Most Clubs appear to have a problem attracting new members and when that happens the workload falls back onto the existing members and we all lose some of our spark.

At the Euroa Club, we have been quite successful in attracting new members, so I think it's time to share some secrets.

The first thing to realise is that's it not just about members. It's about the Club and how the Club is perceived in the local Community. A strong and active Club that is seen to be working for its local community is held in higher esteem by local people.

A few years ago the Rotary Club of Euroa started a publicity campaign by sending press releases to our local newspaper about what the Club was doing. We are lucky here because the Euroa Gazette is a locally owned Community minded paper, so our releases have always been published, together with any photos we have attached. We regularly send articles about our local working bees, events and overseas commitments, particularly timely ones like ShelterBox assistance following an international disaster. The secret here is to present the articles in a ready to print format, i.e.: properly edited and in a common format, usually MS Word, check with the paper.

We have also compiled and promoted a town map showing all the local projects that the Club has been involved in since its inception in 1946. These projects have been screened as a Powerpoint production at meetings, with the aim of letting newer members know about the Club's history in the town.

Last year we brainstormed our members to create a prospective new member list, and next week we are inviting these prospective members to a "Celebration of Membership" dinner, where we will have 2 guest speakers from other Clubs telling about their Rotary experiences, together with our slide presentation.

As well as attracting new members to our Club, this approach has an added advantage in keeping current members motivated.

It's a win-win situation and I hope this article helps others with membership numbers.

Rodney Horsfall

Rotary Club of Euroa

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