Imagine a better Rotary future

By Kero O’Shea
Membership Voice Coordinator

July 1 saw a new era of opportunities dawn in our region. Under our new operating model, clubs will be motivated to embrace growth strategies and improve impact in their core causes, build stronger connections with communities, and collaborate with others in their Rotary Community Groups and beyond.

As a Rotary Community Leader, I am thrilled by the possibilities!

However, the pressing question for many club leaders is: Can you break free from your Rotary rut?

We have become comfortable with the way we are seen in our communities, and that can mean the exciting opportunities Rotary can open are sometimes misunderstood.

PICTURED: Past District Governor Dave Harmon, centre, and the team at Ballina-on-Richmond, NSW, challenged the status quo to put domestic violence at the forefront of community awareness.

We have shaped the expectations of our communities by what we have done in the past. These expectations, although well-founded, can and will limit your potential, as potential members judge your club by what they’ve seen and heard about it.

A marvellous opportunity to redevelop your club and make new connections with your community will be available soon, as your club leadership team joins other club leaders in your Rotary Community Group to develop a growth plan, through which every club that wants a better future can have it. Clubs that get behind their leadership teams will see the benefits of collaboration and improved impact.

Reflecting on the insights from the Membership Voice online seminar series, it is clear that Rotary and Rotaract leaders who have driven success share numerous admirable qualities. Effective leadership, inclusivity, a passion for learning, and a willingness to take risks are just a few.

Another crucial quality stood out: a determination not to be pigeonholed.

Consider this:
If Past District Governor Brian Coffey had accepted that unresolved conflict was the norm at East Maitland, NSW, would the club still exist today, let alone be an outstanding success story?

“We have shaped the expectations of our communities by what we have done in the past. These expectations, although well-founded, can and will limit your potential, as potential members judge your club by what they’ve seen and heard about it.”

If Past District Governor Dave Harmon and the team at Ballina-on-Richmond, NSW, had gone with the status quo, would they have made the outstanding community contributions that define their success story?

If Mark Huddleston had settled for business as usual a decade ago, would the Rotary Club of Seaford, Vic, be the success story it is today?

If Past District Governor Michael Buckeridge and his fellow Rotary Club of Mackay, Qld, members had stayed in their comfortable rut, would their innovative corporate satellite have been created?

Will your club break free from your comfortable Rotary rut? Join in with your Rotary Community Group and go for it!