D3810 Membership Development Seminar

Do you remember your orientation to Rotary? It was probably an hour or two session with a senior member of our club, prior to one of our regular meetings, and was required before you could be inducted. Do you remember anything from the seminar? Did you learn enough to really understand what Rotary is, how it has worked and, maybe most importantly, how you can be engaged to make a difference through your participation?

Actually, this mode of orientation is common throughout the Rotary world. Yet somehow, it has not been effective in helping engage new members. It’s too rushed, too boring, too incomplete. Globally, we lose about the same number of Rotarians as we gain each year.

We have another great Rotary membership development program called the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI), of which I am a graduate, along with several other members of our club, including Frank Evaristo, Rudy Bediones, Obet Pagdanganan, Albert Alday, Teddy Ocampo, Ebot Tan, Caloy Reyes, Ning Lopez. Each of us spent three entire Saturdays from early morning until evening undergoing the training. The training sessions are conducted about every three or four months and it took most of us about a year to complete the entire program. Each of us also paid P4,500. Most Rotarians do not undertake that training, because “It takes long, it costs too much, I don’t intend to be a leader in Rotary anyway, and so forth.”

Our Governor Obet envisioned a new introduction to Rotary that would be more helpful than basic orientation but not as long as RLI. Last Saturday June 11, new Rotarians from throughout our district gathered at the Aloha Hotel for a half-day Membership Development Seminar. Hosted by RC Bagumbayan, this was the third time the district has implemented the Governor’s vision with a half day Membership Development Seminar. The ten point program was delivered by SDG Edwin Chiu, IDGN Rudy Bediones and yours truly. The next iteration of the program will be held early in the ne Rotary year, and new Rotarians are strongly encouraged to learn more so they can get more out of Rotary!