LARGER ROTARY DISTRICTS – AN EXCITING PLATFORM FOR CHANGE!
MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER
TO RE-INVIGORATE CLUBS AND MAKE ROTARY FLOURISH FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
After almost 100 years of successful operation in Australia and New Zealand, Rotary finds itself at a very significant cross road. With a declining membership over the last ten years, Australia has lost 4,314 members (13%) and New Zealand has lost 1,967 (19%) plus an ageing membership demographic, the continued existence of Rotary as we know it is under considerable threat.
Do we remain doing what we are currently doing and find we no longer exist in 20 years OR do we acknowledge we have a problem and accept the challenge to work together to address the issues and make the changes necessary to take Rotary forward for another hundred years? It is both a challenging and an exciting time for Rotary in this part of the world.
There is an urgent need for change both at the Club and the District levels. Clubs need to find new ways of attracting and retaining members and Districts need to focus their efforts on providing the best possible support mechanisms to Clubs in their crucial endeavour to grow and strengthen Rotary. Larger and better resourced Districts are seen as a significant way of providing this support to Clubs.
In recent weeks I have had the pleasure of working with a ‘Task Force’ of dedicated Rotarians from all levels of service to discuss urgent planning and action required to reverse the serious downward trend in membership across all 27 Districts in Zone 7B and 8 – and discuss how we can all move forward with confidence that Rotary will flourish for another 100 years.
The task force included grass roots Rotarians, club presidents, Governors Nominee, Governors Elect, Past Governors and RI staff – male and female and of a variety of ages.
I am delighted to report a wonderful spirit and commitment during the two days and there was general agreement that I now had to share the same positive message with you all – as we move forward together.
Be very certain that this message is NOT just about re-Districting. Re-Districting is only one of the suite of changes needed to revitalise Rotary ‘down under’.
We all agreed that ONLY Rotary Clubs can turn around the current alarming membership challenge confronting Rotary in the western world. However, for this to happen, the administration of Rotary at District level has to change dramatically to provide Clubs with the support they need to address this challenge.
The meeting acknowledged that the age of ‘Larger Districts’ has arrived – and that these larger, more resourced and more support focused Districts will start to happen from 1st July 2020.
Planning is already well advanced for the merger of Districts 9700 and 9710 in central west and southern NSW along with Districts 9500 and 9520 in South Australia. Senior leaders are considering various options in WA, Victoria and northern Australia, along with southern Queensland and northern NSW.
Similar discussions are taking place in New Zealand where a meeting is planned for early March to discuss re-Districting options in that country.
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