Weekly programme for week commencing 12th December, 2013

There is definitely a realisation that our world has changed and if we are to recruit people to join Rotary International we need to be ensuring our offer is meeting the needs of people in our 21st Century world.

eRotary, although still in its pioneering days, is definitely a way in which busy people can perhaps get involved with an international network known as Rotary. It offers them a chance to give service in their communities, meet new people and gives leadership and networking opportunities, whilst recognising their time is limited. Click 4 Action eRotary is no joke and recognises there is a need to become more diverse and inclusive, if it is to be relevant within expectations of the 21st Century.

If eRotary is to continue to stay successful it needs to continually assess the needs of its current membership and potential new members. Trying to develop how it works based on old structures is a remedy for failure. Changing how we operate in eRotary is essential if we are to continue to rotate and give people the opportunity to be part of Rotary in this new way.

Going back to the original vision might be a good starting point, eRotary recognised the need to give members of our communities the ability to get involved with Rotary International without necessarily joining a traditional Rotary Club. Our hope had been that we could have worked closely with traditional Clubs in their planned recruitment and be the alternative if time or capacity to engage every week was an issue. We do really want to seek these partnerships, with a close collaboration on working together on projects that help achieve the objects of Rotary. In the future some Rotary Clubs might decide that in our changing world where people can’t meet each week, a hybrid of eRotary and physical Rotary joined together will be the norm.

We do want to see Rotary stays an organisation that is a leader in community engagement and facilitation, our founder Paul Harris said in an article before he died “Our peace and tranquility soon burst their bounds, however. We ceased to be content with isolationism and began Community Service, built upon the rock of fellowship and goodwill, and that foundation has never been shaken. Rotary became known as a beneficial influence in the city of Chicago.” Paul Harris didn’t prevent change, he actively encouraged it and Rotarians must follow his example of not seeing Rotary through ‘Rose Tinted Glasses’, we need to move with the times, be open to innovation and be ready to change our structures and the way we do things to meet the needs of the world.

To this end eRotary can help to develop new ways of engaging people in an organisation that is ambitious to continue to do good in our international and local communities. Provided we are all open to change the way we do things and move forward, helping to put the ‘C’ back into Communities is the way forward to building a strong and inclusive Rotary of the 21st Century.