A New Approach to Rotary
Katie Ischkin
Rotarian and former Rotaractor
Good morning, everyone! My name is Katie Ischkin. I’m 27 and originally from Ontario,
Canada, but now live in Minnesota, USA. I am very excited and so thankful to have been invited
by Rotary International to speak at the 2011 International Assembly. Being here is truly
humbling, and as a young Rotarian I feel I have been fortunate enough to experience so
many amazing Rotary moments. These are the moments that reinforce my passion for Rotary
and the network of amazing Rotarians such as yourselves putting Service Above Self.
I am a very proud, young, female Rotarian. I’m the product of Rotary programs and was
fortunate enough to be backed by very supportive Rotarians when I decided I wanted to
start a new Rotary club in Minnesota. When I decided to join Rotary, I started visiting clubs,
as most prospective members do. Through my visits I met great people but I didn’t feel that
any of the clubs were the right fit for me. They didn’t quite align with my needs as a young
professional. This feeling about Rotary affects young professionals and prevents them from
signing on the dotted line and becoming a member of a club. This is what I’m going to
focus on today, how a new approach to Rotary can aid in the recruitment and retention of
younger members and help current Rotarians see that the new generation of Rotarians is
very nontraditional. I am passionate about this topic because I am just that — a young
Rotarian breaking ground in Rotary in a nontraditional way.
Current Rotary statistics show that 2 percent of Rotary members worldwide are under the
age of 30. Even more shocking, only 11 percent of our members worldwide are under the
age of 40. And worldwide, 68 percent of our members are over the age of 50. That’s not to
say that members aged 50 plus are “old” — you’re as old as you feel — but it is very difficult
to appeal to a younger group of prospective members when the numbers say that our
organization has been geared towards the more established, older professional.
I’m going to touch on three important points today that I believe are integral in moving
toward a new outlook on membership and a new approach to the club structure: first, the
importance of keeping the core but shifting surface-level elements; second, what a nontraditional
structure looks like; and finally, expectations versus realities of the new generation
of Rotarians. Some of the things I discuss may be more geared toward a North American
cultural perspective, but I do believe that we need to focus on generating interest in young
people for the future success of Rotary.
When I talk to clubs and districts about this topic, I find both people who are ready for
something different and a new approach and those who fear change and the loss of what
Rotary is really all about. I work as a change-management consultant, so I understand
people’s fear of change. Change is good because it allows for the entrance of something
new and forces people to experience something that challenges what they know and are
comfortable with. Not all change is successful, but we can’t be afraid to try something new
because we fear what may happen. This applies directly to the Rotary club structure in that
a new approach to Rotary doesn’t mean changing the core pieces of our organization or
losing what we hold most dear. The history of our organization, the founders, The Four-Way
Test, and more are the foundational elements that keep our Rotary structure sound and relevant.
What does change are what I call surface-level elements — the pieces that individual
clubs have the power to shift and redesign, such as meeting times and locations, program
structures, club member involvement and committee formats, and the like. We are faced
today with the need to grow not just for the sake of numbers but to create strong, young,
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global leaders who are going to help continue the success of the Rotary organization and
take responsibility for the success of our world and peace among our cultures.
I am the founder and current president of the Rotary Club of South Metro Minneapolis Evenings.
Our club has definitely introduced a very nontraditional structure to our district and
zone. There are many other Rotary clubs around the world that focus on a younger membership
and even have specific fundraising and service goals. I can talk only to my experiences
with my club and share what we do that works. First, it was obvious that there was a great
need for an evening club in the city I lived in. At this point in my career life, when my boss
and colleagues expect me to put my job responsibilities before anything else, it isn’t possible
for me to commit to attending Rotary meetings weekly, during the day or even before
work. Although I do pride myself in my ability to balance and manage time, our evening
structure has made it quite easy for our members to commit and also attend on a regular
basis. Also, we don’t serve meals at our meetings. This is usually quite shocking to many
Rotary clubs that I talk to, as the meal sometimes can be the draw. But for many of our
members, the extra expense of meals at each meeting is something they just can’t incur.
Recruitment and retention is an important piece to our club (as it is with any club), and with
a younger population of members we do have a higher rate of turnover, mainly because
some of our members aren’t quite settled on the city or the career that they hold. Again, we
can’t be afraid of accepting members who may leave. Turnover is natural and, again, very
reflective of my generation’s need to always look for the “What’s next?” Therefore, our club
finds it works well when we add in the element of competition for recruitment. We are currently
running our second membership drive contest, which awards points to our members
for bringing a guest [to a meeting or event] and having that guest join our club. Simple, yet
very effective. Also, our club is focused on having a recruitment plan that promotes sustainability;
therefore, we are launching what’s called the RITE (Rotarians-In-Training Experience)
program, which will invite recent graduates to participate in our club as a learning
experience. Rotaract is a fantastic program — I know this having been involved for many
years — but many Rotaractors express the concern that they don’t feel prepared to make
the transition into Rotary, because they believe they may not be old enough or established
enough in their careers. This is an issue; therefore, a club-level program like ours will help
educate young professionals about Rotary by having them attend club meetings, volunteer
at our projects, and participate in committees so that when they decide to become a fullfledged
Rotarian, there is no intimidating transition and they’re ready to get involved at the
club level immediately no matter their salary, job function, or age.
Technology plays an integral role beyond the website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts that
we have. Our club has been piloting the use of Skype as a way for our members to attend
meetings and even have speakers present when they can’t physically be at our meeting.
Technology can be a scary thing for many traditional Rotary clubs, as it’s not always reliable
and can be sometimes tedious, but having the option available allows our members
who travel frequently for work to still be involved and participate in a meaningful way.
I recently was the speaker at a Rotary club via Skype, and it was very successful, interactive,
and engaging.
Finally, our club does not meet weekly. Yes, it is true. We don’t have meetings once a week,
but we still meet four times a month. Our new approach to meetings is geared to my generation’s
need for instant gratification; therefore, our club structure tries to hit our members’
areas of interest for joining. We have regular program-type meetings every second
week, our third meeting is a happy hour/networking meeting that rotates locations around
the city, and our fourth meeting each month is a hands-on volunteering opportunity. Our
members may not be able to write large checks for the Foundation each year, pay for meals
each week, or donate their pocket change on a weekly basis, but they can and want to give
back by giving their time and efforts. We are enforcing the importance of the human connection
and how a few hours of filling food bank bags, handing out Christmas presents at
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a soup kitchen, or even cheering on runners at a local marathon can create passion in our
members, build strong relationships, and make them truly proud Rotarians.
All of the above seem very obvious and basic, and these are just a few of the many things
our nontraditional club has done. As I experience day in and day out in my career working
with large businesses, it is usually the basics that we miss and forget to revisit.
Finally, the hardest thing for many current and traditional Rotary clubs to understand is
the true realities of the new generation of Rotarians and how it’s important to comprehend
and manage expectations with realities. I’ve spoken at many Rotary clubs, and I tend to
get those people who don’t truly understand the mindset of our generation of Rotarians or
who base what they know off of stereotypes and biases. The new generation of Rotarian is
always on the go and truly connected. At the end of an average day, I’ve sent 30 e-mails, 20
text messages, updated my Facebook status twice, made multiple phone calls, and been
to the office, gym, meetings, and home. There’s a lot of pressure on our generation to be
involved in multiple endeavors and yet have a strong work-life balance, and sometimes we
get caught up in managing expectations others have of us. A new approach to Rotary has
to accept and understand that even though young professionals may be “on call” with their
careers and juggling multiple responsibilities, that doesn’t mean they aren’t as dedicated
and passionate about being a Rotarian as the next member. When you’re trying to recruit
younger members or even sponsor and start a new generations Rotary club, take time
with your club and committee to outline what your expectations are and whether they will
align with the younger generation you are trying to attract and work with. Not every Rotary
club can quickly shift gears to attract younger members; it takes time and baby steps. List
out what your club is capable of changing and whether it’s realistic to incorporate younger
membership. For many clubs, all it takes is opening up your minds and starting to think differently
about the future of your club’s membership.
My club has been successful. Chartered in June 2010, we have already grown to 25 members
— recruiting 12 new members in a three-month period. We’ve officially signed up for
our first Matching Grant and international service project and have already participated
in more than 10 community service or hands-on volunteering projects. So when people
question this new approach to Rotary, I don’t get angry or upset, because to them it is the
unknown. But I am quick to share our long list of successes and our base of new, passionate,
young Rotarians who are going to continue the legacy of our great organization and
put Service Above Self in all aspects of their lives. If we want Rotary to be a relevant and
significant organization with my generation in the years to come, we need to seriously
start focusing at the club level on how we bridge the gap and use new approaches to attract
members like me, who no matter our time and monetary constraints believe that it’s
always possible to give back and make the world a better place.
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