It is rare these days that the general public gives much thought to Rotary and, when they do, they tend to think of Rotarians as altruistic old school joiners, committee men with the quaint credo of Service Above Self. Whilst they may acknowledge that their local Rotary Club does contribute to the fabric of their community, they see Rotarians as dedicated workers, raffle sellers and barbeque-ologists prepared to sacrifice their free time to their cause; whatever that might be. Usually, they don’t take the time to wonder why the Rotarians are raising money again, they just see that as part of the picture.

If only they knew the reality that, in general, Rotarians like most people are driven by self interest and, if they are dedicated, it is because they have come to understand that they get more out of being in Rotary than they put in. Yes ! They are selfish, as they come to understand the many layers of personal development, entertainment and sense of satisfaction and achievement that they gain through being part of this complex organisation.

People do join Rotary for a range of reasons, the chance to meet new people, network and gain a little kudos through being part of a long-established institution. Some join because they have a project idea and understand that Rotary might help bring it to reality. Those folk that join, and stay, begin to realise that they really value the friendships and the joy of learning about the lives and experiences of their new Rotary friends and guest speakers as well as the networking opportunities.

As new Rotarians get involved in Club roles and ultimately contribute to project work, if they take the time to reflect, they come to realise that there is a good deal of personal development quietly going on in the background as they grow in confidence with public speaking and get involved in project management and administration tasks beyond what their pre-Rotary ‘normal’ lives would have exposed them to.

Rotarians are generally a fairly handy bunch of people and the basic fact that they come from a range of vocational work experiences and cultural backgrounds can lead to naturally well-structured teams when they collectively commit to undertaking projects in their own communities or in distant communities that need a helping hand. Clearly Rotary projects deliver great personal satisfaction for the Rotarians involved and often carry an element of adventure as well. The phrase ordinary people doing extraordinary things is often repeated by those ordinary Rotarians reflecting on their amazing project interactions, achievements and travel experiences.

If only more people in the general public had the chance to really see what Rotarians get involved in, beyond the barbeque, and the multi-layered experiences that they can gain through hands on engagement with projects, they would understand that Rotarians get far more than they generally give.

Rotary continues to struggle with communicating the value proposition to potential new members. Service Above Self does not seem to resonate as a reason to join these days so perhaps the more accurate Rotary reality of Service For Self might generate more interest.

Just my thoughts from 32 years in Rotary,

David Pearson

chairman@rawcs.org.au