Shaping the next 100 years of Rotary
Originally published in Rotary Down Under, September 2020, pages 40-42
The results from the Regional Pilot Project survey are in, and they show real Rotary happens at club level.
In May 2020, an email was sent to 27,000 Rotarians in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands inviting them to participate in a survey to help shape the future of Rotary in our region.
They were asked to provide their views on three key questions. The Regional Pilot Project Planning Group were delighted to receive 636 responses from members representing all 27 districts across the region. The distribution of responses received was as per the graph pictured right.
Respondents were also asked whether they would like to be kept updated, with 495 (78%) seeking continued engagement and 287 of these offering their meaningful skills and experience to assist.
The 495 respondents have now become the members of the Regional Pilot Reference Group and are communicating directly with the working groups on options to address key issues such as communications, culture, governance, public image, and leadership and development. The process of providing feedback on what is being considered and options for the future is currently underway.
Survey responses
Q1. What is good about Rotary and Rotaract and should be retained?
Service (local and international) plus community support and projects, as well as friendship, fellowship and belonging are aspects Rotarians and Rotaractors highly value.
Several other aspects are mentioned, and it is important to recognise that survey respondents are saying Rotary objects, ethics and values are key aspects that shouldn’t be changed.
What people like about Rotary and Rotaract (should be retained)
28% - service (local and international)
33% - fellow, friendship and belonging
18% - community support and projects
9% - Rotary objects, ethics and values
12% - other (meetings, speakers, development, autonomy and networking)
Q2. What needs to change, and why?
The word cloud below shows the words used most in the responses received to this question. It is recognised that these words alone do not reveal what respondents are really saying; they simply provide an overall feel for the issue.
Analysis of responses shows only a small number are saying everything is fine, with most advocating change and, quite often, substantial change.
Responses for change were clearly focused on either club-level change, or above club-level change.
Comments regarding club-level change focused on cost, meetings, ability to meet the needs of modern volunteers and administration and communication overload, as well as culture and demographic issues, which at times cause conflict and a poor image of Rotary.
Above club-level change comments also focused on public image and the attractiveness of Rotary, as well as communication effectiveness, brand messaging and marketing, and the lack of a national or state voice to present Rotary to the public, governments and corporates.
The need for ‘one voice’ to grow Rotary was a clear theme, as was the importance of treating Rotaractors equally as Rotarians.
Q3. In an ideal world, how would Rotary and Rotaract be structured and operated?
The word cloud of responses to this question is similar to the previous one, which shows that the key words club, member and meet are prominent. One could argue this correctly reflects a recognition by respondents that real Rotary happens at club level. That observation is most relevant in considering future state recommendations and how we should operate.
“Twenty per cent chose to focus on clubs, advocating greater collaboration between them and other organisations with a more bottom up, less bureaucratic and flexible approach to how Rotary is operated under the RI banner, rather than a top down one.”
Some people were relatively happy with the current structure or were not sure of what they really wanted in an ideal world. However, these numbered only eight per cent of the respondents, and some of them wanted simplification with greater regional autonomy.
On the other hand, the significant majority envisaged quite a different Rotary in an ideal world.
Twenty per cent chose to focus on clubs, advocating greater collaboration between them and other organisations with a more bottom up, less bureaucratic and flexible approach to how Rotary is operated under the RI banner, rather than a top down one.
In addition, 15 per cent of respondents had strong feelings about the need to better merge Rotaract and embrace younger people as Rotarians.
Forty per cent of respondents focused on issues related to governance – the need to streamline and regionalise Rotary to consolidate operations to facilitate a national voice with more effective marketing, fundraising and public image strategies, as well as support for our membership challenge. Better support of clubs, reduced bureaucracy and a flatter organisation to reduce costs were also themes often mentioned.
Where to from here?
As previously reported in RDU, Rotary in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands was given RI Board approval to plan a regional approach back in January 2019, and it is interesting that at about the same time the RI Board established the Shaping Rotary’s Future Committee. This was led at first by RI Past President Ian Riseley and is currently led by RI Past President Barry Rassin.
Recent discussions reveal that there is considerable synergy between what the local Regional Pilot Project is attempting and what the RI Board’s Shaping Rotary’s Future Committee is doing. So, as we go forward, there is much communication with that committee and also RI Great Britain and Ireland, which is simultaneously considering how to adapt in this fast-changing world.
The Regional Pilot team advises that, as options for the future are considered, they will be shared with the RI Shaping Rotary’s Future Committee to ensure we are in alignment. With recent and not so recent changes sweeping the world, there is no better time to be taking the opportunity to adapt together to ‘the new normal’.
The team is committed to keeping all informed on these developments, which are aimed at embracing positive change to enable Rotary in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands to flourish for another century of service.