Rotary International Exists For Only One Purpose. What is that Purpose?

Rotary International's (R.I.) objective is to advance the Object of Rotary.  R.I. depends on members to carry out this objective.  According to Wikipedia, Rotary membership    ". . is open to business and professional leaders aged 18 and upwards with no regard to economic status" who ". . can join a Rotary club only by invitation."   Assuming this is an accurate description, R.I. must deliver value that satisfies business and professional leaders' reasons for accepting an invitation to join a local Rotary club. This can only be accomplished if R.I., while expanding its global presence, strives to understand and deliver, through its member clubs, on these reasons.  To do so, R.I. must encourage and assist its member clubs to create enduring relationships and personal connections among local leaders, i.e. the development of acquaintances as an opportunity for service.  That makes these local business, professional, and community leaders the essence of Who Rotary Is - Rotarians - without whom R.I. would not exist.  Therefore, R.I.'s sole purpose is to create Rotarians!  It is they, utilizing R.I. attributes, who carry out R.I.'s objective.  

This is why the only true measure of R.I.'s success is its ability to create Rotarians.  So: 

• Why is R.I. reluctant to allocate resources and demonstrate that membership - creating Rotarians - is its top priority as the Rotary Code of Policies says it should have been doing?
• Why can't R.I. be transparent in publishing accurate membership information i.e. club, district, Zone and Regional retention and attraction rates?
• Why isn't professional Internal and External Marketing expertise being used to help R.I. center on creating Rotarians?
• How does Rotary Club Central help its member clubs create Rotarians?
• How does the Rotarian magazine help create Rotarians?  Would it survive if subscription was voluntary? 

 

To survive another century, EVERYTHING R.I. does must center on creating Rotarians. 

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