Membership Committee People of Action Membership Plan Announcement

Posted by Lori Krouskos on Aug 03, 2018

Sustaining our clubs Fantastic Community Service Image requires a People of Action Growth Plan

Our club is an award winning club known in the community for its service. We know the need for community service volunteer activities such as ours is great. Our membership has big hearts, but to be able to continue our service mission in the community, we need more members like us that have a passion for giving of their time, talent and treasure.

Membership in Rotary is by invitation. We invite friends and neighbors to our meetings and service projects so they can learn about our club's passion for service. Such passion is infectious and these friends and neighbors become interested in being an active part of Rotary.

This was the starting point of our membership committees plan for membership growth. We need to identify community members of all ages (20 years old and older) like ourselves that want to be engaged in serving the needs of the community.

Membership Initiatives approved in 2017-2018

Last year, the board of directors approved major membership initiatives intended to encourage interest in joining our club:

Membership Options - The BOD approved the offering of four options to potential and current members:
1. Standard Individual Membership - Membership Cost $184/quarter (typically but not exclusively those whose companies pay community organization and professional dues)
2. Non Profit Membership (managers in non-profit organizations) - Membership Cost $120/quarter
3. Corporate Membership - Membership cost - $500/quarter (includes 2 designated RI members with flexible participation)
4. Family Membership - $89/quarter - eligibility as follows:
  1. 2nd or 3rd member of a household with 1st family member at Standard Individual Membership
  2. Early Career individuals (less than 5 years in profession)
  3. First Responders and Teachers whose organizations do not have payment of community and professional dues as a benefit
  4. Retirees (Receiving Social Security payments)
Variable Meeting Times. BOD approved 7 AM Thursday meeting on 1st, 2nd & 3rd Thursday and 7 PM on 4th Thursday starting in July
New Venue. Staring July, 2018 we are meeting at Old Town Brewhouse

Visioning - Strategic Planning Initiatives:

During the Strategic Planning Visioning meeting held last February and the subsequent planning meetings, the club had determined the ideal membership size for our club should be 45 members. So, our strategic plan is to grow our club membership by a net 17 members by June 30, 2021. The membership committee has set an annual goal of inducting 12 new members for each of the next 3 years. Why twelve? Because on average, 6 members/year leave due to job changes, home moves etc.

2018-2019 Membership Initiatives

We also know to be successful, there must be a fit. Instead of identifying potential members by vocation, we are encouraging members to invite folks that have a heart for the kind of service activities our club does; environmental projects (household hazardous waste & Keep Lewisville Beautiful), serving those in need (CCA and Salvation Army), disease prevention and treatment projects (Blood Drives an End Polio), literacy projects (adopt-a-school, dictionary project & perfect attendance), youth projects (EarlyAct, InterAct, RYLA & Student of the Month) and international projects (Costa Rica Dental Service).

So, if we want to find folks with similar passions we need to go where we might find folks that are passionate about the environment, serving the needy, literacy, youth and international service projects. The committee identified the following ideas for reaching such folks:

Environmental Passion - at HHW and Keep Lewisville Beautiful Events
Literacy & Youth Service Passion - contact parents, teachers and others that come to our meetings and events
Community Service Passion - at our own offices and business networking activities

Create greater visibility of our clubs projects. Some ideas for increasing visibility of Rotary and specifically Lewisville Morning Rotary that will be implemented next year:

For those who visit, parents of the Student of the Month, Honored Vocations - offer an Honorary 90 day Membership-this allows a visitor to come back, attend a service project or two, an evening meeting and a social event to fully understand our mission. (Implement - 1st qtr 2018-19 RY - Lori Krouskos & Bill Shaw to be co-committee champion for implementation)
Developing a sign/poster/etc. for our members to place in their businesses “XXXX Business is a proud supporter/partner of Lewisville Morning Rotary Club” perhaps add some of the service projects and maybe the 4 way test-“How we make a difference” (Implement - 1st qtr 2018-19 RY - Marilyn & John Pokorny to be committee champion for implement)
Holding a “What Is Rotary” event monthly (undecided on frequency) maybe for the evening Rotary meeting or maybe in addition to our regularly scheduled meetings, invite all past visitors and make it fun-covering Rotary’s and our mission, who we partner with, how we impact the community. We put a tentative date of 9/27/18 as a date for our first event. (Implement - 1st qtr 2018-19 RY - Lori Krouskos to be committee champion for implementation)
Collect the business cards of the visitors, put in “fish bowl” and give a gift that says “thank you for coming”. Encourage members to donate the prize-brownies, company promotional items, etc. (Implement - 1st qtr 2018-19 RY. Lori Krouskos to be committee champion for implementation)
Establish “engagement” options-member/benefactor/volunteer (Implement - 2nd qtr 2018-19 RY, Bill Shaw to be committee champion for implementation)
What do you (prospective member) want to be involved in? Kids/Senior’s,/Community/Environmental/International, etc (Implement - 2nd qtr 2018-19 RY Lori Krouskos to be committee champion for implementation)
Rotary Bling Table. Committee wands more Swag - thought it would be great to have various “Rotary Promotional Products” available to our club visitors, guests and members. Mary Jones and Marilyn Pokorny to pull together some ideas that may include shirts, drink-ware, hats, pens, etc.
Prepare a Lewisville Morning Rotary Video featuring our members, our service projects, our fund raisers and member "why I love Rotary" interviews. Audra Johnson to be committee champion to complete before 3rd quarter.

The committee identified additional needs:

1-The need to address the evening meal and if that can’t be properly done, contact other

vendors in the area (Dickey’s perhaps) for a really inviting evening meal.

2-Member with guest provide that guest a “liquid refreshment” at the evening meeting.

3-The absolute need for an amplifier, speaker and microphone

4-Budget for postage (for any mailings we decide)

5-Budget for printing (posters/signs)

Committee members: Chair Lori Krouskos

Mary Jones

Terry Kasen

Frank Hebb

Audra Johnson