The idea of “Service Above Self” has been providing Rotarians with a reason

for belonging since Rotary began. Today it permeates throughout the world

as Rotary club after Rotary club meet on an ongoing basis to serve their com-

munities and each other. However, as any Rotarian can tell you, each club is

different. They are unique in how they go about their services, how they organize themselves, and how they are perceived by their communities and the Rotary District of which they belong.

 

If anyone has ever tried to self-facilitate their organization’s goals and strategies, they probably met with limited success. This is because they and their

club may be too close to the issues.

 

Without a conscious awareness of that unique interpretation, clubs have a tendency to lose focus. To a club that has not defined who they are, what they stand for, and what they intend to do; anything and everything is an opportunity.

It is a dynamic management tool that:

· Defines a shared commitment.

· Provides long-term direction.

· Creates a framework to establish goals and objectives.

· Optimizes use of limited resources.

A club visioning session provides a vision for the future and the beginnings

of a written plan that promotes consensus, consistency, and continuity. It serves as a foundational piece for any club that wants to grow and become

more effective.

 

To gather many ideas (the dreams) and opportunities for the future from a

group of 15-30 people and condense it down to the most important goals determined by that club (consensus) all within a very limited time frame. This

is where an outside, neutral team of Rotary facilitators makes the difference.

 

 The facilitation process incorporates a teaching component stemming from the district level to help clubs champion three fairly new (or different) concepts:

1. the Club Leadership Plan as developed and promoted by RI

2. the idea of a strategic-based club leadership committee

3. the need for a club to communicate their vision and initiatives in a for-

malized way.

 

At the end of the four-hour process the members of the club will have a clearvision of:

· What the club stands for in its community;

· The club’s target membership size in 5 years;

· Identification of the club’s attributes;

· Top 3 objectives for each Avenue of Service;

· Ways to improve club’s leadership development;

· Understanding of Club Leadership Plan