Past District Governor, Rotarian Omotunde Lawson has challenged the foremost club in District, 9111, Rotary Club of Ikeja to move from its consistent status to a growing club.
Rotarian Lawson, who is also the Assistant Rotary Membership Coordinator, Region 27, Zone 22, Africa noted that the club whose membership rose to 47 at the end of its first year after being charted in 1967, should be more intentional about increasing and sustaining its membership.
Speaking as a guest speaker at a lecture themed: Strategies for Sustainable Membership Growth in commemoration of the Rotary Month of August theme: Membership and New Development, Lawson observed that club’s membership would grow if attraction was greater than attrition.
She added that the key principles for sustaining membership are, ‘’admitting the right people, admitting for genuine reasons, admitting who can afford the cost of Rotary and admitting people who are very willing and not coerced.’’
Rotarian Lawson, who applauded the club for birthing over 60 clubs said the time has come for the club to reinvent itself.
‘’It is gratifying to note that most of the successful clubs in the district have their roots here in this club and Rotary club of Ikeja is either their father, grand- father or great grand -father. However, Rotary club of Ikeja needs to devise means and ways of attracting new members into its fold on a regular basis.
‘’Some of the reasons for attracting and sustaining membership in Rotary include good leadership, providing an irresistible club experience during your meetings, flexibility, engagement with all members as well as boosting the capacity of Rotarians in Rotary knowledge and information.
She concluded, ‘’We also need to conduct health check regularly on our clubs, avoid long meetings, very dry and uninteresting club meetings, unimpressive attendance of members as well as keeping our guests unattended to”.
