Information You Need To Know To Form & Work With Your Rotaract Club

Rotaract Symposium Notes

Many thanks too Dale Jaedtke, District 5240, Rotaract Chair for the following notes, observations and suggestions that came out of a Rotaract Symposium that was held at the Braille Institute in Santa Barbara, California on May 17, 2014.

From Rotaractors:

Their challenges include:

1) High turnover: new jobs, families, monetary issues, etc...

2) Leadership needed for clubs and assistance when leadership transitions (develop Continuing Resolution at club level).

3) Resent when being treated as kids, slave labor, or disrespected

4) Would like Rotary to do a better job of marketing Rotary so they can attract more Rotaractors.

5) Rotaract Board needs to create their own projects with support from their Rotary Club, not interference.

6) Rotaractors are capable of running their own programs so let them call on Rotary for their suggestions or help if they need them rather than Rotary forcing suggestions or help  on Rotaractors.

What Rotaractors would like from Rotary:

1) Mutual respect, talk Club President to Club President, not committee to President.

2) To be invited and included in monthly group Club President meetings.

3) To be included in early stages of event planning if you want them to participate (don’t contact at last minute).

4) Invited and financially supported to attend PRLS, PETS, Conventions and lunches when they visit clubs.

5) Invited to Board meetings (provided they are well run and won’t turn off an outsider).

6) Would like more back office support.

7) Would like more leadership opportunities.

8) Support on Rotary’s web page of what’s happening with Rotaract.

9) Would like to have a district board for Rotaract.

What Rotarians suggested:

1) Invite Rotaractors to monthly group club president meetings.

2) Wear your Rotary or Rotaract pin to encourage conversations about Rotary (we can all do that).

3) Promote “Rotary Career Path”, attached (and on our District website).

4) Invite Rotaractors as club programs.

5) Reach out monthly to our Rotaract Clubs and ask: “What can we do for you?”

6) Suggest that Rotaract Clubs reach out to Boys/Girls Clubs and YMCAs for Rotaract prospects (since they are booted when they turn 18).

7) District-wide Rotaract Facebook.

8) Contact information for each Rotaract Club’s leadership on the district website.

9) Hold webinars that anyone can tune into with other Rotaract clubs.

10) Hold joint work projects that involve numerous Rotaract clubs so that there is a larger bonding experience with Rotary invited.

11) Ask other Rotary clubs that have grants (travel, building etc.) available to use them for Rotaract clubs they may not even sponsor.

12) Have a New Gens program (Like Ventura Downtown Rotary) that allows younger members to join Rotary with discounted fees and bridge the transition from Rotaract to Rotary.

13) Recruit a District Rotaract Representative that is available to visit all the Rotaract Clubs and help out.

14) Always invite Rotaractors to Rotary functions where the Rotaractors have an opportunity to promote Rotaract.

15) Always announce in Rotary’s programs what is happening with Rotaractors in their area.

16) Promote Rotaract recruitment from Rotary members that have children, grandchildren, employees or fellow workers that would make great Rotaractors.

17) Don’t be afraid to discuss what Rotary or Rotaract is all about.

18) Realize that college based Rotaract clubs have the opportunity to recruit larger numbers but the turnover is larger due to the transient nature of colleges and scheduled breaks. Community Rotaract clubs have a better sustainability record and should be considered to supplement or be part of a college based club.

19) Have more board members and assistant board members in your Rotaract club to allow for more ownership, involvement and continuity.

20) Have vocational mixers and services available to the Rotaract clubs.

21) Rotarians should attend more Rotaract functions to get to know the Rotaractors and allow for a more natural progression into Rotary, due to familiarity of all involved.

22) Have more interaction between Interactors and Rotaractors to allow for a seamless transition when Interactors graduate.

23) Tract Rotarators to see where they go and what they’re doing.

24) Allow more opportunity for Rotaract to do programs or announcements at Rotary.

25) Let Rotaractors know there are loans and programs available to them along with scholarships and opportunities for international service.

Remember that you are creating the sustainability of your club by sponsoring Rotaract. Thank you all for your support of Rotaract and with your continued support we can see Rotaract flourishing.

Many thanks to all who attended the Rotaract Symposium, in person or  online and the contributions that they made to the program. We’re excited to see what the future holds for our future Rotarians.