Breaking the mould

PICTURED: An ongoing project of the Rotary Club of Wellington North brings together community members and organisations like Scouts to plant and maintain a city reserve on a hill above Khandallah. 

Reinventing membership for the future. Facing declining membership, the Rotary Club of Wellington North has revitalised itself by relocating to the suburbs and pioneering flexible, community-focused membership models that are now inspiring other clubs.

Words: PDG Morris Robertson.

The Rotary Club of Wellington North, NZ, was chartered in 1965. Its territory was the northern end of the Wellington CBD and the suburbs in the hills above. Its membership of about 70, largely comprising public servants and business leaders, was relatively stable until, in recent years, the government sector was wound down, and many head offices of businesses migrated to Auckland and overseas.

Three years ago, with members declining to about 30, the club relocated to its suburban base, with a central point of Khandallah. It then started to develop a new format of meetings, coupled with a new structure for membership.

For meetings, the format is a monthly luncheon at a Khandallah restaurant for the general purposes of club business and, sometimes, a short speaker. The second monthly meeting is an evening function held at a Khandallah Church complex, to which the public is invited. These are proving to be very popular and thus attract good speakers. This meeting includes pizza and salad plus drinks, all for NZ$20.

Regular visitors to these meetings can be good candidates for membership.

The next step has been the creation of new forms of membership, recognising that there is some resistance to an initial full membership at currently NZ$260 per annum, when, despite publicity, there is only limited public understanding of Rotary.

The changes began with the opening up of household memberships at NZ$30 per annum for partners of club members. This has been successful in that they are contributing to club committees.

Next, which has been the main key to growth, is local memberships at NZ$30 per annum, where they are not registered with RI, but belong to the club only. All events and meetings, including committees, are open to them. Such membership can be held for up to two years only, while there is a progressive opportunity to become full members. The latter is now happening.

Since moving to the suburbs, the club has engaged with local community groups leading to opportunities for mutual assistance. Complimentary membership is offered to one nominated representative of community organisations and local business owners.

Consequently, the club, which was declining in numbers, has a new lease of life and has demonstrated that the traditional RI model of one size fits all is not necessarily the way to a sound future.

Other clubs are adopting variations of the Wellington North structure. The Club Bulletin, which is now more community oriented, has a circulation of over 100. Rather than fading away like so many clubs, it has forged a positive route to its future. The inclusive forms of membership, with an initial minimal subscription is guiding the way to the future.

At midnight on 25 December, Wellington North surrendered its charter in order to form a new club merged with the nearby declining Karori club, but retaining the Wellington North name, with a by-line ‘From Karori to Khandallah’.