General Information

Red Text bears a link to reference Rotatorials.

Retention Central is monitored occasionally by its creator, Jim Henry, who may be contacted by email at jrhjr255@gmail.com.


Friday, December 9, 2011

Are Rotary's Actions Hindering Diversity?


Proposition:  
Rotary's addiction to the elixir served up in Rotary's Diversity Grande has actually hindered diverse representation and contributed to our overall membership stabilization.   


To gain a greater understanding of this proposition click here:

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Joining a Rotary Club May Threaten a Person's Security?

Why won't generation X or Millennial business, professional, and community leaders join local Rotary clubs? Rotarians frequently do not realize that, to many of them, joining something like a Rotary club threatens their security!  Why?

An April, 2009 Rotatorial discussed this issue, so I thought that heading into the Rotary Training Season would be a good time to resurrect it.  

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Are P.E.T.S. Focused on Presidents-Elect?


ARE P.E.T.S. FOCUSED ON 
PRESIDENTS-ELECT?
In North America, the now eighteen-year drop in membership, and the over twenty years of organized Presidents-Elect Training Sessions (PETS) is too close of a relationship to be considered a mere coincidence.  From this observation, two propositions could be debated:
            1:  PETS slowed the rate of our membership decline.
            2:  PETS contributed to our membership decline.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Is R.I. Finally Paying Attention to its Only Customers?

Rotary International Brand 
Revitalization is underway!
RI entered into contract with Siegel+Gale, who have already taken the first step up the long, complicated stairwell.
  http://www.siegelgale.com/
Great Step Forward - Rotary International!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Rotary in North America - Part IV


For eighteen years, Rotary In North America has been mired in the captivating ruts of declining membership!  
Other Rotary regions should be wary and steer clear or they, too, will be captured by similar travails.  

Together We IN NORTH AMERICA Can GET OUT AND STAY OUT!
           
To get out, and to stay out, Rotary clubs must be on roads paved with leaders 
. . .to read the final Rotatorial of Jim Henry's Rotary in North America series . . . click here

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Who Knew How Many Rotarians Were Walking Out?


Annually, More Than 157,000 
Rotarians Have Been Walking Out Clubs’ Doors Taking With Them Over
US$7,500,000 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Rotary In North America - Part III

Rotary's Public Information

If Rotary's public information contains substance, is it being digested by those most likely to support your local Rotary. . . to continue reading, click here 

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Rotary In North America - Part II

Rotary's Image and Public Information!  

A LinkedIn discussion regarding Rotary’s image raises two vital questions:  What is Rotary’s Image?  To whom should Public Information be directed?  To read Jim Henry's Rotatorial discussing these questions, please click here. . .

Monday, July 11, 2011

Rotary in North America - Part I


Rotary – Born by Commerce, 1905.   

Is Rotary in North America capable and willing to avoid being
Buried by Commonplace 
this century?  

Saturday, June 18, 2011

FOUR STEPS. . .


Who is Rotary?  RI Director John Smarge
If anyone can become a Rotarian, there is no reason for anyone to become a Rotarian.  Four Steps . . .


Click here to read Four Steps . . . Jim Henry's final Rotatorial as Zone 34's Rotary Coordinator

Monday, May 16, 2011

Inactive Rotarians - A Hidden Resource

Would you write off 20% of your newer clients or customers every year without discovering why they were leaving?  Read Zone 34 Jim Henry's latest Rotatorial.


Monday, May 9, 2011

The Only True Measure of an Effective Club is its ability to Attract and Retain Members!

Why isn’t our worldwide membership increasing? Could our Presidential Citation and Governor’s Award practices be part of the problem? To read an easy to implement solution, click here.

The Rotary Retention Fix

Listed on a one page reference chart, a one paragraph synopsis of the membership retention crisis in Rotary, and then 10 easy-to-do ideas for your club targeted to address those retention issues and to meet the expectations of Newer Members.
Click here to download and print the ideas from Zone 33 Rotary Coordinator Bevin Wall

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Why Wait to Improve Membership Retention?


“The Only Pillars of an Effective Club are the Members who Advance the Object of Rotary" discusses a simple method clubs and/or districts can use to track membership retention and recruitment while emphasizing that the essence of an effective club is its members. The Excel spreadsheet used in the article’s examples is readily available and easy to use. -'Click here to read and download 'The Only Pillars - - -'

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Take Branding to the Clubs!

What are Rotary clubs and What do Rotary clubs do?

Zone 34 RC Jim Henry tailored a Branding presentation for the District 6900 Assembly, and prepared a handout for all session attendees. The handout was prepared from the PowerPoint notes pages, and had a few written exercises. These are available for download should Rotarians want to do so.


Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Who Funds Rotary?


It is not clubs, districts, Rotary International, or The Rotary Foundation that funds the worldwide privileges and services of Rotary. They only handle the money and furnish the opportunities. It is the local Rotarian who finds it beneficial to fund operations and to advance the Object of Rotary.
Jim Henry, Zone 34 Rotary Coordinator, April, 2011

Is your Rotary club really a Rotary club?

Can your club's board of directors affirm that your club is really a Rotary club and have confidence that their affirmation adheres to the Four-Way Test? To read more thoughts about this from Zone 34 Coordinator Jim Henry,click here. . .

Monday, March 21, 2011

ROTARY'S PROGRAM-PROJECT PROPHECY


Rotary's Program-Project Prophecy - This prophecy sounds like a self-fulfilling journey to the Promised Land of Membership Retention and Growth.

BUT, it will only come to pass . . . . To continue reading, please click here

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Reversing A Membership Freefall


Last year RC Jim Henry published a series of eight articles on Reversing our Membership Freefall. After this year's Zone 34 Seminars, both regional and local, we believe that the thoughts and concepts discussed can shed light on steps clubs and districts should take. The easy-to-read articles could be most useful to all levels of 2011-12 Rotary leaders.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

So the question should be "WHO IS ROTARY?"

"What is Rotary?" We frequently ask ourselves this question as we attempt to explain our commitment to Rotary. But the question to which we should determine the answer is "Who is Rotary?"

What Comes First?


Before understanding the complexities of Public Relations comes defining Rotary's Distinctive Position, or Brand. Before defining Rotary's Distinctive Position comes identifying Rotary's Target Audience. These simple steps make it easy to understand that EVERYTHING a Rotary club does is Public Relations and should broadcast its Distinctive Position to its Target Audience, without which the entire Rotary organization would not exist.

Here are the links to the PowerPoint and Notes Pages of Zone 34 Rotary Coordinator Jim Henry's presentation before a large Pre-Florida PETS audience.


Monday, February 21, 2011

Leadership in Rotary is not for TIMID!


Leadership in any organization is a challenge. But in most organizations the customers, suppliers, and in non-profits, beneficiaries, are relatively clear. How do we gain a better understanding of these concepts for our Rotary organizations?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Strategic Plan Starting Point!


What is the base upon which to build a District Strategic Plan?” was the major question at the recent Zone 34 Membership Seminar. The attendees decided it was necessary to answer this question before they could begin creating effective plans. First, the RI Code of Policies, 17.010.1 states, “The activities and organization of a Rotary district shall exist solely to help the individual club advance the object of Rotary. . .” Then attendees, all of whom were district leaders, decided that they should treat individual Rotary clubs as customers. Then the attendees concluded that to create an effective plan, it would be wise to define what their customers’ (clubs) needed to accomplishing their objective.

To see their creative base upon which to create an effective strategic plan, click here!


Will Rotary Learn?

Can Rotary Learn From General Motors?

A new look at Membership - A Chilling Analogy

Click here to read the new look.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Rotary's Recruiting Death Dance

Rotary's annual recruiting waltz is our Dance of Death and reminds me of the mythical Thorn Bird who sings it most beautiful song as it impales itself to death on a thorn.  If one critically analyzes our recruiting dance, it becomes obvious that the practice is organization-centered, not member-centered. It comes from an inward point of view . . . Recruitment Death Dance (Click here to read more.)

Customers, and Only Customers, Authenticate a Brand


Can Rotary Perfect Its Brand?

Throughout North America, indications are that Rotary still has credibility but has ceased perfecting its Brand. In the five years from 2005 through 2009, Zone 34, with over 34,000 Rotarians, inducted 22,467 new members and lost 23,053. This indicates that, after decades of building respect and credibility, the name Rotary still attracts its target audience – members –


Danger of Misalignment


The Anarchy of Misaligned Core Essences, Brand Promises, and Target Audiences

Brand alignment is more than designing and synchronizing the Rotary logos, annual themes, mottos, and creeds. Brand alignment means harmonizing the organization’s core essence with its brand promise (the thoughts, feelings, and images the organization’s brand delivers to its target audience.) This alignment is vital in ALL interconnecting relationships, but especially when interconnecting with target audiences - those who fund the organization’s operations.