This month’s programme theme is Rotary Awareness, it was therefore fitting that on Tuesday 11th January some of the members of our eClub went to the District 1100 Mini Convention to tell others about District 1100 eClub and how it is likely to work. The next morning, leaving Swindon at 6.00.am, Tim travelled to the Worcester Vigornia Rotary Club to speak to their Breakfast Meeting about the eClub, as we are very keen to work in partnership with physical clubs to help each other. If you want to know more about this please request leaflet ‘Opportunities for Clubs’ for explaining how the eClub can work together with other Rotary Clubs.

Following on this theme of eClub members becoming more aware of Rotary and partnership development, we are asking Rotarians in District 1100 to volunteer to be mentors to our new members. This we believe is an important step in ensuring that our eClub members can grow and develop in Rotary, with the support of an experienced Rotarian.

District 1100 eClub Mentoring Scheme

The mentor’s role is to help the new member to learn and ask questions about Rotary, how it operates and what is expected of members. This includes participation in the forums (commonly known as committees) common to Rotary, as well as encouraging them to get involved in the eClub activities and where possible to visit other Rotary clubs to encourage the idea they are in a wider organisation.  What needs to be born in mind is that not only are the new members of the District 1100 eClub new to Rotary, they do not have the benefit of learning about Rotary by observing what goes on in a physical meeting.  However, do remember that members have joined the eClub because time to be at a physical club is not possible.

The mentor, will take the stance of listening, asking questions, probe for facts and act as a source of information, experience and opportunities from other sources from which the eClub member can benefit.  Their role is not one of outlining instructions; rather their input helps the new member form their own views, develop different perspectives and develop as a Rotarian.

To be a mentor in an eClub needs specific competencies in online operations:

1. Be able to use computers
2. Be already using either facebook or Linked In
3. Be prepared to be a subscriber within the District 1100 eClub website and spend time understanding how it works.

We also hope mentors can help the District 1100 eClub get over to other Rotarians in the District that we are a positive resource for helping to grow Rotary’s membership and not a threat. By working with eClub members, mentors will be learning more about how the eClub operates and thinking more outside the box is essential.

Our eClub Programme over the next three months

Late January / early February we are planning to hold our first Person to Person Meeting, probably on a Saturday lunchtime in a pub, with an afternoon of sharing ideas and a Quiz or Skittles. We hope this gathering will be somewhere in Gloucester. This meeting will help generate ideas for future projects and activities.

Our eClub member Katharine would like to invite members to take part in something her Charity is running for Stroud Rotary Clubs, this would be an excellent first community service project for District 1100 eClub. She writes:  “We would like to offer Rotary members an opportunity to be involved in some practical conservation work by participating in a tree and hedge planting project in Slimbridge on EITHER Saturday 25^th or Sunday 26^th February. We envisage the event would run from 10am to 4pm and finish with tea, cake and an opportunity to learn more about the work of the charity. Members, partners and families are welcome to attend too.  At this stage I need to know if this event would be of interest to any members and if Saturday or Sunday would be the most convenient day.”  Please let our Secretary Janice Mason if you are interested before 26th January, by leaving a message to her on the eClub website, and which day is preferred.

Sunday 11th March we want to encourage more members to get involved in the second Worcester Vigornia Rotary Club GPS Event, especially as the Swindon’Es’ won last time.  Four of us took part in the first event and had a enjoyable day, this is a great event to get involved with and children in the teams taking part the first time round were better at it than the adults!

April we are planning to be involved in the District Conference and the Festival of Rotary in Bristol (21st – 22nd April), where we can help promote Rotary and the eClub. It will be good if eClub members attend the District Conference which is only £20 per person, more details can be obtained and a registration form at Registration form_District Conference , there are to be some really good speakers. We are planning to have some fun at the Festival of Rotary hopefully involving all your families and friends.

If other Rotary Clubs in the District let us know what you are organising, we can advertise events to our members and encourage them where time permits to get involved.

Charter News

 Hopefully within the next two months we can be officially chartered, we have 24 signed up members, so we are so close to the magic 25 members required. Once we have our Inaugural Meeting, no one else will be able to join until we are chartered, so we are still looking for founder members. However, once we have chartered our intention is for new interested people who are looking to join to have a trial period of two months.  This will enable them to form relationships with other members, give us the chance to get to know them, take part in activities, have a mentor and then they can decide whether they would like to join the eClub.

We look forward to hearing your ideas and comments.