OUR MEMBERSHIP GOAL FOR 2010-2011

AN ADDRESS DELIVERED

BYRTN OGUGUA NWANKWU, PAST

DISTRICT GOVERNOR

AT DISTRICT 9140 2010 DISTRICT ASSEMBLY HOLDEN AT ABAKALIKI

ON 23RD AND 24TH APRIL 2010

PROTOCOL

I am happy to be here in Abakaliki with so many dedicated Rotarians and to share some of our membership challenges and goals for the next rotary year. Please allow me to thank our DGE G.T. Toby for giving me the opportunity to serve as Chair, District Membership for 2010-2011.

• The world is changing as we enter the second century of service. In 154 nations and 365 geographical areas of the world, Rotary is in the business of service. We make the lame walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, we heal the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry; we bring hope, we save lives, we serve.

• We put our hands into the hand of God- and we do His work, Mankind is our business and our product is service. My dear fellow Rotarians, there is no more critical problem facing Rotary today than the decline of membership in existing clubs.

• All of our dreams for service to humanity in this century will be extinguished if we Rotarians do not meet this challenge. We must keep Rotary healthy internally if we are to meet our global mission. If we do not build for the future, we are destined to become a relic of the past.

My dear friends, our DGE have asked us to increase our membership of the existing clubs and to assist in the chartering of 15 new ones, some of which could be female dominated. He has equally asked us to reduce membership loss to 0%. Challenging? Yes, We can do it.

• As I look out at all of you here today especially our Incoming President, I think of the words of the Apostle Luke, who said, “To whomsoever much is given, much will be required, and to whomsoever much was entrusted, of him more will be asked”.

• I know that much will be entrusted to you in the Rotary year we are soon to begin, and I am prepared to give you all my very best to see that our membership goal is achieved. I am strengthened in that resolve because I know that our Governor-elect and you my dear Rotary friends will back me and

the Membership Committee as we under take the exciting journey of swelling our ranks with quality men and women who are out there waiting to be invited to join Rotary.

• At this juncture my dear friends I want you to join me in saying:

• YES WE CAN DO IT

• YES WE HAVE DONE IT BEFORE

• YES WE CAN DO IT AGAIN

DISTRICT GOALS

Having gone through our promise to swell our ranks in 2010-2011 Rotary year, let us look at our proposed plan of action. We are looking at clubs who get a thrill working at challenges. How many of such clubs are in this room today?

• I have great faith in you my fellow Rotarians from all over the district. I know that once we have properly laid out our goals before you, you will share them. Once you have accepted them as your goals, then we can jointly articulate work plans to attain them.

• Finally we will work the plans which will lead to goal achievement.

• Each club has been requested to have a minimum of five or more new quality members

• Each zone has been requested to charter at least one club

• Each club is expected to achieve 100% retention of their members.

Having listened to our DGE Toby on his expectations, my dear fellow Rotarians let us recall that in the absence of new quality members in our District we may have to contend with mergers as have happened in some District in Nigeria. Let us also remember the words of Past Rotary International President Paulo Costa who said “Rotary’s greatest asset is the people who have joined us fighting for our cause”. Let us now look at our proposed plan of action.

OUR WORK PLANOur proposed work plan is as follows:SUGGESTED PROVISIONAL CLUBS

S/NONAME OF CLUB DGSR SPONSORING CLUB

1 Provisional Rotary Club of Udi Hill

George Onyeanu R. C of Enugu South

2 Provisional Rotary Club of New Owerri

Kingsley Azubine R. C of Okigwe

3 Provisional Rotary Club of Arochukwu (Provisional)

Bassey Amogu R. C. of Ohaofia Central

4 Rotary Club of Mbaise (Provisional)

Ngozi Ogwu R.C of Owerri

5. Rotary Club of Osisioma (Provisional)

Linda Osuala R.C of Aba Blue River Garden

6 Provisional Rotary Club of Afikpo

? R.C of Abakaliki South

7. Provisional Rotary Club of Obehie

Chinonyerem Dede

R.C of Ogbor Hill Aba

8. Rotary Club of Owan West (Provisional)

Francis Anyansi R.C of Ekpoma

9Rotary Club of Abraka Oak Bere R. C of Ekpan

10 Rotary Club of New GRA (Provisional)

Emeka Nwankwo

R. C of Transekulu

11 Rotary Club of Oghara (Provisional)

Samson Asomugha

R. C. of Effurum

12 Rotary Club of Effurun GRA(Provisional)

Joe Unuame R.C of Effurum

13 Provisional Club of Warri West

Gilbert Uti R.C of Effurum

14 Provisional Rotary Club of Ikpoba

Prince will Oyakilome

R.C of Benin Metropolitan

15 Provisional Rotary Club of Enugu Commercial City

PDG Emma Nwankpa

R.C of New HAven

ACTION PLANNow let us look at our action plan.The DGE has assembled the following Rotarians as members of the district membership committee.DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

S/NONAME ROTARY CLUB TELEPHONE

1 PDG Elizabeth Ogugua Nwankwu

Enugu City Layout 08037005653

2 PAG Rev Nwachukwu Transamadi 08033103319

3 PAG Stella Epundu Onitsha 08037029175

4 PAG Kingsley Azubine Okigwe 08033437614

5 PAG Uche Ogwuike Aladinma 08033334611

6 PAG Grace Okaro Umuahia 08033089321

7 PAG Bassey Ubong Omoku 07028360891

8 PAG James Okwuobu Port Harcourt 08033132885

9 PAG Aye Dikoru Yenegoa 08035466954

10 PP Osinachi Chukwu Abakaliki South 08037621816

11 PP Helen Obi Awka GRA 08034721460

Each of the members except the Chair, PAG Nwachukwu and PAG Stella Epundu has been designated as District Membership challenge co-ordinators. These co-ordinators will be assigned an area or a group of clubs.

Their duties and responsibilities include:To help each president set the membership goal for his/her club.To help each club develop work plans for achieving the goal.To help each club work its plan and achieve its membership goal.

The co-ordinators will be given appropriate training before July 1st to prepare them to meet the challenges. Now let us see if the Goals are realistic.

IS THE GOAL REALISTIC?

I believe that the goal is realistic and achievable, but let us explain some of the factors that inhibit Rotary’s Growth in our environment.

Factors That Inhibit Rotary’s Growth.

1.Activities of some members give a bad image to rotary

2.Many clubs are not Rotary clubs in the true sense.

3.Many clubs do not reflect their host communities.

4.High cost of Rotary in view of harsh economic climate in the country.

5.Lack of rotary information to the general public.

6. Unfulfilled or unrealized dream of members.

7. Members’ apathy towards each other.

8. Uninteresting fellowship meetings.

9. Poor leadership style of some Presidents.

10.Long meetings.

11.Some married women may not join a club dominated by men.

12.Insufficient education of prospective members before their induction.

MEMBERSHIP RETENTION IDEAS

1.Make Rotary meetings and activities interesting and exciting

2.Use phone calls, reminder slips, text messages before meetings.

3.Pair Rotarians so that they can share vehicle while coming to meeting.

4.Create welfare scheme for members.5.Properly brief new members after

induction.

1.Educate new members after induction.

2.Screen the prospective members properly before admission.

3.Make the induction ceremony very dignified so that it will give the new member a sense of “arrival”. He/she would not wish to depart.

4.Involve members at all levels of Rotary activities.

5.Identify with members in their period of joy and sorrows.

11. identify important dates, e.g., birthdays, wedding anniversaries in member/families lives and recognize accordingly.

12. Give recognition at all times.

13. Once not in conflict with MOP, localize Rotary (e.g. if drinking palm wine, eating, fish pepper soup, Ugba, Nkwobi, Isiokporoko will attract and retain members please do so).

• 14. Home visit and meetings should be incorporated into club programmes.

• 15. Look into the conservative areas of Rotary and explore ways to relax them without endangering its ethics. For example, adopting an African pragmatic welfare packages, adopting the brother’s keeper doctrine, and participating in a Rotarian’s social activities when invited.

1.Organize guest night periodically.2.Recruit former members through personal

contacts. 3.Spouses and other family members should be

invited to join Rotary if they meet constitutional requirements.

4.Carry out classification survey and invite key executives to Rotary meetings.

5.Have a regular sponsored programme on Radio or TV that promotes service and market Rotary in that platform.

6.Recognize Rotarians who introduce new members.

SOME IDEAS FOR NEW MEMBER ACQUISITION

The DGE, Toby has slated the following membership awards for 2010-2011

• Highest Membership net increase.• 100% Retention of members• Chartering of a New Rotary Club.• Highest attendance at 2010-2011 District

Membership Seminar.• Highest attendance of New Members at New

Member Orientation Seminar.

2010-2011 MEMBERSHIP AWARDS

Willy George

Jekwu VC Odo Azuka Jerry Ugwu

Ekwutosi Joy Madu

Igwe OrjiChinwe

Austine

Chuma

Dan

Lizzy Nwaonwu

Uche

Ifeoma

Lizzy

Bernardino

Anayo Eze

Offor

ROTARY MEMBERSHIP TREE

CONCLUSION

We have been challenged to take action to swell our ranks so as to increase the human resources that are available to Rotary service.I look forward to your support to help us build our membership for our wonderful organization.

• Finally, my dear friends have I created some awareness? Yes? Then my dear Fellow Rotarians as you depart, I wish each and everyone of you a year blessed with good health, dedicated leadership and continued success as you take action to show that Rotary BUILD COMMUNITIES AND BRIDGE CONTINENTS.

Thank you for your kind attention.

PDG Ogugua Nwankwu

Abakaliki

23rd-24th April 201