Is Rotary Growth Recruitment or Retention? Or Both.

Posted by Neil Berg
 

Greetings from the road. 

 
My ‘DG visits’ to each and every one of the Clubs has been without exception, an invigorating and great experience.  I’ve met new friends, shared stories of successes and challenges, and learned so much about the great Rotarians and their Clubs in our District.  I’ve drank a lot of coffee and really not eaten that much chicken (just kidding).  For your hospitality again I say thankyouverymuch.
 
The mission to eradicate polio that Rotary began thirty-some years ago continues to be the number one world-wide corporate mission of Rotary.  The world is watching us on this and we cannot fail them.  We have invested too much time and too much energy in the last three decades to shrink from the task now.
 
Some updates: there have been only nineteen new cases of polio infection since the beginning of this year, all of those in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The caveat, the exception is the small number of new cases that have been discovered in Nigeria.  Nigeria was thought to be polio-free just a few months ago. 
 
The great thing is that polio cases have been reduced from 300,000 per year to the two dozen or so now.  The risk is that many people, especially in North America don’t recall and therefore have no fear of the scourge of polio.  The fact is that polio is only an airplane ride away from Calgary or Red Deer or Kindersley.
 
The Polio Plus fund has about two-thirds of what is estimated to be needed to finish this job.  Your contribution and support is just as important now as it was five or twenty-five years ago.  In support of this we are asking each and every Rotarian in our District to follow my lead (as I wouldn’t ask you to do something I wouldn’t do myself) and contribute at least C$26.50 to Polio Plus.  One of the criteria for recognition at the District Conference (Red Deer, May 5-7, 2017 you’ll recall) that was outlined in my letter to your Presidents and Foundation Chairs last week was for the Club that had 100% of its members contributing at least this rather nominal amount.
 
Check with your Club President or Foundation Chair for details.
 
Polio Day world-wide is October 24.  We’ve heard of some great initiatives around the District to raise awareness (and money), like the Polio Walk in some communities, discounted hockey tickets, etc.  What will be your Club’s contribution?
 
Neil Berg
Rotary Club of Red Deer East
Rotary International District 5360 Governor
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
(403) 302-1552