Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Ocean Grove Inc.
www.rotaryoceangrove.blogspot.com
Volume 25 No 35
Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 20th March, 6.00 for 6.30
Speaker President Richard Subject A club assembly and reflections on the District Conference
Assistant Cashier Bob Osbourne Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Vic Harnath
Birthdays & Anniversaries 24th March Anne Geerings, David & Anne Tyrrell.
************************************
Notice for the meeting at the Ocean Grove Hotel, Tuesday 27th March, 6.00 for 6.30
Speaker A representative from Guide Dogs Victoria This will be a blind person, and, as advised by programme chair Geoff Brentnell, accompanied by a dog, plus driver, as the dog hasn’t yet learned to drive.
[Very droll, Geoffrey!]. Chairman Trevor McArdle
Assistant Cashier & Thanker Tim Kemp Greeter & Assistant Sergeant Martin Geerings
Birthday 30th March Coral Barker
*************************************
New Rotary clubs fuelling membership growth
According to a 2006 study of RI membership data, membership continues to decline in existing Rotary clubs, while new clubs are providing the foundation for growth. Today, the average club has 40 members, down from 45 members, as reported in a 2002 demographic study.
The 2006 study, conducted by RI’s Membership Development Division, found that the most common club size is 20 members, the minimum requirement for chartering a new club. About 22% of clubs have fewer than 20 members, and 4% have fewer than 11.
As existing clubs become smaller, the number of new clubs is increasing – by 20% between 1995 and 2005 – which is leaving many districts with more clubs but fewer members. Although new clubs expand the breadth of Rotary service, this trend highlights the challenges of retention in existing clubs.
Chris Offer, chair of RI’s Membership Development Committee, attributes changing membership patterns to several factors. One is action by the Council on Legislation that liberalized restrictions on club territory and lowered the number of members required to charter a new club to 20. Another is not making membership a club priority.
“Many clubs are simply not giving membership the attention it requires. It is not easy to recruit new members,” Offer says. He points out that new clubs have energy, enthusiasm, and a clear goal to achieve in order to charter. “Membership recruitment cannot be a periodic campaign; rather, clubs must have active committees that work on membership all the time.”
Implementing the Club Leadership Plan is the best tactic for every club, Offer says. Having a membership committee that reports directly to the Board “keeps membership on the top of the club’s agenda.”
So how do we rate in this District?
61 clubs of 2196 members average 36. 15 of those clubs have less than 20 members. Ocean Grove reported 47 members at the end of December. Our sponsored club, Queenscliffe, reported 17. The largest clubs are Ballarat South [82] and Geelong [81]. Boort is the smallest, with 9. These figures are quoted from the DG’s newsletter for February 2007, which may not be accurate, as 12 of the 61 clubs didn’t bother reporting at all! To the credit of our club administration, I have never seen Ocean Grove fail to report.
The average club size in North America,[excl. Mexico] is 48, Korea 40, and Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, 31.
The response to the challenge about a 28 day itinerary for the Canadians was not overwhelming
Your editor’s thanks go to Geoff Chandler, verbal, and Bob Osbourne, e-mail. Geoff discarded Tasmania because he thought it was too much like Canada, and Cairns etc. because it would have been the wrong time of the year. Bob writes that he would knock one day off Sydney, but include the Whitsundays. He would also drop poor old Tassie in favor of Darwin, Alice Springs and the ‘Ghan’.
****************************
Out of the mouths of babes
A wife invited some people to dinner.
At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?”.
“I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied. “Just say what you hear Mommy say” the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why did I invite all these people to dinner?”
****************************
Reports from the floor of tonight’s meeting
• A Barwon Water rep. will present the current facts to a public meeting at the Grove Centre tomorrow night, 14th March, at 7.30. [corner The Avenue & Presidents Avenue]
• The Fort Queenscliffe Open Day will be held next Saturday evening – gates open at 5.30pm, show starts at 7.00. Features Blackhawk Helicopter, Precision Drill Team, Mock Battle, Army Band, 1812 Overture, [with cannon] and fireworks. It’s FREE. Snaggers and soft drinks available. Absolutely no alcohol, bring your own sitons.
• The Canadians have expressed their appreciation for our hospitality.
• More volunteers are required at the North Geelong depot of the DIK storage on Tuesdays AM. Register with Tim Kemp.
• The successful RYPEN applicants are Paul Liistro, [Christian College] and Guy Styzack, [Bellarine Secondary College] We will supply the driver, and subsidise the attendance cost $120 out of the total $150 for each attendee.
Paul Northey, tonight’s guest speaker, was a perfect example of why G.S.E. is a great success.
• Paul, of Barwon Water, was one of the team visiting District 7120, [New York State] last year, a predominantly water oriented project. { Group Study Exchange is a RI sponsored exchange arrangement for 25 to 40 year olds.] Six accommodation stops in five weeks, 15-16 Rotary meetings in that time. The New Yorkers love to eat yankee game and drink Aussie wine. Water is not a problem – Lake Ontario is full of the fresh variety.
• The inevitable problem of the local supply, [or lack of it], is directed at a plan to develop the Anglesea Ground Water Project, where lots of that stuff will be drawn up, at 50o Celsius, from 500 metres down, and from there, piped to the Wurdeboluc reservoir at a cost of $70m. Not much if you say it quick!
*********************************
A few little bits from tonight’s Board meeting Yours truly left early for fear of not getting home until tomorrow.
* The DIK project badly needs extra funds for shipping and related costs, so we voted the project an extra $1000 on top of last month’s $500. [We have a paltry $28,820 in kitty].
* The Rotary signs at the Barwon Heads Walkway are tiny and already badly worn. The Board is going to do something about that poor piece of promotion. Watch this space!
* Past President Helen Trigg has accepted the important District appointment of Assistant District Governor for Group 9, taking in the Rotary clubs of Bayside, Corio, Highton/Kardinia, Geelong, Geelong Central, Queenscliffe and Geelong West. A bloody big job!!
* Our change-over night is likely to be held nearby on Tuesday 3rd July.
