If someone leaves ... how do we react?

“So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye”

If you have seen ‘The Sound of Music’ you may remember this song by the Von Trapp children as they made their way to bed.  The guests were enchanted by their performance.  
 
 
But how does your club respond when you hear the same thing from a member and receive their resignation?
 
Do you go down on your knees pleading Please Don’t Go and start pulling out all the stops to keep them, say what will happen to the club If You Leave Me Now and beg them Don’t Leave Me This Way.
 
 
Or do you Shake It Off, accept the resignation, wish them all the best, believe the member is not Irreplaceable and watch them Hit The Road Jack without a second thought.
 
How about changing the tune?
 
 
Take some time out to talk with the member and find out What’s Going On? It could be a simple misunderstanding or the club may be able to accommodate some changes. Members should feel they can Count on Me and together We Can Work It Out. Even if it is a relocation – we shouldn’t lose Rotarians. The district can help you and your member find a new Rotary home in their new location.
 
Here are some examples of how clubs have done this
  • Introduced monthly automatic payments of club fees to spread outgoings;
  • Occasionally hold meetings by Zoom to make it easier for parents or non-driving members;
  • Accept member contribution other than solely meeting attendance – project help, running social media;
  • Held a member on the club record until they found a suitable Rotary club in their new location. For more information on Engaging with Members go to the Membership section of My Rotary.
Make your new song Never Gonna Give You Up.
 
[In St Johns Rotary we largely sing the 'new song' ... sure we can do better and that is up to all of us to help make the membership experience for us and our fellow Rotarians as good as it could be and if we get someone who reaches a place where resignation is considered, we can all pitch in to help get them to renew their enthusiasm.  Sometime we have member who do leave ... for Rotary elsewhere and this is encouraged if they are moving away and we have many great fireinds who have done this and stay in touch with the club and its members]
 
Highlighted links in the article above go to the relevant song
Article source is the District 9910 Newsletter (November) and thanks go to Elaine Mead, District 9910 Membership Lead