Strength in Numbers
by Laura Breen Galante
Membership in our local Rotary Clubs is having a banner year. In fact, the Central Florida District 6980 – comprised of Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Lake, and Sumter counties – recently ranked first in the United States over the last fiscal year for new member growth. Because Rotary does so much to support our community, more members mean more philanthropy for the place we call home.
Don Harris, a 30-year Rotarian who most recently served as district governor for the 2023-24 fiscal year, says the membership growth was significant. He oversaw 40 local Clubs in District 6980, which includes Clubs in Lake Mary, Sanford, Oviedo, Winter Springs, Altamonte Springs, and Casselberry; three Satellite Clubs; and another three Rotaract Clubs – collegiate Clubs affiliated with the University of Central Florida, Rollins College, and Barry University School of Law.
“We had several significant milestones,” says Don. “We led the United States all year, month by month, and we ended up with a 5.5 percent overall growth in membership.”
And since July of this year, not only did 90 percent of the Clubs not lose any members, they gained members and are up eight percent in commitment.
About two years ago, Don says, local Rotarians decided they needed a plan to expand Clubs and explore new membership models to appeal to younger professionals.
“It’s not your grandfather’s Rotary any more,” he says.
For example, the Rotary Club of Lake Mary meets for breakfast every Thursday morning, but many younger professionals aren’t available during that time. New members can join a companion Club, known as an Impact Club, where they might meet less often but are still included on the service projects organized by the host Club.
“The other thing we did was invest our resources in the Club presidents,” Don says. “We did a very intentional training for them to understand the vision. For all the good we do in the world, we can’t continue to have that impact if we don’t have Rotarians to do the work.”
Don asked Club leaders to consider why they became Rotarians.
“What’s the value to you?” says Don. “And if you want to bring in new people, why should they join? Is it service to make things better in our community? Is it for networking or leadership opportunities?”
Don adds, “The biggest thing is helping members be able to understand the impact they have in their communities.”
Every local Rotary Club is charged with serving its area. Seminole County Clubs are doing their part by participating in Meals on Wheels, supporting their local high school food banks, and working toward the Million Meal Marathon program – where for the last three years, Rotary has contributed a million meals to the community in dollar, food, or in-kind donations.
“Our members are motivated by the impact of our service projects,” says Don.
At Your Service
Many Seminole County Clubs work alongside organizations such as The Sharing Center; Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida (Seminole County branches); Hearts, Hands, and Hope; and Rescue Outreach Mission. Other area organizations receiving reinforcement from Rotary include HOPE Helps, the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools, Kids House of Seminole, Second Harvest Food Bank, Take Stock in Children, and Habitat for Humanity – just to name a few.
If a local organization is fighting for women and children and against homelessness and food insecurity, it’s likely that Rotary is involved, too. These issues are among Rotary’s seven areas of charitable focus, which include peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. Rotary adheres to the motto, “Service Above Self,” and Rotarians are constantly giving back.
Initiatives aimed at supporting the next generation of leaders is another focal point of Rotary. Two programs, Rising Achievers and Graduate With Dignity, support graduating seniors by offering scholarships, plus grants to buy a cap, gown, and yearbook for those without funds to do so. Clubs also support students through Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), an intensive, four-day leadership conference for upwards of 140 students, where they develop skills in public speaking and relationship building. The Rotary Youth Exchange program also welcomed five students from overseas to Central Florida this past year. New Club initiatives include training Rotarians on how to spot the signs of human trafficking as well as fighting opioid abuse, which is an effort to supplement the work of local first responders.
“Rotary is changing,” says Don. “It’s dynamic and diverse, and we accomplish a lot in every one of our communities. We want to better tell that story in order to attract new members.”