Service clubs move with the times
By Chrys Ayley
Time pressures and the changing nature of society are impacting on some local service clubs but they are rising to the challenge of providing valuable community services. Tawa Rotary Club incoming chairman Bruce Phillips said membership is healthy but ageing so it has plans to attract new members. The reality is that business today is all consuming time wise therefore people cannot necessarily participate in voluntary activities so the challenge is getting the message about its work out into the community it serves, he said. The Tawa Rotary Club has just introduced a three-year Club Leadership Plan with the key objective of ensuring each club is representative of the community it serves and to bring the average age down, consistent with Tawa demographics. It plans to ensure there are sufficient numbers to share the work it is committed to like book fairs, charity work, student scholarships and sending emergency boxes for Fiji. Another key aspect to generate interest from a wider cross section of the community is for high quality speakers and leadership training for members, he said. ?Once people come along it?s gratifying to see people still want to participate,? he said. Johnsonville Lions president Michael Cameron said membership is steady at 39 members and has been for several years but admits ?we are an ageing organisation.? The last five members inducted were in the younger age bracket but attracting people in their 30s and 40s is difficult. Interestingly enough more than half the club are foreigners, including the president himself, and almost all of its members do more than one voluntary job, Mr Cameron said. Petone Rotary Club projects director Stephen Fitzjohn says the club is gaining new members and while there are more demands on people?s time some younger people are getting involved with the community. ?It is a misconception Rotary is an old man?s club,? he said. The way it attracts new members is simply to ask people to join which is working as the club is attracting both males and females who undertake a range of local and regional community fundraising initiatives.
