May 2012 | Vol. 2, Issue 6
Helping club and district officers achieve success
HOW TO
CLUB CLINIC
ASK THE EXPERT
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
Make a smooth transition for next year’s leaders
Find tips for creating a strong strategic plan
Discover the benefits of the Foundation’s new grant model
Get support and expert advice from Rotarian Action Groups
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
HOW TO…
Act globally to extend Rotary’s reach
Make a smooth transition
The idea that we should “think globally, act locally” has been around for nearly a century. It’s a great phrase for motivating people to think beyond their immediate needs and environment; it urges us Kalyan Banerjee to consider our actions in their global context, and to begin by making manageable changes in our own lives. As Rotary leaders, I think it is time for us to move beyond this idea. We shouldn’t just be thinking globally; we should also be reaching out globally. We should be acting in our communities, yes, but also beyond them — recognizing our unique abilities and our unique reach. Soon, we will achieve Rotary’s primary goal: the eradication of polio. It will be the towering achievement of our organization, and it will show the world the extent of Rotary’s potential. We must recognize that potential as well, and gauge our aspirations accordingly. Binota and I thank you all for your support during this wonderful year of Rotary service. It has been a phenomenal experience, and we cherish every moment, every visit, and every new friend. We wish you all a successful end to the 2011-12 year, and a wonderful new year in which we will seek Peace Through Service.
Help incoming club and district officers get off to a good start by following a solid succession plan Are you among the 500 district governors, 34,000 club presidents, and countless committee chairs who will be wrapping up your term in the next few months? Make sure that the plans you’ve made and the successes you’ve achieved continue into the next Rotary year by working closely with your successor. A well-planned succession not only ensures continuity, it also helps new leaders be effective right from
• Be available throughout the new Rotary year to answer your successor’s questions. • Once you’re out of office, direct all inquiries to your replacement. It’s especially important to work closely with your successor on activities that last more than one Rotary year, such as strategic planning, committee appointments, and service projects.
the start. For Scott Seitz, president of the Rotary Club of
“The worst thing we can do is make next year’s
Tacoma Narrows, in Washington, USA, planning for his
leadership reinvent the wheel,” says Seitz. “We need to
succession has been a yearlong process.
be as efficient as possible with all our resources. One
A well-planned
time something caught me by surprise,” Seitz says.
easy way to do that is to
succession not only
“I created a calendar that includes key deadlines,
be thinking and planning
monthly themes, important contact information, and
ahead with your successor.”
ensures continuity,
“One of my goals was to alert my successor every
planning dates. I’ve encouraged my successor to use this calendar to plan for his year.” Here are more tips to ensure a smooth transition: • Conduct “on-the-job training” for incoming lead-
Find more in Be a Vibrant Club: Your Club Leadership
it also helps new leaders be effective.
Plan (245-EN).
ers at least one month before the start of the new Rotary year. • Hand over important documents either in hard copy or electronically. • Give your successor a summary, in person as well as in writing, of the previous year’s work, responsibilities, and challenges.
ON THE COVER District governors-elect Geeta Manek and Mike Klingbiel discuss ways to attract young Rotary leaders to district roles during the 2012 International Assembly in San Diego.
CLUB CLINIC
FOR CLUBS
Implementing your goals
DEADLINES 1 June For clubs to update membership data via Member Access for the July semiannual report
Follow these tips to create a strong strategic plan for your club Now that you’ve learned why your club needs a strategic
“We review our plan at the start of board meetings, and
plan, it’s time to get down to the dirty work of creating and
formally review twice a year and set new objectives annu-
implementing one.
ally,” says Don Evans of the Rotary Club of Vancouver, British
Prioritize
Columbia, Canada. “It’s an embedded process.”
Start by finding out what your club members want so that
Track results
you can determine your club’s priorities.
By keeping your plan up-to-date you’ll be able to measure
The Rotary Club of Asheville Downtown in North Carolina,
your progress and see where you have succeeded and where
USA, surveyed its entire membership “to get a sense of priori-
you need to do more. The idea is to make your plan work for
ties, and also to give people a feeling that every member had
you and get results.
a say in what was going on,” says Meridith Elliott Powell, a
One goal of the strategic plan of the Rotary Club of Hout
member of the club’s strategic planning committee. The club
Bay, South Africa, was to expand the club’s membership. “We
then used focus groups to further define its goals, and held
now have around 20 members under 45, and the youngest is
strategic planning sessions with the club’s past presidents,
23,” says past president Patrick McLaughlin. “That sector has
current president, president-elect, and president-nominee.
integrated into the club and is taking a leadership role that
The goal is to develop a set of specific objectives you can
has helped transform our club and give it a new vibrancy.”
work with. “It could be as simple as developing a Facebook page or revising a website,” says Dean Rohrs, Rotary coordinator for Zone 24 West and a strategic planning expert for
STRATEGIC PLANNING RESOURCES
her region. “It’s whatever the club feels passionate about.”
Be a Vibrant Club: Your Club Leadership Plan (245-EN)
Ensure accountability A strategic plan should be a living document, not a piece of
Club Assessment Tools
paper that sits on the shelf. Revisit the plan often to make sure you are on track. Ensure that goals are accomplished by assigning them to specific committees or individuals. May 2012 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org
Be a
Vibrant Club
Your Club Leadership Plan
RI’s Strategic Plan
1 July For clubs to submit semiannual reports and club dues … For candidates to submit 2013 Rotary Peace Fellowship applications … For club presidents to submit the Planning Guide for Effective Rotary Clubs (Future Vision pilot districts version available) to the assistant governor … For clubs to begin submitting Matching Grant applications
See the awards page for more deadlines.
OTHER NOTICES Incoming presidents, secretaries, treasurers, and committee chairs should be registered for the district assembly. Incoming club presidents and membership committee members should be registered for the district membership seminar. Club presidents-elect are encouraged to complete the club assessment section and draft annual goals in the Planning Guide for Effective Rotary Clubs before the presidents-elect training seminar. Presidents-elect and other incoming club leaders can further refine these goals at the district assembly. See the RI calendar for additional dates.
ASK THE EXPERT
DID YOU KNOW?
Why is Rotary changing its grant model?
Share your project through Rotary Showcase. A new social media application makes it possible for you to share information about your club’s service projects with the Rotary community and your Facebook friends. Show photos and videos, list partner clubs, and indicate the funds you’ve raised and hours you’ve volunteered. Sign in to Member Access to start showcasing your club’s projects today.
Howard Tong, a Rotary public image coordinator and a past district governor, talks about the benefits of The Rotary Foundation’s new grant model, which will be launched in July 2013 The new grant model has many advantages. District grants enable clubs to use Rotary Foundation funds to directly serve their community however they see fit, in line with the
Howard Tong
reporting processes are in place to ensure that best practices are followed.
Foundation’s mission. Global grants help Rotary clubs and
Increased contributions. Donors who can see the return on
districts partner with one another on large service projects,
their investment are inspired to make more contributions.
while packaged grants provide opportunities for Rotarians to
For example, District 9940 (New Zealand) has experienced a
work with the Foundation’s strategic partners.
40 percent increase in Rotary Foundation giving since it be-
In addition, the new grant model offers: Simplified processes. Rotarians will be able to apply for, obtain, view the progress of, and complete transactions for their grants online — all strong aspects of the grant model’s efficiency. More collaboration. Districts and clubs are encouraged to
gan participating in the Future Vision pilot. Greater impact. Rotarians can find opportunities for sustainable international projects centered on the areas of focus. For example, a club can use a global grant to send a vocational training team to provide health care training to a community in another country, and enable a team of health care workers
share their expertise and work together on critical issues.
from the recipient club to travel to the sending club for
For example, a pilot project by districts 9940 (New Zealand)
further training.
and 9550 (parts of Australia and Timor-Leste) will improve the quality of life for people in Timor-Leste who face lifethreatening illnesses. Better stewardship. A memorandum of understanding for grant projects confirms that the right procedures and May 2012 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org
The Rotary Foundation’s new Future Vision grant model is currently being tested in a pilot and will become available to all districts in July 2013.
Win US$2,500 for your literacy project. Rotary International and the International Reading Association have collaborated on an exciting new award that will give two deserving projects US$2,500 each on behalf of the Pearson Foundation. New literacy service projects jointly undertaken by Rotary clubs and IRA reading councils in 2011-12 are eligible. Apply by 15 June. Get the new edition of The ABCs of Rotary. This popular publication about all things Rotary is an excellent resource for Rotary leaders as well as new and prospective members. Find information about The Rotary Foundation’s new grant model and Rotary’s six areas of focus in this newest rundown of Rotary essentials. Order your copy today. Add your Foundation giving goals to the worldwide goal calculation being announced on 9 May at the RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand. Complete the 2012-13 Fund Development Club Goal Report Form and give it to your district governorelect immediately, so he or she can submit it to The Rotary Foundation or enter it online through Member Access in time for the announcement.
DISTRICT CORNER
FOR DISTRICTS
Make way for younger district leaders
says. “By supporting him now, we can encourage him to be-
DGEs share tips for attracting the next generation of leaders
Collaboration: Klingbiel sees his role as district governor as
As more young professionals join Rotary, their energy and enthusiasm are being sought at the district level. But hectic schedules and family obligations can make district involvement a tough sell. Here are some ideas for turning the new generation into the next generation of district leaders. Technology: “We need to be better stewards of our time through technology,” says Mike Klingbiel of District 5450 (Northern Colorado, USA). Klingbiel plans to use social
“We see this young man as a future Rotary leader,” Manek come a Rotarian and eventually take up a district leadership position.” that of a facilitator. “I want to bring people together so they can collaborate on projects and activities.” For example, he plans to swear in new Rotary club officers alongside Rotaract and Interact club officers. “I hope they’ll take advantage of the occasion to talk about projects and how they can help one another,” says Klingbiel. For more tips, watch the webinar Re-energize Your Club: Best Practices to Engage Today’s Young Professionals.
media, his district website, and videoconferencing to
DEADLINES 15 May For governors to receive Memo of Club Visit … For incoming governors to submit GETS and assistant governor training expenses … For governors to send governors reports to RI … For districts to meet all preconditions for approval for District Simplified Grants 1 June For incoming governors to submit their official visits itinerary to Club and District Support … For governors to submit Memo of Club Visit … For 2011-12 RI Public Relations Grants reimbursement requests (submit to RI World Headquarters) 15 June For incoming governors to inform the Foundation of Rotarian host counselors for 2012-13 scholars 30 June For district nominating committees to select governors-nominee for 2013-14 … For district governors-elect to submit the 2012-13 District Goal Form for Membership
communicate with his clubs. “By meeting online, we can get the work done in one hour instead of three. Plus, we eliminate travel altogether,” Klingbiel says. “If we can make the job easier, then we can Mentoring: Geeta Manek is incoming governor of District
1 July For 2012 Rotary Peace Fellowship applications … For districts to begin submitting Matching Grant and District Simplified Grant requests
9200 (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda).
Notifications of PR Grant awards sent to applicants.
get more people like me to volunteer.”
She believes one of the best ways to attract young district
OTHER NOTICES
leaders is to provide leadership opportunities for them in their youth. In 2011, Manek’s club, the Rotary Club of Muthaiga, sponsored Calvin Jodisi, a 21-year-old Rotaractor, to represent Kenya at the One Young World Summit in Zurich.
May 2012 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org
District governors-elect Geeta Manek and Mike Klingbiel
Help us go green! Starting in July, an electronic version of the semiannual report (SAR) will be sent to Rotary club and club officers’ email addresses. Encourage clubs to go paperless and increase efficiency by choosing to opt out of the standard paper SAR through Member Access.
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
Find support for your project through RAGs Rotarian Action Groups can provide expert assistance for a variety of international service projects Did you know that there are dozens of Rotarian Action
group’s already successful project. Together you can make a
Groups (RAGs) made up of experts who can help advance
better solution.”
Rotary’s work worldwide? Take the Rotarian Action Group for Food Plant Solutions, which has 186 active members in 29 countries, including
Thorne offers tips for a successful hunger or malnutrition project. “The first step is to be very clear on our goals [for] solving
certified experts in the area of food plants. The group aims to
the identified problem — hungry children and poor nutri-
help people in developing countries learn how to grow foods
tion,” Thorne says.
locally as a sustainable solution to hunger and malnutrition. “In Rotary, there are many groups out there already do-
From there, he says, it’s important to be confident that the proposed solution meets the needs. Thorne stresses that
ing great things,” says Past RI Director John G. Thorne, chair
project organizers should think long term rather than pro-
of Food Plant Solutions. “Often, there is no need to actually
vide a one-time fix for an emergency situation.
begin something new, and it’s best to piggyback on another
The solution should be “sustainable, very low-cost, and seen as ‘self-help’ by the people in need,” Thorne says. Once the solution has been identified, a strong base of local, committed Rotarians and community members is crucial. The best way to develop local support is to work with the community as a partner, Thorne says. “It’s imperative that the dignity of those being assisted be maintained.” Want to find a RAG to help you with your next service project? Download the directory.
Buz Green, board member of the Food Plant Solutions RAG, and Bruce French, an agricultural scientist, work with local leaders to help provide proper nutrition for the community. March 2012 | www.rotary.org/rotaryleader | rotary.leader@rotary.org
Rotary Leader, an electronic publication for Rotary club and district officers, is offered in eight languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Rotary Leader is published by Rotary International, One Rotary Center, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201-3698 USA. Web www.rotary.org Fax 847-866-9732 Phone 847-866-3000 Subscriptions To subscribe to Rotary Leader, visit www.rotary.org /rotaryleader. There is no charge to subscribe. Submissions Rotary Leader welcomes article ideas about club and district successes, including fundraisers, publicity efforts, service projects, and membership drives. Email a description, photos, and contact information to rotary.leader@rotary.org. Due to the high volume of submissions, we cannot promise to feature your story. This is the May 2012 issue of Rotary Leader. Editor Jennifer Lee Atkin Managing Editor Maureen Vaught Graphic Designer Megan Moulden Writers Megan Ferringer, Arnold Grahl, Susie Ma, Dan Nixon, Maureen Vaught Photographers Alyce Henson, Monika Lozinska-Lee Copy Editors Beth Duncan Proofreaders Kelly Doherty, Susan Hyland Copyright © 2012 by Rotary International. The Rotary International and Rotary Leader logos are trademarks and intellectual property of Rotary International. All rights reserved. Editors of Rotary publications and websites are welcome to reprint items.