5. 2013 RI CONVENTION
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
1905
Rotary is founded
1943
Rotary adopts the
Four-Way Test
1985
Rotary launches
PolioPlus
1987
Women join
Rotary
2002
Europe is
declared polio-
free
2005
Rotary celebrates
100 years!
2007
Rotary recognizes
the one millionth
Paul Harris Fellow
2013
99% of the world
is polio-free
13. 2013 RI CONVENTION
Rotarians on Social Networks Fellowship
Training and
support
Champions
Open source
applications
Rotary
Hashtag
dictionary
Hug-a-club
A very warm welcome to the audience and to our panelists:Rolo Guadrado, from ……. Member of RC…Jonathan Nish, from …. Member of RC…..My name is Alberto Cecchini, I’m a past district governor from district 2080 in Italy the district that comprises the city of Rome, where I live.
A very warm welcome to the audience and to our panelists:Rolo Guadrado, from ……. Member of RC…Jonathan Nish, from …. Member of RC…..My name is Alberto Cecchini, I’m a past district governor from district 2080 in Italy the district that comprises the city of Rome, where I live.
In order to prepare its organization to the new era, Rotary International some years ago decided to make a step forward and proposed a strategic plan. A sort of guide for action highlighting the vision, the mission and the priorities to reach out to more important goals and to get the correct recognition for our efforts.All of us perfectly know the Rotary priorities:- Support and strengthen clubs- Focus and increase humanitarian serviceEnhance public image and awareness
As you can see, Rotary has had a long history of change and innovation.In this ideas exchange session I’d like, with the panelists’ support, to imagine a new way of responding to the Rotary priorities, thinking outside the box, forgetting traditional habits and exploring innovative ideas, like a real brainstorming session.
Just a few suggestions:In MEMBERSHIP: can you think of something more outside of the box than this? Certainly when Paul Harris asked other people to meet in order to create a new network, a new association he was definitely thinking outside the box. Breakfast clubs, lunch clubs, dinner clubs, happy hour clubs which is the most traditional and the most unconventional? It probably depends on the geographical area. Breakfast clubs are quite popular in the USA although they represent a new possibility in Europe. More recently e-clubs, new generations clubs are brand new opportunities to get involved into the Rotary family, we are going to listen to some specific examples about this from Rolo who joined Rotary after being involved in new generations programs.
What about PROJECTS? Polio vaccination was a new idea in the middle of 80’s. Everyone knows what has happened since then. When it started, there were more than 350.000 cases of polio per year and now there are less than 1.000 and we are this close to ending polio. Consider how many projects started just because a single Rotarian wanted to help people in needs or provide solutions to a specific problem.
And then PUBLIC IMAGE. This is the first Rotary projection in London to thank the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation for its donation and to pledge for the final challenge. And after this we lit up the Coliseum, the Trevi fountain, the Sydney Opera House, the Pyramids, and an incredible list of iconic monuments and buildings. And what about social media? how many possibilities do we have to reinvent the way we communicate and interact? Jonathan will talk about social media opportunities and challenges.And after the panelists presentation we are going to listen to your ideas, which I expect will be absolutely innovative and creative to imagine and invent the future of Rotary.
JONATHANMy passion is new technology and one area that I am really interested in is social media.I am a member of the Rotarians on Social Networks Fellowship that promotes the safe and effective use of social networking to promote Rotary fellowship and service.This fellowship provides the following services and tools to Rotarians:Training and supportChampions who can help clubs with social mediaOpen source applications, these are free Rotary Hashtag dictionaryHug-a-club we will help you reach a minimum of 25 fans for your Rotary or Rotaract Facebook page
True or False? The external world is predictive of our internal happiness. False. The external world actually only predicts 10% of our long term happiness. 90% of our happiness can be predicted by how our brains actually process the world.
This information is a product of the science behind POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY. Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.
Researchers in positive psychology have identified something called the “happiness advantage” which is this: brain performance is far superior when it is happy or positive versus when it is negative, stressed or even neutral.
When we have the happiness advantage our IQ rises, energy goes up, creativity increases and business outcomes improve. When we find ways to be more positive/happy, our brains work harder, faster and more intelligently- more successfully. In other words, success doesn’t lead to happiness. Happiness leads to greater success.
Is your club successful with regards to its membership… in recruitment and retention? Ask yourselves this: Are your club members happy? Are your club meetings happy places to go? If you answered yes you most likely have engaged members and a vibrant club. If you answered no you most likely have difficulty attracting and retaining your members and your meetings are probably less than vibrant. A vibrant club has truly engaged members.
There’s a difference between retaining members and engaging members: Retention is keeping members from year to year while engagement is keeping members INVOLVED and EXCITED about your club EVERY DAY. Engaged members have a strong bond with their clubs. They feel connected, valued and committed to Rotary’s work and to achieving their club’s objectives.
So if happiness leads to more vibrant clubs and engaged members, what is the secret to making us happy Rotarians? The secret is revealed when you look at WHY people join Rotary and WHY they stay in Rotary. I am a Rotarian because it gives me immense power to change people’s lives right here in my own community and around the world.
People join and stay in Rotary for two main reasons: Service (and I mean REAL service… hands on… effective, meaningful service) and Fellowship. People join and STAY in Rotary because their club delivers on the promise of 1) engaging their members in real service and 2) in creating relationships between it members (fellowship). If we follow that line of thinking and stick to these basics, Rotarians innately should have that happiness-success cycle down pat – by way of service above self.
Go back to the happiness advantage that I spoke of earlier. When we are happy our brains are flooded with a chemical called dopamine and when dopamine is released in the brain, not only is happiness increased but all of the learning centers are turned on; and that makes us feel good! In fact this can be addicting… service can become addicting to our brains! What are some of your best practices for engaging Rotarians and developing relationships (fellowship) in your meetings? The engaged Rotarian is addicted to service. They regularly attend meetings. And they are often the one who makes the club meeting fun and interesting. (Fellowship). You’ve seen the engaged true-blue Rotarian… you might even be that person…actually I might be that person too. I am Mary Berge and I am proud to be a Rotarian!