Category Archives: How To

A modern brand for a modern club

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By Damien Walker, Director of Public Image and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Salisbury City Rotaract Club (Australia)

As the public image director for the Rotaract Club of Salisbury City in Australia, my job is to tell my club’s story. I share how we are a dynamic club that provides the entire Rotaract experience without the need for additional, outside commitment; how we ask our members to come as they are and give as they can; and how we are social club that volunteers and values fellowship and friendship. Additionally, I wear the hat as our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) director where I ensure we offer a welcome space for everyone to thrive.

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Background checks for friendship exchange

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By Rotary staff

A friendship exchange.

Your club members have generously volunteered to host Rotarians from a district in another country as part of their Rotary Friendship Exchange program. Your club’s Rotary Friendship Exchange committee wishes to require all host families and visiting families to complete a background check as a precautionary measure of security. Other club members protest that only individuals of good standing become club members, so a background check is costly and unnecessary. What would you do?

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Using Raise for Rotary to support polio eradication is a breeze

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Jayne Hulbert and her husband, Gene, at the Road Rally to End Polio in 2020.
Jayne Hulbert and her husband, Gene, get ready for the District 5150 Road Rally to End Polio in 2020.

By Jayne Hulbert, past governor and Rotary Foundation chair, District 5150

The eradication of polio is personal to me. My sister and my husband’s father both were victims of this dreaded disease when they were only 5 years old. I joined Rotary because of our fight against polio.

Last year, when I learned that Rotary had created the fundraiser site, Raise for Rotary, I immediately knew I wanted to use it. I am always looking for ways to make it as easy as possible for people to donate to The Rotary Foundation. As part of District 5150’s PolioPlus fundraising campaign we set up our first Raise for Rotary website. It was a huge success.

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Creating inclusive service projects for immune-compromised members

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By Rotary staff

During the pandemic, your club service projects have been coordinated virtually partnering with local groups that provide community resources. Now your area is allowing in-person gatherings, but you have several members who are immune-compromised or cannot get vaccinated for health reasons. How can your club plan inclusive service activities that won’t exclude these members.

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New signs promote Rotary, welcome visitors to Oil City

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The new sign to Oil City
Jim Marshall of King’s Landscaping and Rotary members (from left) Eva Palmer, Rebekah Deal, Stephen Reinsel, and John McCullough stand by the new sign at the entrance to Oil City.

By Eva Palmer, assistant governor for District 7280 (Pennsylvania, USA)

Our club is very committed to working with our community and telling people about Rotary. It’s woven into everything we do, including our club’s strategic plan. So when I heard that the city wanted to update the welcome signs leading into our town of Oil City, I jumped at the opportunity to help beautify our city, support tourism efforts, and promote Rotary at the same time.

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How leadership opportunities enhanced my Rotary journey

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Owolabi and Rotary members at the Veteran's Restoration Quarters in Asheville, North Carolina.
Isaac Owolabi, third from left, with Rotary members preparing meals at the Veteran’s Restoration Quarters in Asheville, North Carolina.
Isaac Owolabi
Isaac Owolabi

By Isaac B. Owolabi, past governor of Rotary District 7670 and a member of the Rotary Club of Asheville-Biltmore, North Carolina, USA

I am grateful for my involvement in Rotary, not only because it has allowed me to make many friends but to grow in countless ways. My excitement for Rotary has increased over the years because I have been fortunate to have been offered many opportunities to get involved, learn new skills, and lead. This is what is meant by participant engagement, a pillar of our Action Plan. And it is necessary if we want our clubs to thrive and grow.

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5 ingredients of a successful Rotary club

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By Barton Goldenberg, immediate past governor of District 7620 (Maryland and Washington D.C., USA)

Running a successful Rotary club is a bit like baking a cake. You need the right ingredients.
Running a successful Rotary club is a bit like baking a cake. You need the right ingredients.

If you’re a baker, you know that a great cake is made up of individual ingredients that come together to produce something special. A great Rotary club is like that, in that it is made up of a unique mix of ingredients. Here are the five that I have found in most, if not all, successful Rotary clubs.

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What would you do? Paying a member’s way at convention

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By Rotary magazine staff

The House of Friendship at the Rotary International Convention 2019.

A prominent business leader recently joined your Rotary club. They run a global business and their customers are primarily Rotarians. Your club’s leadership team decides to pay this new member’s way to the next Rotary International Convention; they think the experience will inspire the new member to get more involved in club activities. The member mentions that they plan to have a booth promoting their business in the House of Friendship during the entire convention and probably will not have time to attend sessions. What would you do?

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What would you do? Partnership dilemma

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By Rotary magazine staff

Your club president is on the board of a local organization. The organization wants to partner with your club, but it doesn’t have many resources that would enhance your club. In fact, you believe your club would end up providing resources and network connections without getting anything in return. Your club president is insistent on creating the partnership, and wants you as service chair to find a way to make it work. What would you do?

Every month, Rotary magazine showcases answers to an ethical question that members might face in their Rotary clubs. Above is the ethical challenge we will tackle in the October issue of the magazine. Share your suggestions below and send them to magazine@rotary.org

What would you do? Working together

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By Rotary magazine staff

Every month in Rotary magazine, we showcase answers to ethical questions that members might face in their Rotary clubs, to help members share best practices with each other as they make their clubs stronger. Below is the ethical challenge we will tackle in the September issue of the magazine.

You’ve been asked to promote resources for service and to get club members more involved in projects. To succeed, you realize you’ll need to work with the chairs of your club’s Rotary Foundation, membership, public image, and club administration committees. But when you contact them, they don’t seem interested. You believe it’s vital that you all work together, but they want to focus on their own goals. What would you do?

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