By Rotary International

The restored bridge over the Neretva River in Mostar, a symbol of peace in Bosnia.

By Anton Polsterer, past governor of District 1910 and past chair of the Intercountry Committees Executive Council

I joined Rotary in Vienna in 1986 and transferred to the Rotary Club of Moscow while working in Russia from 1989-92. After moving back to Austria, I became governor of the district covering Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Austria. After years of war and totalitarian government rule, these communities longed for freedom and peace.

Our district had 130 clubs with more than 5,000 Rotarians. We represented five different nationalities and languages. Croatia and Bosnia were heavily hurt by the civil war in Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Bosnia and Herzegovina had a pre-war population of 4.5 million people including Orthodox Serbians, Catholic Croatians, and Bosnian Moslems. During the war, close to two million people, almost 50 percent of the population was displaced within their own country to create “ethnic” regions. From the very beginning, we have aimed for ethnic diversity in our clubs, which wasn’t easy after all the displacement.

The real breakthrough came with the Rotary Club of Mostar (Bosnia), chartered in 2002. The club started many projects in …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Michael Bucca (right) celebrates his wife becoming a Rotary member.

By Michael Bucca, Membership Chair, Central Ocean Rotary Club of Toms River, New Jersey, USA

Most Rotary clubs would be elated to have the chance to add new members on a regular basis. Many around the world have used traditional recruitment methods such as membership drives, advertising in newspapers, and inviting guest speakers to join. While clubs have success with these methods, there is one key component that helps convert more prospective members into actual members.

What is personalization?
Personalization is taking aspects of a prospective member’s life and applying them to the benefits of Rotary, thus creating a mutually beneficial experience. This involves asking a prospective member to tell their story so you can get to know the person’s background and interests. Then you can emphasize what it is about Rotary and your club that will particularly suit that prospect.

Everyone has a story, professionally and personally. Some of your prospects will be business owners, some employees, some even retired. People will be interested in different things, and have different reasons for wanting to serve. Some individuals might be eager to roll up their sleeves and get involved in hands-on service projects.

The good news …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Primary school children in the Volta region of Ghana use a new spigot to wash their hands.

By Ako Odotei, a member of the Rotary Club of Tema, Ghana, Africa. This is the first in a series of planned posts from Rotary members involved in the Rotary-USAID International H2O Collaboration that supports lasting, positive change to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives.

When the Rotary-USAID International H20 Collaboration asked Rotary clubs in Ghana to participate in the second phase of the partnership, there was a lot of excitement as well as some trepidation. US$4 million (the amount the collaboration has committed to each country for 2015-18) is a lot of money!

Even though we were successful the first time around (from 2009 to 2013), setting up a national project between clubs can bring some challenges of their own. We didn’t want clubs to feel as if the project was being forced on them. So we began by promoting the benefits of this partnership and project to club leadership.

Club leaders were informed of the long-term nature of the project, and the importance of choosing members with skills to ensure a successful outcome. To collect information and data, we asked local Rotaractors to help. …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

By Evan Burrell

Maybe you spent much of last year banging away on social media to gain exposure for your club (because everyone says you should), but you felt like you were getting nowhere fast. It’s still early in the year. Why not take a step back, make an honest assessment of your approach, and determine what you could do better.

Here are six social media resolutions I think you should make this year to elevate your club’s social media exposure.

1. Be consistent – Post regularly and often. You won’t build a solid social media presence by posting every once and a while. If you are using Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or Pinterest, post at least once a week. For Twitter, every one to two days is key.

2. Develop a social media schedule – Manage your time by planning your club social media activity in advance. Since you can schedule your Facebook posts days or weeks ahead of time, take advantage of this ability. You will quickly find managing your club Facebook page will become a lot easier and feel less ad hoc.

3. Mix it up – Look at how you can use new and different social media platforms, or different types of …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

By Amy Krug, president of the Rotary Club of Flint, Michigan, USA

We have been heartened by the outpouring of support from Rotary members in response to the water crisis in our city of Flint, Michigan. In April of 2014, a switch in the source of water from Lake Huron to the Flint River without an appropriate corrosive control plan resulted in erosion of pipe scale, lead solder, and lead copper joints which allowed the release of this lead into our water supply.

While the crisis is now news throughout the United States, work has been taking place on the ground for many months. Systems are in place to begin to address the immediate needs of families impacted by this emergency. Fire stations, churches, and community partners have been serving as points of access for families in need of water or water filters, while local agencies have been collecting and distributing donations as they come in.

We have been working with Rotary clubs throughout our area to coordinate some of this generous response. Here are ways you can help:

Clubs can donate to the Rotary Club of Flint Charitable Foundation. Donations will be used to support water related efforts in the Flint area. See …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Rotary members in District 3150 India celebrate last year’s anniversary by illuminating the Falaknuma Palace with the message Keep India Polio Free.

On 23 February, Rotary clubs worldwide will mark the 111th anniversary of the first Rotary club meeting by holding an event, hosting a fundraiser, or lighting a notable building.

Send us a photo of how your club is celebrating Rotary’s anniversary, and we’ll include it in our gallery. Attach a JPEG file to your email, preferably at least 500 pixels wide and the highest resolution possible. Please include a brief description (2-3 sentences), along with a photo credit.

Check back on 23 February to see the global celebration of Rotary’s birthday.

Learn more about Rotary’s history
Share your photos on social media using #Rotary

…read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog