The Membership Minute
Vol. 2, Ed. 5
This edition of the Membership Minute explores how mentoring and new member involvement can aid in retention by helping new members become comfortable, active, and dedicated members of your club.
Mentoring
Mentoring can be an effective way to help a new member become acclimated to your club. The one-on-one connection with a mentor can provide guidance and assurance to a new member who might otherwise feel overwhelmed or isolated.
A mentor has many responsibilities including, but not limited to, the following:
- Being available to answer questions and provide guidance
- Ensuring the new member understands club policy and procedures, including rules and expectations
- Acting as an informal host at club events by introducing the new member to other club members and ensuring that the new member feels comfortable
- Conducting an inventory of interests to determine the topics that interest the new member, and using this information to suggest specific committees to join or projects in which to get involved (For a sample inventory of interests, see RI's New Member Orientation (414-EN) publication)
- Offering to accompany the new member on a make-up if he or she must miss a regular meeting
- Monitoring the new member's comfort level and involvement in the club through periodic personal meetings
Be sure to choose mentors who are committed to their role as an ongoing Rotary resource and source of support for new members. Mentors should be highly knowledgeable about and interested in Rotary and willing to devote the necessary time and energy to the task.
Some clubs use a mentoring worksheet to guide new members through the activities and topics that their mentors will address. Typically, the worksheet identifies a series of tasks, topics, and reading material for the new member to complete, with a checkbox for the mentor to check as each item is completed. A sample mentoring worksheet can be found in RI's New Member Orientation (414-EN) publication.
The key element of any mentoring program is the continuous support that the mentor provides to the new member. A strong mentoring program is an effective complement to any club's new member orientation program.
Getting New Members Involved
Getting new members actively involved in club activities
can help them develop a sense of commitment and dedication to your club.
Consider the following ideas for involving new members:
Direct new members to club activities that match their interests. A
mentor or other club leader can use an inventory of interests (see previous
article) to determine a new member's areas of interest and then match them
to ongoing projects or positions. Once you've determined these club
activities be sure to discuss the options with the new member and listen to
his or her feedback about availability and level of comfort with the amount
of responsibility presented. It's important not to overwhelm new members
with too much responsibility too fast.
Assign new members to highly visible tasks. The more that other club
members see new members, the more likely they are to interact with and get
to know them. Some clubs have new members serve as greeters or introduce
guests and visitors at meetings. Other clubs put a special designation — a
red sticker, for example — on new members' name badges or have them sit at a
different table at every club meeting. Another approach is having each new
member give a spotlight speech (also known as a vocational speech or job
talk) within the first few months of membership. In this speech, the new
member talks about something of personal importance. Many tell about their
vocation, but others may choose to share a favorite hobby or pastime.
Encourage new members to bring their spouses to club events. Many new
members enjoy participating in a club where their families are welcome. And
a husband or wife who has seen club activities firsthand is more likely to
approve of the spouse's involvement.
Ask new members for their ideas. Most new members want to be seen as
contributing members whose ideas are valued, not as junior members. They'll
be more likely to get involved and stay involved in club activities if they
feel that their opinions are heard and respected.
RI Resource for New Member Involvement
Encourage the members who have been in your club for less
than one year to visit
Get Involved at www.rotary.org. This page gives new
members ideas for getting involved in Rotary at the club level and beyond.
From this page, you can also download the 2005 New Member Bulletin
that RI is sending to all members inducted during the 2005-06 year.
Register Others for the Membership Minute
Do you know someone else who might be interested in
receiving the Membership Minute? Encourage him or her to sign-up by
visiting the Membership section of www.rotary.org or
clicking on this link.
Editor:
Jana Bodensteiner, coordinator, Membership Development
| Rotary International | Phone: +1-847-866-3000 |
| One Rotary Center | E-mail: membershipminute@rotaryintl.org |
| 1560 Sherman Avenue | |
| Evanston, IL 60201 USA |
Learn more about Rotary membership development at
http://www.rotary.org/membership/index.html