If you  would like to read the full essay, please contact the author.

ESSAY EXCERPTS FROM THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CLASS OF 2004

“The Need For Improved Methods of Recruiting, Retaining, and Transferring Membership in Local Rotary Clubs ”     

by Rodger Bennett (Florence) rodger.bennett@ci.florence.or.us

“Maintaining and growing a healthy membership base is a …  for all Rotary District Governors.  Club officers are often simultaneously working to find ways to shrink the membership by adhering to classification guidelines, enforcing attendance requirements. Membership maintenance and development is occasionally given emphasis only …. The use of the internet could also be improved in maintaining and developing Rotary membership.  The “old club” letting the “new club” know about the move could very well facilitate the retention of a spirited Rotarian. Leadership is a key component of success.”

“The Importance of Reemphasizing Vocational Service Within Our District”

by John Bushnell, (Bend)  johnb@tumalofeedcompany.com

“… it continually struck me how much emphasis our club put on Community Service, and how little on Vocational Service.  I realized again and again what a vital part of the very heart of Rotary that it is; the Objects of Rotary and the 4-Way Test. If the individual members and individual clubs do not embrace Vocational Service, then it will continue to be ignored. First, I would petition PETS; Second, I would urge the District Governor….Third, during Plenary Sessions at both District Assembly and at District Conference…and Appoint a Vocational Service Director; Declare the month of October “Vocational Service Month”; etc. I believe that if District 5110 made a point of emphasizing Vocational Service…..”

“Leadership Academy Essay”

by John Cox  (Eugene)  (johncox@eugene-law.com

“The thesis of this Essay is that District 5110, and possibly other Districts, should initiate an institute for President Elect-Elects (PE-Es) as an Internet course… To see if I was correct in my assumption I did a short, very unscientific survey. … a more detailed survey of PPs and particularly other classes of the LA would show even stronger support for this idea.  The more I know about Rotary, the more I fall in love with the organization and its mission  and that really happened at PETS.  I would argue that we need to present the information in the LA earlier so we can build on it after the LA students have served as club President.”

“Induction and Orientation as the Building Blocks For Effective Membership”

by Stephen Crowe (Greater Corvallis)  steve@asmc.com

“In the quest to increase …  we must start by attempting to define what it means to be a good Rotarian. Maybe being a good Rotarian means … and skills towards achieving Rotary’s goals.  Rotary agrees to fulfill your individual needs of (Rotarian must fill in their individual need here with such items as satisfaction of service, fellowship, increased business contacts etc) while, you, the proposed member need to agree that you will contribute your time and participation in Rotary functions. We need to grow our numbers with … who will continue the tradition given us by Paul Harris who advocated for ‘service through fellowship’. ”

“ The Polio Plus and Polio Eradication Campaigns – The embodiment of the Definition, Object, Motto, and 4 Way Test of Rotary”. 

by Chris Duncan (Springfield-Twin Rivers) crduncan@comcast.net

“Rotarians are the driving force behind the fight to  ….as I continued to research the subject, after having received numerous responses to my solicitations, a recurring theme appeared: service above self of a worldwide magnitude providing a humanitarian gift that is building goodwill and peace on earth. The desired outcome of a polio-free world is beneficial to all concerned and it is an international commitment that has unified all Rotarians in a common goal for the benefit of their fellow humans. I know that my father would have been a Rotarian had he not been stricken, as a young man, with the poliovirus in 1954. He lived 15 years as a quadriplegic in an iron lung, but he never felt sorry for himself.  I’m so proud to be a Rotarian helping to rid the world of the terrible disease that robbed my father of his future.”

“World Community Service and the United States”

by Alyson Harper (Lincoln City) dralyh@wcm.net

“World community service in Rotary promotes… on a global, international scale. Rotarians conduct projects to improve lives and meet human needs. The local project country is the one with the need of assistance. The country that is helping is the sponsor country. The club from one country can let the Rotary International community know of the need with the use of the Rotary website or at a project fair. A sort of barter system could be started, where we would do your project if you do one for us.  The project would need a lot of forethought because of our rules and regulations. If we think outside the box, we could  think of other projects and have World Community Service projects work in our clubs and districts.

“Benefits of Assistant Governors in District 5110”

by Kent Haworth (Lebanon) Khworth@valleybrokers.com

“The announced goals for the new position were to… The criteria for being selected Assistant District Governor include… My personal experience with the Assistant Governorship was as club president in the 2002-03 Rotary year and the experience was very positive.  Additionally, when he visited our club…I believe the assistant governorship to be one the best things that come to the club level from the district.  It provides a much needed liaison between the district leadership and the clubs, providing greater attendance in district events, has increased donations to Rotary International, and has motivated our club members to become involved in club community projects for the first time.

“Attendance Requirements, Should They Stay or Should They Go”

by Robert Holley (Bend) niblick@empnet.com

A month or two ago I had the opportunity while vacationing in San Luis Obispo, California …to...  I arrived several minutes early, and selected a seat at a table in the front. As it turned out, I was sitting next to … I inquired what his club's attendance average was, and was shocked to learn his club's attendance averaged between 90 and 95 percent! I learned that his club places heavy emphasis on attendance, their members are expected to attend or make up, period! So, should the attendance requirements stay or go? I would absolutely advocate that they….

“E-Communication – “Fundraising”

by Neil Hummel (Roseburg) nhummel1827@hotmail.com

Today, RI has its own website and many local districts and clubs have their own as well.  It is my opinion,  that ……we at the leadership level need to provide and produce a more efficient delivery system of information. The answer is….  Far too often, clubs take on a fundraising project and it fails miserably and the membership becomes disgruntled and disillusioned.  It is my hope, that we will use our district website for many more functions as the internet becomes more user friendly and common practice.

“The Duties of the Assistant Governor For the North Coast Region”

 by Claire J.  Little  (Newport) kj7xy@aol.com

I will be the liaison between club leaders and the District and make regular visits to the clubs in my region.  In addition, it will be my job to… My hope is that this focus will… Incoming leaders are provided with many training opportunities and sometimes the volume of material is overwhelming.  I will also encourage incoming Club Presidents to consider standing committees that will support the work of the Board and the Avenues of Service directors.  By educating incoming leaders, I will help them build a foundation for changing and invigorating their Clubs. Over time,  this will lead to … and a greater awareness of Rotary in the community because our own members, excited about their own participation, will become our best promoters of Rotary in our communities.

“Why Do We Lose So Many New Rotary Membership Their First Year?”

by Paul Riess (Southtowne) paul@paradisemedianc.com

Membership related topics receive more attention from Rotary International than any other subject on the R-I website. .  My chosen topic – the loss of new members – is a particularly important one because we lose them at a time when they should be receiving the most attention and nurturing.  The perceived value of membership has declined, especially among... I suggest new members be put in a...  My recommendation would be that prospective members be sought within a …driving radius of the club meeting site.   Rotary clubs, which take seriously the loss of new members, will create a specific, concrete list of objectives to tackle this problem.  The result may be a more selective and less competitive membership process for clubs.

“A Survey Approach”       

by Peter Rosik (Greater Grants Pass) pcrosik@cpros.com

The survey format would be primarily a series of items concerning club operations and District assistance that are scaled on a positive-negative continuum. … there is a source of information available to the District leadership which is substantially underutilized.  These past presidents each expressed the feeling that after being in the office for almost a year they have a sense of what could have been done differently during their tenure to make their club a more …  The two-year test will provide enough experience to establish whether or not the effort is worth continuing.

“Rotary For Personal Growth”

by Tony Spenader (Coquille)   spenader@harborside.com

“When I joined the Coquille Rotary Club eleven years ago, I joined for the same reasons that many people join any club. When I was invited by a fellow church member to attend the local Rotary meeting, I recognized it as …I had no previous exposure to Rotary…I had no idea what Rotary did or what it stood for. It was when I attended my first District Conference in Florence that…Eleven years ago I joined Rotary. Now I am working at becoming a Rotarian. My goal now is to…

“The Relationship Between Rotary International, the International Scholarship Program and Group Study Exchange”

   by Gloria Thorpe gdthorpe@charter.net