EVERY MONTH SHOULD BE A MEMBERSHIP MONTH FOR ROTARY

THE METAMORPHOSIS
By
ERNIE D. DELFIN
Member, Newport Irvine Rotary Club


EVERY MONTH SHOULD BE A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE MONTH


“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!”

---- Pres. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

I was in my youth just starting high school, after 6 years of elementary education, in the Philippines when President Kennedy was assassinated and although were 10,000 miles away we were also shocked and saddened by his untimely demise that fateful November 21, 1963. I remember that we were glued to the transistor radio (we did not have a TV at home yet) and a lot of us shed tears as he was also our idol. Now 43 years later, I am still inspired by his inaugural speech, his vision like his dream of sending a man on the moon, and his idealism and his dream of a better America and a more peace world.

In Rotary International, we also dream lofty dreams to have a better and more peaceful world. Yes, true Rotarians do not ask what their club can do for them, but they ask what they can do for their Club. The 100 year history of Rotary International is replete with stories of selfless individuals who contributed their thinking, time, talents and treasures (4 T’s in philanthropy) and we Rotarians should emulate those many “silent heroes” in the Rotary World.

It still amazes me that to this day, however, that many professionals and business people in our local communities still do not know what Rotary is all about. For example a prominent business leader in our Orange County Presidents Council (a coalition of 25 minority chambers of Commerce and NGOs) publicly joked during a press conference that he thought before I invited him to join the Westminster Global City Rotary Club that Rotary is just a “group of old white people” who go to lunch together and get fined for singing out of tune! Yes, our “reputation” is still not that good in many communities! Perceptions in the mind is reality, hence I personally cannot fault him, but Rotarians around him.

But I dare say that once these kinds of good people are exposed and engaged in the empowering and humanitarian work that Rotarians do, they will become our best advertisers for Rotary.

Every month should be a Membership and New Generations Month where we Rotarians must continue to invite, involve other equally altruistic citizens in our neighborhood to join Rotary.

I challenge each Rotarian worth his salt to ask one person a week to join Rotary. Of course invite them when there is “excitement and good programs” that can be showcased. Are your club meetings exciting enough to interest them to join or just a just a group of old white people having lunch fining people who cannot sing?

To overcome the fear of rejection, probably form a 3-5 Rotarians to invite and recruit one new Rotarian this year! I know it can be done. We have 23 new Rotarians of the ‘youngest club’ in the District and yes, I recruited most of them! A committed TEAM (Together Everybody Accomplishes Miracles) of Rotarians can easily recruit one qualified Rotary member.

We should be the “Lamp on Top of the Hill” and let our Rotary light shine brighter so others can see. Let’s engage, evolve, empower, execute, experience and enjoy (6 E’s ) by sharing Rotary with others.
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Email writer at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com