Is your club losing members or having difficulty in attracting members because of meeting locations, meeting times, affordability? Perhaps it is time to consider a change in your club structure. Our District 5870 fully supports creative secondary structures within its clubs that allow for flexible meeting times/locations and lower dues assessments.
Recently, the Round Rock Sunrise Rotary Club and the Austin North Metro Passport Rotary Club joined forces to bring their two clubs together under one structure. Both chartered clubs had gradually experienced a drop in membership making it difficult to spread the responsibilities of leadership and active service participation among their members. Their solution was to merge their collective memberships into one host club with a functional satellite framework that preserves the alternate meeting times/location/lower dues structure.
After receiving approval from the membership of both clubs to proceed, a small team met over a period of several months to review and recommend how both the host and satellite club bylaws should be revised to address issues relating to shared leadership roles, finance (dues), budgeting, grants, accounting systems, as well as updates needed to website and social media presence. Ultimately, the ANMP Rotary Club members transferred to the Round Rock Sunrise Rotary Club. The ANMP Charter was surrendered and an application for the formation of the Round Rock Sunrise Satellite Club was submitted and approved. Members of both the host and satellite clubs enjoy shared leadership and mutually support a variety of service projects and fund raisers.
Another direction to explore with regard to establishing a satellite club would be to work within the confines of your club’s existing membership to provide options for a different meeting time, location, and/or a lower dues structure. This membership option can boost new member interest as well as re-engage existing members who are struggling to attend and participate in meetings at traditional meeting times and locations.
For more information about flexible club options, please contact District 5870 Membership Chair Jim Henry at jhenrydg1920@gmail.com.