Newark Castle Rotary Club
PROCEDURE FOR HOSTING VISITORS ON CLUB NIGHTS, INCLUDING VISTORS’
STEWARD DUTIES
Personal or individual guests (not speakers).
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If you are inviting a friend or acquaintance for a casual visit, then the meal must be paid for
by you or the visitor.
 If you are acting as host to a person who has expressed an interest in Rotary, perhaps with a
view to join, then the FIRST MEAL ONLY is paid for by the Club. On subsequent visits,
the cost of the meal must be met by that person.
 Upon arrival, before being seated, the host club member will be responsible for introducing
their guest to other members at the bar and for buying the guest a drink. The host member
should also introduce the visitor to the Visitors’ Steward. The Visitors’ Steward is NOT
expected to buy drinks for the personal guest of a club member.
 At the commencement of business, when those present are asked by The President if there
are any non-Rotarian visitors, the club member should STAND and formally introduce the
visitor. The resultant information will be an aid to conversation when club members have
the opportunity to chat to the guest. Additionally, fellow club members have the right to
know who is visiting the club and for what reason.
Suggested introductions:
1. First Visit: Give some general detail, such as to how the person contacted the club (through
you, or via a chance contact, or via the web, etc.). Also give their professional background
if known.
2. Second Visit: As per first visit, with any additional details if known. If possible, get the
visitor to stand and give a brief outline of him/herself
3. Third visit: By now, the visitor will have established, by his/her frequent visits, that he/she
has more than just a casual interest in our club and the club member or potential member
should make it clear to the club what his or her interest is.
Role of Visitors’ Steward Regarding Official Visitors
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The Visitors’ Steward (VS) should arrive EARLY to a club meeting, so as to be in good
time to meet official visitors (guest speakers, District Officers, Rotary Scholars, etc).
The VS should ensure that, upon arrival, the visitor is not left alone and overlooked by
other members. The VS should ensure that a visitor has a drink and is advised of where
he/she will be sitting. If there is a large group of official visitors it is at the VS’s discretion
whether to buy them all drinks, although the VS is not be expected to do so. The VS should
remain with the visitor/s until all are seated.
If many official visitors are expected, the VS should ensure beforehand that he/she enrols
other club members to assist in taking care of guests upon arrival and at the bar.
Throughout a speech, the VS should note its content and then give a vote of thanks on
behalf of the club. The VS should NOT further illuminate the specific content of the speech
(some VSs in the past have unwittingly given an additional speech on the same subject,
thus seeming to claim a greater knowledge than the speaker!). Basically, the speaker should
be thanked for the interesting and informative content and congratulated on his/her expert
knowledge and enthusiasm.
The VS should promptly email a written report on the speaker/speech to our Website and
Bulletin Editors.
John Lewington – John’s Work “Rotary – ProcedureForHostingVisitors”. 1 December 2013