Planning Effective District Strategies
for Struggling Clubs
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
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Type questions
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Today’s Facilitators
Gayle Knepper
Penny Offer
District 5010
District 5040
Larry Jubie
District 5050
Zone 24W Coordinator Team Members
Topics for Discussion
Impact of struggling clubs
Assessing the risk factors
Developing a district strategy
Forming a specialized team &
making an action plan
Real life stories
Resources
Poll Question
Poll Question
10% or less
35% to 50%
11% to 20%
Over 50%
21% to 35%
Identifying the
Impact
of Struggling Clubs
Larry Jubie
District 5050
Assistant Rotary Coordinator
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
The Impact
of a Struggling Club
Membership
District
Community
Potential partners &
funding sources
Future service projects
Rotary’s public image
Identifying the
Risk Factors
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
Recognizable Signs
of an At-Risk Club
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Progressively declining membership
Very few service projects
Lack of social events
Poor meetings
Consistently late dues payment
Failure to file required reports
Significant cancelled meetings
Recognizable Signs
More Examples
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Low membership involvement
Lack of outside fundraising
No younger members
No involvement district events
Difficulty in finding leaders
Lack criteria of functioning club
Poll Question
Poll Question
The key reason why the clubs in your
district are struggling (as many as apply)
Poor leadership, especially for >1 year
Internal strife
Burn out of leaders; same leaders
"recycling"
Struggling community or outside
environmental issues
Club thinks change is not needed
Defining
Struggling
Clubs
Penny Offer
District 5040
Assistant Rotary Coordinator
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
Assessing the Level of Risk
 Identify
club functioning quantifiably
Assessment/Review continuity is
important in an effective plan
Assess all clubs each year and at-risk
clubs semi-annually
Takes time for club to move from
healthy to struggling and return to
healthy
Assessing the Level of Risk
 Rotary tools
Rotary Club Central (Memo of Club Visit)
Vibrant Club Assessment Worksheet
Rotary Club Self Assessment
 Rotary criteria to measure club
functioning
Effective Rotary Clubs (RI MOP)
Minimum Standards (RI COP)
Effective Rotary Clubs
Sustain or increase membership base
Implement successful service projects
that address the needs of local
community and in other countries
Support The Rotary Foundation
through financial contributions and
program participation
Develop leaders capable of serving
Rotary beyond the club level
Minimum Standards for Clubs
Meet regularly
Implement service projects that
address community needs
Accept the visit of AG, DG or any
officer of RI
Pay RI membership and district dues
without outside assistance
Ensure members subscribe to a Rotary
magazine
Minimum Standards for Clubs
Maintain appropriate liability
insurance
Act consistently with RI Constitution,
Bylaws and Code of Policy
Provide timely & accurate
membership lists
Resolve disputes in amicable manner
Maintain cooperative relations with
district
Not initiating litigation with RI
Gayle Knepper
District 5010
Rotary Coordinator
Creating
Your Plan
Framework
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
Categorizing Clubs
Rotary Club Central
5. Excellent – consistently engaged
4. Good – engaged, could increase
effectiveness
3. Satisfactory – is functioning but could
improve
2. Need improvement - club needs
significant assistance
1. Non-functional – failed to meet
functioning club criteria
Other Considerations
Number years at risk
Assistance that has been
provided
How has the club responded?
Was a structured follow up plan
implemented?
Have targets been set and what
is the progress?
Prioritization & Decisions
 Where will resources be placed?
 What will have the most impact?
 Plan by category and customized
by club
 Component of district strategic
plan
 Involve DG/DGE/DGN/DGND for
continuity
Forming the Team
Who is responsible?
 Based on district and geography
 Usual size is 4 to 7 members
 District team or one coordinator
with regional teams
 DG is involved, perhaps adjunct
Forming the Team
Examples
Team of district leaders
Team of PDGs
Specialized turnaround team
Team from nearby vibrant club
Regional team
Poll Question
Poll Question
What is the district’s responsibility in a
club’s turnaround plan?
 Makes and implements the plan
 Offers support and waits for the club to ask
for specific help
 Takes a leadership in motivating the club to
action
 Club decides on own action and asks for help
when ready
 Motivates club to action & supports plan
implementation
Identifying
the Action
Steps
Larry Jubie
District 5050
Assistant Rotary Coordinator
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
Possible Action Steps
 Customized solutions
 Visioning
 Assign a mentor for development in
area(s) needed
 Club leaders attend RLI
 Consider merging club or making it
a satellite club
When might it be time…
for the club to close?
Years of consistent documented work
with no change
Poor community reputation
Club is no longer relevant
Club unwilling to change or doesn’t
believe there is a problem
Does not meet functioning club
criteria
Real Life
Stories
Penny Offer
District 5040
Assistant Rotary Coordinator
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
The Rotary Club of
Morinville Story
Rotary Club of Morinville Story
Rotary Club of Morinville Story
Blueprint for Creating a Vibrant
Morinville Club
A Six-Step Process
Step One: Commitment of Leadership
Membership chair & committee with 3 members
Step Two: Begin with the End in Mind
Vibrant Club – enough members to provide
service above self
Membership Committee – first item at each board
meeting
Blueprint for Creating a Vibrant
Morinville Club
A Six-Step Process
Step Three: Create the Plan
Committee meetings in July/August to
develop plan
Condense feedback into a three-year plan
Step Four: Ambiance and Friendliness
Review location, room, décor, name badges
Review first Impression, greeting, etc.
Review programs, monthly social activities
Blueprint for Creating a Vibrant
Morinville Club
A Six-Step Process
Step Five: Best Practices for
Membership Development
Review plan with club in October
Evening Fireside for classification development
Annual joint meeting with Chamber of
Commerce
Step Six: Engage all Members
Steps to Creating an
Effective Strategy
Assess clubs
Segment clubs by category
Develop strategy for development
by segment
Form a team
Launch action steps
Follow up, evaluate, adapt
Comments? Questions?
Resources
Gayle Knepper
District 5010
Rotary Coordinator
Rotary Zone 24 West
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
Resources
Rotary Coordinator in your Zone
Rotary Club Central
Rotary Club Self Assessment
www.GreatIdeasToShare.com
Vibrant Club Assessment (AG or club)
RI Club Assessment Tools
RI Membership Development Guide
(membership assessments)
Zone Webinars &
Support
Topics include:
 Strategies for Struggling Clubs (club
directed)
 Zone Webinar – July 2013
“Using One Rotary to Increase Your Club’s
Effectiveness”
 Customized topics for district and club
leadership teams
Zone 24W Coordinator Team
Gayle Knepper
Penny Offer
Larry Jubie
rotary5010@ak.net
Overall Coordinator
D2225 Liaison
pennyoffer@dccnet.com
Asst Coordinator
D5010, D5050 Liaison
lwjubie@hotmail.com
Asst Coordinator
D5040, D5060, D5360 Liaison
Raju Paul
Elly Contreras-Vermeulen
rj.paul2@gmail.com
Asst Coordinator
D5370, D5550 Liaison
miselly@platinum.com
E-Club Specialist
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com
Zone 24/32 Rotary Coordinators
Paul Beaulieu
Zone 24E
beaulieupaul1@gmail.com
Alan Hurst
Zone 32
alanhinct@aol.com
www.GreatIdeastoShare.com/membership
Thank you for joining us
today
www.GreatIdeasToShare.com