in more funds to our Foundation and the cycle never stops . . it goes on and on . . yes “Together We Can” . . .the trilogy approach works when at both the club and district level the teams of Foundation, Public Image, and Membership work together to develop goals and actionable plans, collaborating so that each area of the trilogy is strengthened by the work of the other . . and together even more can be achieved.
Kelly: The trilogy squad consists of, the District or club membership chair, the district or club foundation chair, and the district or club public image chair. When working together as a continuum, Sherri has already explained more can be accomplished. In most clubs, public image chairs don’t completely understand their role. In most clubs, foundation chairs and membership chairs work in their own individual silos. In most clubs when a membership event is sponsored, or a foundation event, the public image chair publishes on social media or in the pages of the hometown newspaper what occurred in these events. But imagine the power in a district or club if they were to work in a trilogy as a continuum. For example, what would the outcome be if the club’s trilogy squad met to plan an event together. For instance, the XYZ Rotary club is going to install park benches on a river walkway. The service project is funded partially from District grants. The membership chair of the club indicates that the service project is a good way to introduce non-Rotarians to the community services rendered by Rotarians. She suggests that Rotarians solicit non-Rotarians to assist in installing the benches. The foundation chair suggests that he will educate club members on how the benches were paid for and encourage Rotarians to share this information in a casual way with the non-Rotarians assisting in the service project while installing the benches. This way non-Rotarians shall understand the good that Rotarians do in the world and how these works are accomplished. The public relations chair states she will invite the local media to the event in order to elevate public awareness of the good that a Rotary club does in a community. The public relations chair also directs the media to interview non-Rotarians participating in the service project to get the thoughts of these individuals regarding the services the club is providing to the community. The membership chairs follow up a few weeks after the event with the Rotarians who invited the non-members to the event to determine if the non-members are willing to join Rotary.
The article in the newspaper results in more non-Rotarians contacting the club asking about the services Rotarians perform. Just imagine if every time an event was planned by a club, the trilogy squad met together to lay out a plan to work as a squad rather in separate silos. Would our clubs be strong?

11. SELECTING YOUR TEAM Selecting Team
Kelly: As businessmen and women, we all understand that the key to any successful company is its personnel. Those businesses selling goods and services assemble a gifted cadre for the purpose of selling or promoting their product. Rotary is no different.
If you are a district struggling with your membership, in 19 of the 22 districts in the paired zones are - if you intend to turn the tide during your year at the helm of your district you must select the very best qualified person in order to achieve the objective.
Rotary is asking that you select a membership chair for three years. This means you should collaborate with your fellow governor string to come to a consensus who is the best qualified person to be your district membership chair. Qualifications for this position include:
having a sales background
an understanding of Rotary
a diplomatic mannerism
a committed individual
In Rotary, the following classifications are good resources to look to when seeking a District membership chair:
Chamber of Commerce members
Membership organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and trade organizations.
As District Governors, if membership is your top priority, and if it isn’t it should be, make sure you select the best qualified person to take care of this most important function.
Sherri: Included in the materials we have provided is a current list of the membership chairs in each of your district as well as the list of those who have been entered in the RI database as the chair for the Rotary year
In many cases, you have already selected your membership chair for a three-year period, along with either your governor and/or governor-elect. In some cases, you are preparing with your current governor-elect to select your next membership chair – and in some cases, you will be selecting a new chair to begin serving in for their 3-year term . . Whatever the case, we ask you to please identify your district’s membership chair – carefully selected and ready to serve your district – sooner, not later. This allows us to help prepare your chair by sharing valuable information now to assist that person to work with you to develop reasonable membership goals and action plans.

12. …you are already behind!”
HERE TO SERVE
“Congratulations . .
…you are already behind!”
As I was told when I was first selected to serve my district as governor, “Congratulations! You are already behind. . .”. .
That was both the most honest statement and the most valuable advice I was given

13. TIME
” Now is the time to ensure your highest priority – growing and sustaining membership in your district – is given every chance to succeed. Now is the time to work with your trilogy squad – and that can only happen if your team is in place. It may seem like it too soon to put that team together, but remember that advise I received “You are already behind” . .

14. TIME TO SERVE
Kelly and I are here to serve each and every one of you – we are proud to be on your team. We are here to put the wind under the wings of your district membership chairs and to help you to achieve the very, very best possible year you can have as you lead your districts to new heights.

15. Sherri C. Muniz Kelly C. Atkinson
LET US SERVE YOU
Sherri C. Muniz Kelly C. Atkinson
Rotary Coordinator Rotary Coordinator
Zone 21b Zone 27
Phone: Phone: