MOST IMPORTANT UPCOMING CHANGES TO YOUR ROTARY CLUB!
Presented at this week's meeting, here is a recap of the results.
We worked hard this year soliciting suggestions on how to make our club more engaged, more accessible, and more appealing to very busy members and prospects in our community. Many of you provided wonderful feedback through our strategic planning effort as well as lots of excellent follow up suggestions during our Fireside meetings this spring.
In light of these suggestions, and as follow up to the budget presentation from this week’s meeting, I thought I’d offer this recap as to some of the changes that have been approved by our Board for our upcoming club year, effective July 1:
- More time for Rotary – Less time in Meetings
- The first Monday of each month there will NOT be formal club meetings.
- This time is instead encouraged for more informal Rotary gatherings, visiting other clubs, one-on-one meet and greets, mentoring, committee meetings, and other opportunities for closer engagement with each other.
- Keep the Meeting Costs Down
- We have agreed to hold all meeting costs at $20 for members, guests, and visitors.
- We DO ask that all members pay the meeting fee whether eating at the meeting or not.
- Increase in Annual Dues
- Our club combines RI and local club ‘dues’ into one payment, billed twice per year. The RI dues have risen slightly, and we felt that our club dues should also rise to reflect rising administrative and meeting costs.
- Our general member club dues will be increased to $240 per year from $200.
- Rule of 85 Member Designation & Dues
- Unlike many large clubs, one third of our members are considered ‘Rule of 85’ members, or ‘pay at the door, not in advance.’ With RI virtually dispensing with their attendance requirements, the basis for this classification is not as valid as in past and in our case, has posed a negative financial impact on the rest of the general membership.
- Our Board has approved monthly dues for all Rule of 85 members as $300 per year, from $200. We would encourage all members to pay the general member fee plus the quarterly meal fee in advance, however we respect the ‘pay at the door’ convenience earned by our Rule of 85 members.
- In addition, our club has decided to suspend any additional members into the Rule of 85 category, and grandfather all those current designated as such.