A lot of recent conversations I have been having amongst everyone working at Rotary revolve around how we can ensure Rotary’s long-term future.
As an organisation, it is clear we need to be doing whatever we can to suit the lives of both current and potential members which requires a level of flexibility some traditional club models aren’t used to.
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This is one of the many reasons why I will always champion Direct Membership – a way of doing Rotary that embraces the future.
Joining Rotary as a Direct Member means that you join Rotary as an organisation and can work on a multitude of different projects with different clubs depending on what you are interested in.
The Rotary Direct Membership Network exists online 24/7, allowing full flexibility in terms of how you want to take part in Rotary.
If our time operating during the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it showed us how much of an asset online platforms such as Microsoft Teams can be to Rotary.
As an organisation, it is clear we need to be doing whatever we can to suit the lives of both current and potential members which requires a level of flexibility some traditional club models aren’t used to.”
To be clear, this is not an effort to push out the traditional Rotary club model many of you will be used to but as a way of improving potential connections between clubs and those new to Rotary based on the desire to volunteer.
When I spoke to Tim Mason, one of our Rotary Direct Membership Leads, he explained: “I see my Direct Membership as my door opener to connect other people to Rotary and I think that’s how other people should see it.
“It is a partnership of Direct Members, who are a little bit like freelance Rotarians, not wanting to fundraise in your area but actually wanting to open doors and help the community build sustainability and awareness of Rotary.”
I have only scratched the surface of everything Direct Membership has to offer, but I can assure you that, after watching how it has developed, this is a truly exciting opportunity to grow Rotary as we know it.
Find out more on the Rotary Direct Membership web page.
