Membership Development
23 December 2002

This is not exactly a bumper year for the Club. Membership figures continue to fall, despite strenuous efforts to recruit members, but alas, members are leaving faster than they are coming in. That is no fault of anybody, least so of the President and his Board, though it would be convenient to point an accusing finger in that direction. It now seems clear that the Club will be unable to attain a net membership increase of 15, or from 35 to 50, the target which President Anwer so proudly announced this time last year and which he reiterated to Governor Gloria during her official visit to the Club.

A few members had left because they were hardly hit by the economic downturn, and this phenomenon is not peculiar to our club either; some said they were too busy and could not find time to attend club meetings; while still others said they had other priorities, which are all rather sad.

At the Intercity Meeting held last week to welcome our World Leader to Hong Kong, RI President Bhichai Rattakul once again stressed that he had not given any target to his governors, but rather had urged them to encourage their clubs to set targets for themselves in what he called the bottom-up approach. President Bhichai did say that membership development would continue to be a priority, as was the Polio Eradication Campaign.

On membership development, President Bhichai clearly was saddened that a district in India which had reported an increase of 37 new clubs in 2001-02, thereby qualifying the district governor for an award, had since lost 30 clubs. Of greater concern was the fact that Rotary had reported significant losses in membership since 1 July 2002.

I have spoken on many occasions the need and urgency to brief potential members properly and thoroughly. I am now more than ever convinced that no one needs to join a Rotary club unless he or she is attracted by Rotary's service ideals and prgrammes of service. This is fundamental. At the end of the day, this will be the only thing that matters. Rotary begins with the idea of one person and his belief and conviction that one man can make a difference. We should not therefore be disheartened at the falling membership figures as long as we are convinced that those members remaining have sufficient Rotary in them to continue to carry the banner of Service and to propagate and impart these service ideals to men and women who would subscribe to the same. This is where we need continuing education, Rotary education and the very reason why the District Academy was introduced.

I wish you all a happy holiday and a prosperous and rewarding year ahead. May the spirit of Christmas give you the strength, hope and love to forge ahead in all your endeavours, particularly those involving our service ideals, world peace and international understanding.