Welcome in: How to enhance club culture

Summary

Podcast Summary: Rotary Voices – "Welcome In: How to Enhance Club Culture"

Release Date: July 16, 2025
Host: Jarrell McDonnell
Guests: Nick Taylor (Rotary International Staff, Americas), Brianne Haxton (Senior Manager of Membership Development, Rotary International)

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Introduction

In the July 16, 2025 episode of Rotary Voices, hosted by Jarrell McDonnell, the focus centers on enhancing club culture within Rotary International. The discussion features insights from Nick Taylor and Brianne Haxton, both pivotal figures in Rotary’s membership development and club support. The conversation delves into membership trends, challenges in member retention, and actionable strategies to foster a vibrant and inclusive club environment.

Understanding Rotary’s Current Landscape

Membership Stability Amidst Global Shifts

Brianne Haxton opens the dialogue by addressing the stability of Rotary’s membership numbers over decades, despite significant global shifts. She notes, “We have not had that much change in decades. We've hovered around the same membership number, but if you take a deeper dive, it is constantly churning” (04:12). This churn is influenced by regional economic changes, with growth in areas like Africa, India, and Brazil, contrasted by declines in traditionally strong regions such as Europe, Australia, and North America.

The Challenge of Member Retention

High Attrition Rates in Developed Regions

Jarrell McDonnell highlights a concerning statistic: Rotary loses half of its new members within three years of joining. This trend is particularly pronounced in developed regions where societal shifts have led to declining interest in traditional club memberships. Brianne expands on this, emphasizing the competition Rotary faces from the digital age: “People are tired of connecting online... they see Rotary as a way to make really genuine connections” (04:38).

Adapting Tradition to Modern Needs

Shifting from Online to In-Person Connections

Both guests acknowledge the impact of digital connectivity on Rotary’s traditional model. Brianne observes a pendulum swing back towards valuing in-person relationships, a core strength of Rotary. Nick Taylor adds, “there is a culture, whether we know it or not... that play into this club culture that we can do actively to create inclusive and welcome environments” (00:17).

Strategies for Enhancing Club Culture

1. Know Your Club’s Identity

Defining and Embracing Unique Characteristics

Nick Taylor emphasizes the importance of each club’s unique identity: “You have to be aware that they are a specific type of club” (14:55). He illustrates this with his experience joining the Rotary Club for Global Action, an E-club with international membership, highlighting how its distinct identity attracted him.

2. Develop a Tailored Club Experience

Aligning Activities with Club Identity

Building on identity, Nick advises clubs to “provide a product that reflects that identity” (15:25). This means structuring meetings and activities that align with the club’s core focus, whether it’s global connections, local service projects, or professional development.

3. Set Unifying Goals

Harnessing Collective Objectives to Foster Unity

Setting ambitious, shared goals can unify members and create a sense of purpose. Nick likens Rotary clubs to successful sports teams, stating, “they have a really close-knit locker room... working towards that goal of winning” (18:28). This collective striving enhances camaraderie and retention.

4. Listen and Adapt to Member Needs

Engaging Members Through Feedback and Flexibility

Listening to members is crucial for adapting to their evolving needs. Brianne highlights the importance of understanding members’ life changes: “we need to continue to adapt and change around our members” (10:25). Tools like biannual surveys help clubs gather and act on member feedback, as seen with a Pennsylvania club that adjusted its projects based on survey results, leading to growth and improved retention (22:29).

5. Consistent Communication

Maintaining Regular and Transparent Communication Channels

Effective and regular communication is vital for member engagement. Nick points out that consistent newsletters and updates can significantly boost membership: “a Rotary club in Ohio... consistent newsletters that highlighted the service projects and the activities of the club” (22:43). Clear communication helps prospective members understand what to expect and feel welcomed.

Embracing Community Diversity

Mirroring and Serving the Local Community

Reflecting the community’s diversity ensures Rotary clubs remain relevant and welcoming. Brianne urges clubs to open doors to diverse members who might not have traditionally considered Rotary: “we have a tremendous opportunity to think about opening our doors to members in the community that maybe they wouldn't have thought of typically for membership” (25:32). Nick reinforces this by stressing that clubs must serve the community to authentically reflect it: “how can we serve the community if we are not the community?” (25:33).

Onboarding and Retention Best Practices

Creating a Welcoming and Engaging Onboarding Process

Effective onboarding sets the tone for new members. Brianne underscores the importance of personalized engagement from the onset: “make sure that they know that they're welcomed into the club and that if they're interested in coming back, follow up with them” (28:05). Nick adds that setting clear expectations and aligning member interests from the beginning helps prevent early attrition.

Measuring Success and Fostering Growth

Retention as a Key Metric and the Ripple Effect of Small Changes

Retention is a primary indicator of a club’s health. Nick asserts, “retention is a really key metric” (30:03), linking it directly to the effectiveness of the club’s offerings. Both guests advocate for incremental changes that collectively create significant impact, akin to “throwing a pebble with the large ripples going out” (13:02).

Conclusion

Enhancing club culture within Rotary International requires a multifaceted approach that embraces each club’s unique identity, fosters genuine connections, and adapts to members’ evolving needs. By setting unifying goals, maintaining consistent communication, and reflecting community diversity, Rotary clubs can improve member retention and attract new members. The insights shared by Nick Taylor and Brianne Haxton provide a roadmap for club leaders aiming to create an inclusive, engaging, and sustainable Rotary experience.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick Taylor: “We have to make sure that what we provide as far as value, it's at least worth their time to be there.” (08:23)
• Brianne Haxton: “We need to create a home and a space that works for everyone.” (10:25)
• Nick Taylor: “Consistently communicate. It's one of the things that... Rotary's biggest problem is not doing good in the world. It's telling people that we do good in the world and doing it consistently.” (22:43)
• Brianne Haxton: “I can see myself in a Rotary club. So I think that's a question a lot of clubs need to ask themselves.” (25:32)

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the "Welcome In: How to Enhance Club Culture" episode of Rotary Voices, offering actionable strategies for Rotary clubs worldwide to strengthen their community and membership.

Transcript

[Brianne Haxton]

It's almost the pendulum is swinging back because people are tired of connecting online and they see Rotary as a way to make really genuine connections with people having that opportunity for friendship within a club and also that professional development that the club could bring them.

[Nick Taylor]

There is a culture, whether we know it or not. What we do in our club, whether we say hi to people, whether we invite guests to sit next to somebody so that we can tell them what's going on, what our meeting structure looks like, what the speakers are going to talk about, all those aspects play into this club culture that we can do actively to create inclusive and welcome environments for these members so that they do want to come back.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

From Rotary Magazine, this is the Rotary Voices podcast. I'm Jarrell McDonnell. If you follow the Gregorian calendar, like most of the world, you ring in the New Year on January 1st. But for Rotary, July marks the beginning of a new year. Clubs and districts around the world host installation ceremonies. It's a moment for members and incoming leadership to reflect and find opportunities to grow their Rotary clubs and build club culture, a key factor in attracting new members and preserving existing Rotarians. What are things we can do to keep members engaged so they can stay in Rotary? To answer this question, I'm here with Rotary International staff members Nick Taylor and Brianne Haxton. Nick has worked with Rotary International for the past seven years as a member of the club and district support team representing rotarians in Zone 26. Nick and his team provide personalized service, learning opportunities and regional guidance on club and district officer responsibilities. This includes things like club experiences, conflict resolution, member inclusion and Rotary policy to clubs and districts in the North American region. He's also a member of the Rotary Club for Global Action, an E club based in District 5150 with membership from 22 countries around the world. Brianne is a Senior Manager of Membership Development at Rotary. The membership development team provides resources for Rotary members and as they make their club a more welcoming space, strengthening its culture, projects and connections beyond clubs and districts. Brianne works on high level strategy to encourage a sustainable rise in global Rotary membership. Her team also helps Rotarians start new clubs. Nick and Brianne, thank you both for joining me on the Rotary Voices podcast. Good to meet you both.

[Nick Taylor]

It's good to be here. Thanks so much.

[Brianne Haxton]

Thanks. Happy New Year.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

One of the statistics about membership that jumps out is that Rotary loses half of all new members within three years of joining. What are the membership trends there at Rotary?

[Brianne Haxton]

You know, if you look at our membership as a whole, we have not had that Much change in decades. We've hovered around the same membership number, but if you take a deeper dive, it is constantly churning. And what is really interesting is where membership changes so globally. Rotary started actually here in Chicago, Illinois, and for a long time, the majority of members were really based in the United States and then in Western countries. You know, we're living in a global world with economies that are changing, and our membership follows those trends. So there are markets where we're really seeing tremendous growth. You know, parts of Africa, India, Brazil. And there are areas of decline like Europe, Australia, North America, which have, you know, traditionally been places where Rotary has had the strongest membership. So even though on the surface we bring in 150,000 new members every year, but we're losing folks, and where we're losing folks, and we try to keep track of that as we're doing those membership trends, to think about what can we do to address that loss in those places.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

It sounds like all the places that you're losing members are the developed world. It's places where maybe joining a club is not the thing it used to be 50 years ago. It's almost like a Robert Putnam Bowling Alone scenario where people just don't join clubs anymore. There's too many things to do, their schedules are too packed. Is that the thing you're fighting in those regions?

[Brianne Haxton]

I think that's certainly one thing we're fighting. I mean, we're fighting a lot of things. You know, online connection wasn't a thing 20 years ago, certainly not when Rotary was initially thought up. And so for many years, we relied on people connecting locally with their neighbors and having that opportunity for friendship within a club. And also that professional development the club could bring them, but online really changed a lot of that. This whole presence of online membership or online connection, which now we've been fighting that long enough that it's almost the pendulum is swinging back because people are tired of connecting online. People are tired of that shallow connection. And they see Rotary as a way to make really genuine connections with people and to sit across the table from someone that you realize, hey, I really like this person, and this is a really valuable way to spend my time. So that's one thing that is pretty special about Rotary. That's a message that we need to get out to people.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

And the people you've surveyed about the club experience seem to indicate that that is why new members leave. They're not satisfied with the club experience. And that gets over to Nick Taylor. He supervises club and district support at Rotary in the Americas. Great to meet you, Nick.

[Nick Taylor]

Hey, it's good to be here.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

Good to be. Now, what happens in a club experience that can be rethought?

[Nick Taylor]

Before we get into the details of what could be rethought, one has to really understand what the club experience is. Right. Rotary International is this massive organization with so many different programs, projects and different things that you can do. So there's a lot of ways to participate with Rotary and not actually be a member of a club. We have Rotary Community Corps, we have global grants happening all around the world. We have these events that one can attend, but our bread and butter is the club. And so oftentimes clubs meet week to week and they have a meeting structure, they have people come in and talk and they have this opportunity, like Brianna has mentioned, where you can really have that personal touch. In 2022, we did this survey like you mentioned and we said why aren't members sticking around? What's the most important thing to them? It wasn't these district conferences with multi clubs. It wasn't the things that Rotary International was doing per se. The number one reason was what was happening on that week to week basis with the clubs. And that's where this idea of club culture comes into play. Because we want to create inclusive and welcome environments for these members so that they do want to come back, they do want to sit across the table from people and have those conversations and have that in person touch that maybe doesn't always exist.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

And what do you think is going on out there right now that needs to change? How do you change something that's been going on since 1905 and as your bread and butter?

[Brianne Haxton]

Yeah.

[Nick Taylor]

So the example that I like to give is, you know, we have over 35,000 different Rotary clubs in the world. And unlike Starbucks or other known brands, you're going to have a unique experience in every single club. I just had the opportunity to go to Taiwan last year and I went to a Starbucks. And turns out my experience in the Taiwanese Starbucks was pretty similar to the Starbucks down the street. Right. I know the environment, I know the type of product I'm going to get. But as you mentioned, 50 years ago, maybe if I would have gone to a Rotary club in Taiwan or Australia or Nairobi, Kenya, I might have had a very similar experience. But we live in a day and age where everything is changing. We have technology, we have different cultural movements, we have different generations working together. And so each club has its unique culture. So the number one most important thing we can do is be aware that there is A culture, whether we know it or not, what we do in our club, whether we say hi to people, whether we invite guests to sit next to somebody so that we can tell them what's going on, what our meeting structure looks like, what the speakers are going to talk about, what we do outside, do we text everyone updates or, you know, little pictures or funny images of what's going on throughout the week. All those aspects play into this club culture that we can do actively to make it so that people do want to come and spend their time. Because our number one thing we're fighting against is not the Lions Club or Kiwanis or the Elks. It's time, it's family, it's work, it's all the other things that we have going on in our lives. And so we want to make sure that what we provide as far as value, it's at least worth their time to be there.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

I saw the phrase in some of the Rotary material make people feel like they belong. And I imagine if you're a global institution, what belonging looks like and feels like and what a satisfying accomplishment for a Rotary Club is. It's completely different in India than it is in Japan, than it is in Chicago. And so there seems to be an emphasis on surveying people in the club and seeing what their expectations are and what they want and let them change things to what they want to do.

[Nick Taylor]

Absolutely. We are a member driven organization. Everything we do as an organization is grassroot. All the club projects, all the collaborations, the policy, everything is member driven. And so our entire organization is built on asking members what they want to do. And so we want clubs to do the exact same thing. We want clubs to ask their members what's important to you, what do you care about? And then we want to create experiences around those things so that members are more engaged at a club level.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

How does that sound to you, Brianne?

[Brianne Haxton]

Yeah, I agree with Nick completely. So what makes it so difficult is that you could have 60 members in a club that have a different answer to that question. And I think that fostering a feeling of belonging really depends on having respect for what different people want in their clubs and also understanding how much people change. I've been here for 12 years, and when I started here, I did not have kids and my life was really different. And so if I think of a journey within a club and what that journey would have looked like for me then versus now, it's very different. Right. And we need to continue to adapt and change around our members, whether that is my Needs as a mom to two younger kids with full time job, a partner who has a full time job or you with grown kids and your own interests. Like, we need to create a home and a space that works for everyone. And so first and foremost we need to ask, hey Brianne, what do you need? How can you participate and what are you interested in? And put together an experience that works for everyone.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

I imagine the thing that happens sometimes is this is the way we've always done it before. This is our club. You're joining us, here's what we've got for you. And it's not a two way street. It's like we're the club, we've got the stuff. Is that an obstacle for clubs around the world?

[Nick Taylor]

Yes, absolutely. I would say that that's the most difficult thing that we are dealing with right now at Rotary International. We have different things that are happening as an organization. We have clubs that are wanting to take new steps, new changes. And there is significant pushback to this traditional way of doing things. Or that's not how we've always done things. Or if you start a new club in this area, maybe you'll steal members from our. And we don't want that. And so there is this constant push kind of back and forth. And we do try to encourage it as much as possible. One of the things that Brianne and I constantly talk about are these small, simple changes that clubs can make. Oftentimes we're not asking clubs to remake everything and do something that no one's ever heard of. What I like to say is our clubs oftentimes are crawling and we ask them to run a marathon. Yeah, exactly. But what we need them to do is to walk, right? We need some simple things that they can do that can really make a big difference. And so the idea of throwing a pebble with the large ripples going out, there's a lot of small changes that can be made that have significant and sustainable impacts for a club.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

And what kind of things are those small but significant items that might really make a difference for a club?

[Nick Taylor]

I'm glad you asked, Jerome. I came prepared for that question, actually. These are things that we've noticed through working with clubs, working with districts over the last few years. And we've looked at the clubs and districts that do specifically well and what are they doing? And so I've come up with a list of five things and I have examples for all of them. The first one is really a club knowing their identity, who they are. The idea that Rotary Club Experiences can change from club to club. Well, one has to be aware that they are a specific type of club. So I look at my own Rotary Club experience. I started working for rotary International in 2018, not a member of a Rotary Club, however, I'm a very external facing staff member, traveling to events, working with district leaders, working with Rotarians. And the number one question that I got asked all the time is, why aren't you a member of a club? And so I didn't want to jump into it. So I met with many different clubs. I went to club visits. Then there was one club that was unique to me that I was interested in. It was this Rotary Club of Global Action. It was an E club. I didn't have to go anywhere which is really convenient, especially as somebody with two young kids. And I could meet online. And not only could I meet online, but I could meet people from 22 different countries. And as somebody who likes to travel a lot, that was really fascinating. And when I go to these conferences in Australia or Singapore or wherever it may be, I have friends that I can go meet. And so when you look at the typical Rotary Club structure of meeting once a week, having a speaker, doing service projects, maybe a global grant here and there. And so when it was presented to myself and it had this unique identity and it became attractive and that's why I joined it. So number one is finding out that identity in each club.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

All right, I want to bog down there for a second. The whole idea that every club has a story to tell or has an identity and this is something, if they know what their identity is and their story is that that can help them attract new members. It may not be you, but it'll be somebody who really wants to do things within the community of X where this is located. And if they've done X, Y and Z in that community, then they've got a story to tell.

[Nick Taylor]

Absolutely. And it doesn't have to be anything complicated. It could just be, hey, we meet because we really like this one service project in our community. We do the local 5k every year and it is awesome and it brings people together and it is what our club does. And that really influences number two on my list, which is knowing your product and really providing a product that reflects that identity. And so if your identity is about global connections in my club, well, guess what? Every week's meeting should be about connecting, meeting with each other. That's the purpose of that club. If your club's purpose is service projects, then every week you should be talking about the different service projects, you should be inviting speakers from other organizations with whom you can collaborate. So you have to be very specific with your intentions in creating that product. And you have to be willing to adapt the structure to meet that identity.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

It almost sounds like we're at a point here where we can say something about fostering a new club. If you're a club and people come to you and they're like, well, we really want to do an environment thing, and we don't want to do all the other service projects you're doing, you can say, hey, you should form a new club, do it.

[Nick Taylor]

Absolutely.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

But that seems to go against, like, that's my members. I'm losing those guys.

[Nick Taylor]

Yeah, you're exactly right. A new club could always be an option, and there is sometimes pushback to that. And so satellite clubs are other options that we have, which are kind of sub clubs to the sponsor club. And so there's still members of the sponsored club. They're still associated. They can still go to the same club meetings, but maybe they do have a different focus. Not to keep talking about my own club, but we do have a group that speaks Spanish. And so there's been discussions about creating a satellite club for the Spanish speakers, and they'd still be a part of our club, but then they could have meetings in Spanish at a different time. So exactly what you're saying.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

And Brianne, this is a membership. New clubs, new members go up.

[Brianne Haxton]

It's a huge opportunity. You know, the data will show that areas that have new club growth, their membership is growing. Nick was talking about, you know, sometimes when you charter a new club, you need to start with 15 members. And I think that can be daunting to some people, but there really is a lot of flexibility. And one of them that he mentioned is a satellite club. So, for instance, if there's a daytime club and it meets Tuesday afternoons, but, you know, I would like to bring my husband and my children to a service project. I want to make sure my kids are involved and understand the importance of giving back. Okay. And there are other people in my club that feel similarly. So on Saturday mornings, once a month, we're going to get together with that group of people. We're going to have this satellite club because that is what feels good to us, and that's a way that we can be involved in a meaningful way. I think that just goes back again to asking what your members need, whether it's within your club or if a club is not interested in changing in that way. Time to start a new club.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

Where were we? Number two or three?

[Nick Taylor]

So that was number two. Number three is set unifying goals. One of the things I like to talk about often is if you look at a sports team in North America, we obviously like football and the NFL and you see a team of 50 to 60 players from all different walks of life. They come from the country, they come from the cities, they like different music, they have different religious beliefs, they have different ideologies. But the teams that end up winning at the end of the season tend to be the teams that have a really close knit locker room. They get along, they like each other, they enjoy spending time together. And that's oftentimes because they're working towards that goal of winning. And so when we look at a Rotary club and you know, we have conflict, our members aren't getting along, they're fighting about X, Y and Z and it's driving members away. You know, so and so said something that really offended somebody else. In our club, we hear these things all the time. My first question is, are you trying to set goals? Do you have big, scary, audacious goals that can unify those members so that, hey, even if you don't get along with this other person, you're working towards something greater, you're trying to achieve something as a unit. And even if you don't like each other exactly. You still need each other to get to that goal. You know, I, a couple weeks ago was able to go to a district and this is at a district level with many different goals, but a district set a goal of raising a million dollars for one of their foundation dinners. And it was cool to see so many people come together and find different ways to work together to achieve that goal, which they did on that night. And you can feel the energy. And that's the message that we try to permeate through all of this, is that there's quant and unquantifiable aspects to this club culture and there's an energy that is palpable that you can create authentically through things like setting and achieving these big goals.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

All right. So, I mean, that is the magic, I guess, of Rotary International. Absolutely. That you join together with friends and hopefully friends and do something meaningful. You become friends.

[Nick Taylor]

Yeah. And that's where I look at just my seven years with Rotary International. And the number one thing about the staff, about the Rotarians with whom I've worked, it's the relationships that really keep me coming back. And you form these relationships by doing amazing things together, by Achieving goals and working together, like, as much as Brian and I get along, great. But if we were sitting in a club meeting, just eating chicken every single week, and that was about the extent of it, I don't know if we would be as good of friends. But if we work towards achieving membership rates and retention numbers and all these difficult things, that's what builds that bond.

[Brianne Haxton]

We even know from research that the reason why people join is because they want to make a difference in their community. So it's the local service. That's why they join Rotary Clubs. And they end up staying because they make friendships, because of the relationships they build.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

All right, now we're on to number four.

[Nick Taylor]

We are in number four. And we've actually already talked about this a little bit. So it is listening to your members, and it really is super important. But then there's a second part to that and being willing to adapt. You know, one of the tools that our membership team provides is membership survey tools. And you can find this on myrotary.org different ways that you can ask members how you're doing. What do you like about our product, our meetings? What do you like about the service projects? And it's amazing. And we see clubs take advantage of this one. Just a couple weeks ago, emailed me from Pennsylvania and they said that they do it biannual survey, so twice a year. And then they totally adjust what they're doing based off of that. And they've actually stopped doing projects that they have done for years to do new ones based on those results of those surveys. And then on top of formal surveys, you know, it's those informal touch points as well. You know, the handshakes, it's the text messages, the phone calls. You know, that's really also what makes a big difference by hearing from your members.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

And how's the Pennsylvania group doing on building members? Is it working?

[Nick Taylor]

Absolutely, yeah. They're growing. I don't have their numbers off the top of my head, but they're a growing club. And membership growth and membership retention is obviously just a metric in the success of a club, but they definitely are.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

All right, where are we now? Five.

[Nick Taylor]

This is five. Yes. And this is another one of those small things that really has a major impact, which is consistently communicate. It's one of the things that, at least in North American region, which is the region in which I work very often, is we struggle with communication. We always say Rotary's biggest problem is not doing good in the world. It's telling people that we do good in the world and doing it consistently. Right? So Rotary clubs have the opportunity to send out newsletters, to update their websites, to have an active social media. And what we often see is that they'll send out a newsletter one month or they'll update their website one month, but then they don't do it consistently. For that to work, we need consistent communication. There's a Rotary club in Ohio that actually grew by over a hundred members in the last couple years. When we asked them what the number one thing was that helped them get from, you know, 100 to 200 plus, it was consistent newsletters that highlighted the service projects and the activities of the club. With club meeting locations, club meeting times, what to expect when you come to a club, do you need to bring $20 because it's a meal? Is it in a specific location? What should I wear? I mean, these are all questions that prospective members have that as members we assume we already know. But if you're new to a Rotary club, you have no idea what to expect. And so they did a consistent communication month to month and that's what they credit most of their growth to.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

That's excellent. I'm glad we went through all five of those. That was an effort, but I thought it was worth it. I noticed, I guess, the outgoing president, Stephanie Urchik, she said if your club mirrors the community, then you really have a handle on the future. How do you do that?

[Brianne Haxton]

I don't know that there is one particular metric that we have that could tell you how we mirror our communities. Because we're not Starbucks, right? It's not a pike place everywhere you go and that's okay. But we want to see new clubs, we want to see diverse thinking, we want to see different perspectives and thoughts. And so I think that as an organization we have a tremendous opportunity to think about opening our doors to members in the community that maybe they wouldn't have thought of typically for membership. That could be someone like me. We're in a two parent working full time household with two little kids. And how do we become engaged in a club? Instead of somebody who you might think of like, oh, it's my dad in the club because he's retired and he's got time. How do we open the doors for people? So I can see myself in a Rotary club. So I think that's a question a lot of clubs need to ask themselves.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

Nick.

[Nick Taylor]

Yeah, just to expound on that, I think how can we serve the community if we are not the community? And so when we're making decisions on service Projects, on initiatives, on activities. Just like we need to listen to our members, we need to listen to our community members, and we need their input. And so that way we're actually having the greatest impact on what we do as a club. And so I think it's super important for us to reflect our community within our membership and to be aware of that. You know, maybe we live in a community where certain individuals aren't reflected here. How do we get them involved? We want Rotary to be synonymous with the community.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

And sometimes it sounds like a big hill to climb for some communities, but there are things that are probably pretty simple.

[Nick Taylor]

Totally. And those are the small changes that we're talking about that we want people to consider when they're creating their product, which is their club experience. They have to consider those exact same things. I went to a Rotary club in Arizona the other day, and they said, okay, this is where you need to be. And it was a business park, and I had to take like three different parking lots to get there. And then I had to wander around like I was lost. I finally found it. The door was locked and I was, you know, ushered in. And it was a backed little room in the back of this, like, communal workspaces. And this group only had eight or nine members. And they're like, yeah, we're really trying to grow. And I was like, well, of course you're trying to grow. This is a maze. It's a labyrinth just to get to your club meeting. And it's gloomy and it's gloomy, and there's no energy, there's no vibrancy here. And, yeah, how could they reflect their community? How would that be possible? They couldn't even fit their community within the room. And so the number one thing I said to them was like, hey, let's change your meeting location. They did. They went to a different space. Much easier parking lot to get to. And it was easy to find. They were there to help you sit down. There was a big space with great music, great lighting. I mean, these are the things that we want clubs to think about. And it's a production, it's a show, right? They're little aspects that we want clubs to consider so that prospective members feel welcome, they feel invited, they feel included. And that can include, of course, like, accessibility, dietary restrictions, all of these things that people still are able to participate and enjoy.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

I was wondering about onboarding new members. I bet that there's a wide variety of how that happens at all these clubs all over the world. Is there a general place you'd like to see the clubs go.

[Brianne Haxton]

I mean, there is definitely not one cookie cutter other than to say to ask. Right. Nick mentioned the surveys that we have available to kind of check in. We want to be really intentional about when we're checking in with people. So you talked about a club that's doing a biannual survey, a member satisfaction survey. You can also check in with members when they're leaving to say, hey, was there something that you didn't like about the club? And we want to know that information. But really I think it's critical that we are asking people at the very beginning, what are your interests? How do you want to be involved? I think getting that perspective is really important. I think also there are little changes. When somebody comes to your club as a guest, make sure that they know that they're welcomed into the club and that if they're interested in coming back, you know, follow up with them. See, hey, are you interested in coming to a service project that we're doing or a social event that we're doing and following up with them and getting to know that person. This can look very different from club to club. If a club is really small, probably not as difficult as it is if it's a club that has a couple hundred people. So there's an orientation. We do recommend that everyone has a formalized orientation. What that looks like can really depend from club to club.

[Nick Taylor]

Yeah, I, I completely agree. I was just speaking with my colleagues this week that they support countries in other parts of the world where they have a year long process for new club members to go through a training or learning opportunities to really get to the point where they become a full member. But what Brianne said was key. We want clubs to set the expectations and build that clarity and also find out what's important to them so that they can be engaged from the beginning and we don't lose these members within a year or two after they've started because you know what? Turns out it wasn't what they expected.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

How do you judge success?

[Nick Taylor]

I think retention is a really key metric. Of course, that really shows if what we're offering as a product is working. Members are coming to Rotary, they're finding out something that they enjoy and they're not leaving. So retention is definitely something that we seriously consider whenever we're looking at success.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

Brianne, is there anything else that you would have club leaders keep in mind?

[Brianne Haxton]

I would start by encouraging clubs to start small. You know, again, thinking about the pebble and the ripple effect change can be overwhelming, especially because clubs are something that we're all doing in addition to our day to day lives. So to make a huge change in a club can take years. So start small.

[Nick Taylor]

Couldn't agree more. When I was talking with the club recently about some of the most powerful things that they've done to create a positive club culture, they had this quote that I'd love to share. It really impacted me in the way I think the club president said. Having lived in different places, I've come to appreciate warmth and physical presence. Handshakes, hugs, eye contact play a role in building trust. And I think as club leaders and as Rotarians, we cannot undervalue the impact that a simple handshake and smile and eye contact can make in bringing and keeping members in all of our clubs.

[Jarrell McDonnell]

Brianne Haxton is Senior Manager of Membership Development and Nick Taylor supervises club and district support at Rotary in the Americas. Thanks a lot for joining me on Rotary Voices.

[Nick Taylor]

My pleasure. This episode of the Rotary Voices Podcast was Hosted by Jerome McDonnell, produced by JP Swenson and edited by Wen Huang. Production by Joe Desot and Yoo Su Kim. If you enjoyed the show, please rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and share it with your friends. The Rotary Voices Podcast is produced by Rotary Magazine, the official monthly publication of Rotary International. Thanks for listening.