Council casts vote of confidence for strengthening membership: Results from 23 April

By Joseph Derr Rotary International News Photo by Joseph Derr

24 April 2007

CHICAGO – Ways to bring in new members to Rotary and keep the family of Rotary growing were key themes during the first full day of voting at the 2007 Council on Legislation in Chicago, where representatives from 530 Rotary districts around the world gathered to discuss and vote on more than 300 items that affect all Rotary clubs.

Despite some technical difficulties with voting equipment early on, Council members were able plough through some 60 items related to Rotary business matters – from meetings and attendance to club administration and membership. The final item of the day, proposed enactment 07-329, which says clubs can bring in community leaders who have “demonstrated personal involvement in community affairs and a commitment to service and the Object of Rotary,” generated overwhelming support and ended the day on a positive note as Rotarians looked toward the future.

“Today, we’ve added a comma here and an extra word there, but now’s the moment for Rotary to really move ahead,” said Past RI President Clifford L. Dochterman in support of the resolution.

The item, which passed 440 to 53, recognizes the importance of local volunteers who have “lifetimes of experience to offer Rotary,” said Brad Howard, representing District 5170, which includes the Rotary Club of Cupertino, California, USA. That club had proposed a similarly worded enactment (07-328) about the role of community leaders who have demonstrated through their leadership they would make active Rotarians. The enactment was inspired in part by the Cupertino club’s successful New Models for Rotary Clubs pilot project, which used the criteria to bring in active new members.

Rotary e-clubs got a vote of confidence when a proposed resolution to request that the RI Board consider discontinuing e-clubs (07-36) failed. Numerous Rotarians argued that e-clubs continue to offer a way to attract younger members and flexibility for current members who have time constraints or live in remote rural areas.

Another item (07-42), which passed by a vote of 376 to 111, adds an incentive to Rotaractors who would like to join a Rotary club. Now, individuals who have been active in a Rotaract club within the last two years will be exempt from paying an admission fee to join a Rotary club. The Council also passed a resolution to request the RI Board to consider encouraging clubs to welcome Rotary Foundation alumni as guests at club meetings (07-39).

A resolution (07-35) to request the RI Board to terminate a club with fewer than 10 members failed. David Robinson, representing RI District 5050, spoke in opposition of the resolution, recounting the story of a club in that district that rose from just 11 to more than 25 active members.

“That club went on to be the fifth largest per capita giver to The Rotary Foundation in the district,” said Robinson. “When a club’s membership dips to 10 or below, it’s not the time to give up on the club, but to offer resources to help them grow.”

Rotarians also lent their support to resolution 07-37 proposed by the RI Board of Directors, which authorizes the RI Board to suspend or terminate a club that fails to investigate an allegation that a member violated youth protection laws. Supporters of the measure said it will foster Rotary’s commitment to protect children and encourage clubs to act swiftly to investigate allegations of any wrongdoing.

Other passed enactments or resolutions included amending the standard Rotary club constitution to include the Four Avenues of Service (07-29), requiring members to attend 50 percent of regular meetings in each half of the Rotary year (07-14), and clarifying the terms of the president-nominee and president-elect (07-44).

View the Council on Legislation voting results.

Read more about the Council and the issues it voted on.

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