A Strategic Overview for the Rotary Club of Ryde March 2011

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1 A Strategic Overview for the Rotary Club of Ryde March 2011 Reviewed

2 A Strategic Overview for the Rotary Club of Ryde. Commencing in August 2009, the club s planning efforts have involved detailed consideration of the future operating environment, articulation of a vision statement, a focus on the key issues and implementation of the policies and procedures to address those issues. Records of the planning forums can be seen in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 attached. Of key interest is a statement of intent as follows: The Rotary Club of Ryde shall be a modern, professional club featuring: * Active connection and engagement with the important institutions and sectors of our community. * Action-oriented projects and programs which make a difference in the world. * Friendly networking and personal interaction for a membership numbering in the top 5% of clubs in our District (Revised AGM 12/12/2017) Common themes in forum discussions were: The ongoing importance of recruiting and retaining new members. o There was some uncertainty about optimum club size, but it was generally acknowledge that some growth in membership would be a positive outcome. o Quality of membership meaning business and professional people who are active and prominent in their fields was seen as important. o While there was some debate over the target age range for new members, it was agreed the club s age profile should see a progressively younger membership. The importance of broadening the cultural, ethnic, vocational and gender representation amongst our members. The need for a heightened level of engagement and interaction with our community, covering all of the important institutions, such as schools, churches, professional and business organizations, councils, etc. The importance of ensuring that all of our club member interactions particularly our regular meetings - are modern, friendly, and of value to members and their families, while maintaining the character and attributes of Rotary gatherings. 2

3 Initiatives By the end of the planning process, many of the identified issues had been embodied in the club s normal operations. In keeping with the modern emphasis, the club s website is now fully operational and the vast majority of communication is electronic. A suggestion that the substitution the Rotary flag for the Union Flag could be a symbol of the adoption of modern thinking is to be put to the club at a general meeting. Professionalism in the conduct of the club s affairs has been promoted through the adoption of a project approval process. Missing under this heading is club training, which will be initiated with this strategic overview as a backdrop. Connection and engagement with our community are areas of considerable activity, with priority on Ryde City, Chambers of Commerce, Christian Community Aid, schools and TAFE. An important initiative will be the development of a database describing this network of relationships for the benefit of future club officers. Project selection/evaluation criteria, risk management and funding have been the major issues arising under the projects heading. Criteria have been developed (see appendix 4), and applied successfully. Risk analysis and management have been applied to major project activity. Work has commenced on the development of a funding committee to ensure that funds can be generated to match operational and project commitments, and that the outcomes are incorporated in a club budget. Friendly interaction and sharing of members stories have been promoted via website CV s, 3 minute talks, and as much social activity as can be achieved in a busy club calendar. Actions Each club officer will have responsibilities as detailed in the relevant RI manual contained in the Club Officers Kit, and as required by the DG from time to time. In addition, arising from these planning considerations, the following actions are required to guide the club s operations consistent with our vision statement. Administration Director Periodically convene a funding committee in order to develop funding strategies and processes which will adequately and securely match budgetary commitments, both for the club s ongoing operations, and project commitments. 3

4 Annually, arrange one or more club assemblies at which club officers explain to all club members how the responsibilities of their roles will be discharged, and the manner in which members generally should interact with club officers in their areas of responsibility. P. R. Director Develop and maintain a database of the club s network of contacts, embodying the nature of interaction, extent of support, names of contact personnel, contact details, etc. Promote the ongoing interaction necessary to keep the network active. Projects Director Maintain and update project evaluation and risk management criteria, and assist club and committee members in the development of approval processes for potential projects. Advise the Treasurer and Administration Director of likely project funding needs so that appropriate funding strategies and budgets can be developed. Membership Director Encourage all members to provide and update personal details for the club website, and promote the importance of 3 minute talks as a means of keeping all members informed of the activities and interest of their fellow Rotarians. 4

5 Appendices 5

6 Appendix 1 Club Planning Forum Notes Recorded here is the outcome of our first club planning session on 17/8. We thought about how the 5-10 year future might look in the Ryde locality, considering the operating environment under 7 broad headings. 1. Social Key issues identified here were reduced face-to-face interaction (prompted by information and communications technologies, as well as workplace changes) and the rise of a café society. It was suggested that people are feeling the need for real relationships beyond text messaging and the like. Young people in the workforce seem to be time-poor, with little ability to participate in community activity. They are becoming parents later than previous generations, and, once they are parents, devote spare time to children s activities, notably sporting activities (as evidenced by the growth in sporting clubs/activities). A significantly increased population will live in higher density housing. 2. Demographic A very substantial increase in both residential and industrial capacity will result in tens of thousands more people living and/or working in the area. The ethnic mix will change substantially and encompass a wide variety of ethnicities. The age profile of the population will move towards the younger end of the spectrum. Industry will be dominated by high-tech and service enterprises. An increased proportion of the population present in Ryde during working hours will be people living outside the area. 3. Economic The economic environment is expected to experience at least the volatility and uncertainty we have seen in recent times, and Ryde will be impacted by all of the major global trends, including rising energy costs. The area is expected to see increasing wealth, although this will not necessarily translate to increased disposable income. 4. Technology Every aspect of life will be affected by rapidly changing technologies, particularly information and communications technologies. These changes are likely to amplify trends towards home-based work (reinforcing feelings of isolation and the need for real relationships ). 6

7 The younger strata of the population will outstrip the older group in technological literacy. 5. Regulatory The tendency for increased regulation in many professions is expected to continue, reducing the need for ethical professional judgement, and diluting awareness of the ethical dimension in all vocations. 6. Political The changing global power balance was recognised, without specific implications for Ryde. Evidence did suggest, however, that governments at all levels are likely to seek increased participation by NGO s and service clubs as conduits for both project and program delivery, and the provision of useful information about communities. 7. Environmental While recognising that opinions on various aspects of the environment are likely to continue to vary well into the future, it was universally acknowledged that the level of environmental awareness would continue to increase. In summary, we can foresee: Significant social change driving a need for real relationships amongst a time-poor younger demographic of wide ethnic mix. Tens of thousands more people will live and/or work in the area, particularly in high-tech or service industries. The population will generally be more wealthy, but disposable income will not necessarily increase. Rapidly changing technologies will dominate our lives, taken up particularly by younger people, possibly increasing feelings of personal isolation. Professions will become even more regulated. Governments will seek the assistance of service clubs in project delivery and information provision. The level of environmental awareness will continue to increase. THE QUESTION FOR US IN THIS CONTEXT IS: How would we characterize our club in 5-10 years time if we wish to be making the contribution to the community for which we exist? 7

8 This will be the first question we need to consider at our next planning forum on 21/9. For what they are worth, here are my thoughts: We need to feature prominently in the awareness of the people, enterprises and institutions of our locality. We need to be seen as a modern, progressive group, welcoming of cross-cultural participation and engaged in projects and programs which genuinely make a difference in the world. The conduct of our activities needs to be professional and efficient if we are to attract time-poor younger members, and the personal interaction and networking needs to be friendly and enjoyable. I would encourage everyone to try to articulate their own views on these matters. At our next forum I ll be asking the groups at each table to spend a few minutes writing down their vision, so that we can work towards a statement of intent which genuinely represents the thoughts of the club. We can then work out what more (if anything) we need to do to move in the desired direction, and the board can focus its efforts on these key areas of activity. Rob Mitchell 8

9 Appendix 2 Club Planning Forum Notes 21/9/10 We quickly reviewed the work done 17/8, and a draft vision statement was offered as follows: A modern, professional club featuring: Prominence in the minds of all sectors of our community. Projects and programs which make a difference in the world. Friendly networking and personal interaction for members. Each group then spent some time formulating their views on the content of such a statement, and a representative from each group explained the outcomes. A number of common themes emerged, viz: The ongoing importance of recruiting and retaining new members. o There was some uncertainty about optimum club size, but it was generally acknowledge that some growth in membership would be a positive outcome. o Quality of membership meaning business and professional people who are active and prominent in their fields was seen as important. o While there was some debate over the target age range for new members, it was agreed the club s age profile should see a progressively younger membership. The importance of broadening the cultural, ethnic, vocational and gender representation amongst our members. The need for a heightened level of engagement and interaction with our community, covering all of the important institutions, such as schools, churches, professional and business organizations, councils, etc. The importance of ensuring that all of our club member interactions particularly our regular meetings - are modern, friendly, and of value to members and their families, while maintaining the character and attributes of Rotary gatherings. To incorporate these ideas I ve reworked the draft vision statement as follows: The Rotary Club of Ryde shall be a modern, professional club featuring: * Active connection and engagement with the important institutions and sectors of our community. * Action-oriented projects and programs which make a difference in the world. * Friendly networking and personal interaction for a membership numbering in the top 5% of clubs in our District. (Revised AGM 12/12/2017) 9

10 Please let me know your thoughts about this wording and I ll endeavour to update accordingly. At our next forum on 7/12/10 we need to look hard at the words in the vision statement and decide what (if anything) we need to do about making the vision a reality. For example: Modern is this reflected in our age profile, business practices, use of technology, etc? professional is this reflected in our conduct, vocational representation, actively employed membership, etc? Active connection and engagement do we have these and do they generate awareness? What are the institutions. What are the community sectors? Action-oriented projects and programs how do we test potential projects for suitability? How do we assess the difference they make? Friendly networking what more can we do to ensure our activity is genuinely inclusive of all members, and that we both recruit and retain effectively. The approach will again be a group one, but this time groups will focus on particular aspects, eg group 1 will look at modern, professional -----, group 2 at active connection and engagement", etc, and we will all have the opportunity to look at and comment on what they come up with. SO more homework!! Please put your thinking caps on and be prepared to contribute. Yours in Rotary, Rob Mitchell 10

11 11

12 Appendix 3 Session 3 Club Planning 1. Modern is this reflected in our age profile, business practices, use of technology, etc? The comments about the modern issue seem somewhat defensive of the status quo, and don t address some obvious issues which certainly do affect perceptions of our club, particularly in the context of our stated desire to attract members form the full diversity of our community. We don t have to change, of course, but I think we at least need to seriously consider the implications of staying with some very traditional practices which we are not bound to adhere to by any Rotary protocols. 12

13 2. professional is this reflected in our conduct, vocational representation, actively employed membership, etc? The comments on professionalism don t address the very important issue of professional governance and management of club activity. Again, perhaps we re doing pretty well, but one of the features of Rotary membership is supposed to be the development of leadership and governance capabilities through participation in a well conducted enterprise, so keeping the standard as high as we can seems an important focus. 13

14 3. Active connection and engagement do we have these, and do they generate awareness? What are the institutions. What are the community sectors? On community engagement, hopefully the growing involvement with Ryde City s strategic planning process will inform us of community expectations and a range of areas for potential engagement, as well as giving us an avenue for suggesting further appropriate partnership possibilities. 4. Action-oriented projects and programs how do we test potential projects for suitability? How do we assess the difference they make? 14

15 Comments on projects seem broadly supportive of the funding committee and project evaluation initiatives taken already by the board. We need to be seen to be getting on with these. 15

16 5. Friendly networking what more can we do to ensure our activity is genuinely inclusive of all members, and that we both recruit and retain effectively. The issue of friendly networking covers lots of the things we do now. Perhaps there s an argument for emphasizing them but at what cost to other aspects? 16

17 Appendix 4 Project Evaluation Criteria Preamble: The Club Strategic Planning Forums identified the need for a means to ensure objective evaluation of proposals for Projects, and for better governance of our fundraising efforts. The project criteria which the Projects Committee will use to evaluate new and existing projects have been formulated, and generally speaking, the preferred process for service project consideration is: a. Project proponent to document the project in sufficient detail to allow assessment against criteria. b. Projects Committee to assess and make recommendation to board. Here are the draft criteria Potential for engagement of member skills and knowledge. Of contemporary interest PR worthy. Potential for engagement of friends of Rotary. Supportive of RI and District emphasis. Potential for strategic partnerships. Identifiable benefits commensurate with input of resources and risks involved. Sustainability Genuinely appropriate for service club attention. Feasible for our skills and resources. Potential for fellowship Evidence of commitment by one or more active Rotarians. 17