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WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM?

We’ve all heard Rotary leaders talk about membership growth, but no one joins to help with that. They join for “what’s in it for them” – The Four Powerful Benefits of Rotary: Relationships, Service, Growth, and Learning.

When you talk to non-Rotarians, keep these four top of mind, tell them what you are proud of in Rotary, and invite them to a meeting or event.

Relationships

1. Quality – Rotary offers friendships with people who recite the Four Way Test each week.
2. Fun – Most clubs have what I call “fun partners in crime” doing service projects, club leadership, social activities, and fund-raising work together.
3. Connections – We are connectors! People need this far more since COVID.

Service

1. People can find their passion in Rotary, or they can bring theirs to Rotary.
2. They can serve locally or internationally, in most any way imaginable.
3. They get Rotary’s incredible reputation and logistical & financial support.

Growth

1. Immediate Past RI President Jennifer Jones has said “we are leaders by mindset as much as position”, making Rotary perfect for people of all ages.
2. People can improve leadership, organizational, and speaking skills. This is ideal for younger members. If less than perfect, they still have their day job!
3. Rotary could offer more leadership, service & growth opportunities than a job or business.

Learning

Through exposure to a wide variety of community leaders and organizations, and obviously Rotarians, some of whom are outside their club.

 Finally, personalize it by sharing what you are most proud of in your club, your Rotary service, or Rotary itself.

Now, invite someone to your next meeting or event by remembering the answer to “what’s in it for them?” – Relationships, Service, Growth and Learning, and what you’re proud of.

Mike Walker, 

District Membership Chair

Register TODAY on DACdb for the Membership Summit.

Register on DacDb for the Foundation Banquet.

New this Rotary Year, Zone 33 has initiated the Public Image Club Citation (shared by Zone 34, which has had the Club Citations for several years). The Public Image Club Citation is a roadmap for the Rotary year and will be awarded at the end of the Rotary year.

Each month, there will be task and action items that need to be completed by the Club Public Image Team.

Public Image is an essential part of every Rotary Club and every Rotary District. Without Public Image, we can’t be a thriving organization.

To find out more about the Public Image Citation and the Public Image resources, please watch the following video.

Watch Zone 33/34 Public Image Bootcamp.

Some takeaways from this video are:

1. Create a Public Image Team consisting of Public Relations (traditional media outlets), Photography and Video, Website and Technology, Social Media, and Newsletter.
2. Conduct a Club Audit. Check websites, passwords, club information, logo usage, branding.
   1. Zones 33/34 has a plethora of public image resources. Check out their website (see below) and peruse their past webinars, review their Toolkit, etc.
   2. Guidelines for branding and logos. Check out the Brand Center (see below).
3. Create a Content Calendar.
   1. Where to find content.
      1. Facebook Rotary Club Members: Public Image, Graphics & Ideas Hub
   2. Other Zone 33/34 Webinars.

Helpful links:

• Zones 33/34 Public Image:  https://elevaterotary.org/
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/zones3334updatesandactivities/
• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/rotaryzones3334/
• Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/RotaryZones3334
• Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/rotaryzones3334/
• Vimeo:  https://vimeo.com/showcase/z34webinars
• Email:  z34piteam@rotaryshares.org
• Rotary Brand Center: https://brandcenter.rotary.org/en-us

District 7680 is sponsoring an RLI event in West Jefferson, NC on September 30. Lorena Prince, RLI District Chair is working with Ashe County Clubs and planning a “Fall Get-Away Weekend” to include RLI on Saturday with a service project to be conducted concurrently in which spouses, partners, friends and other Rotarians can participate. There will also be a social the night before. More details when you register.

RLI Part 1, 2, & 3

Wilkes Community College

Ashe County Campus

363 Campus Drive

West Jefferson, NC 28694

Registration is open on DACdb or by using the direct link below:

https://Registrations.DACdb.com/Register/index.cfm?EventID=77690411&NoCaptcha

Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information.  THANK YOU!!!!!  -Lorena

Congratulations to our newest Club Presidents throughout the District 7680 area! Thank you for leading our clubs as we Create Hope in the World!

Rotary District 7680 conducted an intensive leadership and personal development seminar for sixtyish teenagers from around the district called the Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders (SFTL) from July 13-16 at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs. Developed by the Center for Creative Leadership and optioned by the District, the curriculum demonstrates how to offer and accept feedback, explore social identity and how it impacts perspective and bias, explains mental models, contrasts fixed and growth mindsets, explores ethical decision-making, ponders values and emotional intelligence, and discusses elements of personal resiliency. Kids come in with varying degrees of willingness and leave with visibly increased swagger and confidence. For the veteran facilitators and mentors, it’s universally their favorite thing in the Rotary year.

But why? The days are long. It can be emotionally draining shepherding kids through a crash course in self-awareness. It can be physically tiring because it’s hot, we all sleep in college dorms on typical dorm mattresses, and the food isn’t what you’d enjoy in your own kitchen. There can be drama because there are dozens of teenagers from the far reaches of the district who are tossed together in a salad bowl of intensive experiences.

Who volunteers for this?

It turns out that a lot of us do – over, and over, and over again.

I (Rotary Club of Waxhaw-Weddington) do it because this age group is on the cusp of adulthood, and they’re in the throes of the most difficult part of their journey. Watching them is like living in a discotheque…lightbulbs flashing everywhere. They are awkward and uncomfortable on their first day, and by the end of the weekend they are tightly bonded with the most unlikely people imagined, and they keep in touch using the modern media du jour. It is enthralling to witness, humbling to enable, and invigorating to achieve. It’s worth the drain, the tiredness, the food, and the drama.

Our District Governor, Debb Corbett, started volunteering with SFTL in 2010 and has returned every year since including making it a priority this July during her year as governor. Debb says SFTL is fuel for her soul as she gets to dig into leadership learning and witness the transformation of young leaders with the enthusiasm to take their leadership forward and make a difference in their schools, communities, and lives.

Three of our volunteers are SFTL alumni. Dominique Isles, who is looking for a club to call “home”, was a participant in 2014. She is the “Swiss Army Knife” of the program, and nothing would happen as smoothly as it does without her management and preparation. “SFTL gives me an opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself…. I learned that it’s not always what you say but sometimes how you articulate yourself. I learned skills that I’m able to apply as an adult. SFTL is a place where I’m able to fit in and apply my leadership skills. I show up hoping to inspire tomorrow’s leaders and leave inspired by each of them. Come expecting the unexpected (in an amazing way)!”

Rylie LaRue is another alumnus who will continue her leadership journey with the Peace Corps this fall. There’s something special when students return to mentor; it’s a validation of the intent of a program and an attestation to the efforts of the Rotarians who bring the curriculum to life. “As a former student, I knew how positive and powerful the experiences were for me. I wanted to be a mentor to a group of future leaders and make an impact on their lives and even continue to grow as a leader. SFTL is such a wonderful program and provides young students the opportunity to cultivate their leadership and interpersonal skills while arming them with the information and power to be better leaders.

Steve Buteau (Rotary Club of Alleghany) just wrapped up his third year as a mentor. An experienced leader himself, he likes mentoring teenagers about how to be their own brand of leader. The interaction and camaraderie he enjoyed during his first year encouraged him to return for his second year, and he returned for the third year because “as I reflected on all the experiences of my life, this program is really top shelf and I wanted to contribute what I could and continue to learn from the kids, mentors, and facilitators.” SFTL isn’t a one-way delivery system. Every veteran mentor and facilitator will tell you that they learn just as much – if not more – from the kids as the kids learn from them.

Brent Goddard (Top of the Lake Rotary Club) completed his first experience as an SFTL mentor and decided to volunteer because “I’ve been a student of leadership for over 40 years and everything about it motivates me…and I’ll keep coming back because of how good the program is. The growth of the students over the program is amazing.” Brent found that sharing personal stories was an effective way to connect the kids with real applications of the concepts they learned.

“Leadership is an underrated skill”, says Ben Tewolde (Rotary Club of Waxhaw-Weddington), “and there is no textbook for it, nor is it taught at schools. Leadership is a way of life that requires continuous education. SFTL makes this incredible skill set available at an early stage in life for our youth who are tomorrow’s leaders. They get their first lesson in leadership, and it is a joy to see them connect, communicate, and create lasting friendships and connections.”

Clearly, the facilitators and mentors have a tremendous passion for sharing their own particular brands of leadership and mentorship not only with the students but also with each other. We each want to be valued and add value to any organization to which we give our time, talent, and treasure, and joining this group of outstanding individuals who have achieved so much success in their own professional lives is motivating and inspiring.

Why do we keep coming back, and how do we manage to attract new mentors each year? Because it makes all of us better humans, better Rotarians, and better stewards of our communal future. And that is a worthwhile endeavor to which to give a long summer weekend.

Article submitted by Cristina Capello, President, Waxhaw-Weddington Rotary

A NEW survey is available for all members to SHARE their voices! I DARE you to take a couple of minutes to CARE and SHARE. Your ideas and opinions are important and help shape the future of our district. Thank you for completing the survey; click here: 

Join the Art Competition Committee and help spread the word throughout our district about this new opportunity! To help with the committee, contact Jennifer Bell, ritzell987@gmail.com