[Editorial Note: In this article, Jill Guffy, Club Director of Membership Growth and Development, tells of her Rotary experiences and suggests that members use their similar experiences in recruiting new members. And President Dave Miller provides the membership with a challenge for club growth along with a description of the process for bringing new members into the club.]

Jill Guffy

I think back to the time when I was a new member to our Rotary family.  I've now been a member for two years, thanks to the invitation of two special friends, Jane Acker and Carolyn Jons.  My dad belonged to a club in Manhattan, Kansas and I knew how much he enjoyed it.  When I first joined, it seemed to me a great way to meet other professionals.  I had volunteered a lot but there were many new faces with a new focus on service.  This organization seemed a really good connection with Iowa State, education, and community citizenship.

I enjoy the Wednesday morning breakfasts, the fellowship, the information, and even get a chuckle out of our singing!  Clean-up on Mortensen Road can even be fun when one shares it with friends.  Rotary's international commitment to service has made a big impact.  Hosting Ugandan families this past summer was a really wonderful experience and I hope it is just the beginning of many exchange visits. Rotarians  take their pledge of service very seriously!   Making a  positive difference in the world can seem overwhelming; global connections through Rotary and its many projects make it possible.

So look closely for those who would like to share in this experience.  Perhaps even a spouse or child would like to join our ranks.   We have a lot to offer and we in turn would benefit from new ideas and enthusiasm.

May the new year bring a commitment to increase our membership and renew the goals of our organization!

Dave Miller

Every Rotarian remembers the person who cared enough to ask them to join a Rotary Club – just the way that most people can recall their first grade teacher as an important person in their life. You probably think about that person now and a smile creeps across your face. My challenge to all Rotarians is for you to become like that person that asked you to become a Rotarian. We all know someone who would likely enjoy being a Rotarian and, in fact, deserves to be a Rotarian. It may be a friend, a co-worker, someone from your church, or someone you sit with at your son’s or daughter’s sports event.

Although many people shy away from becoming a sales person, this “product” virtually sells itself. How hard can it be to convince someone to join a group of civic minded people in an informal meal? How scary can it be to sing a song (with other people that can’t sing) and be able to laugh in the process? How intimidating can it be to listen as a friend puts a dollar in the bucket and shares a little bit of their life with the group? How boring can it be to listen to a talented speaker on a topic that you likely knew next to nothing about but is a vital part of your community? How imposing can it be to help local youth groups, to recognize exceptional local teachers, to support a family at the Holidays, to do a roadside cleanup, to serve a meal at the local emergency shelter, to send a youth to study abroad, or to work on an international service project?

Stop and think of someone you really admire, someone that you like to spend time with, or someone that you always thought you would like to meet. The process is really quite simple. First, invite them to a meeting. Make sure that you introduce them around and get your guest a Rotary information sheet from the Sergeant-at-Arms. In a couple of days, call them up and ask if they have any questions. See if there is a time when they could come to another club meeting. Tell them you would be delighted if they would join the club. When your prospective member is ready to join, the process only takes a couple weeks. First a membership application must be completed and be submitted to the Board of Directors. There are two “readings” of the prospective member and then a new member induction is scheduled. Our club plans to have a new member orientation process in place this year to inform, support, and integrate new members into the club.

So, you can see it’s easy. Go ahead and “Make someone’s day”.