Introducing the organization to someone new can be quite a challenge. It’s just like welcoming a guest to your home or turning over a house to an excited new homeowner. You want to make them feel welcome by giving them an extraordinary experience, by fostering warmth and belongingness.
From getting them to understand what you do to getting used to the norms, it is always best to let new breeds be acquainted with the basics and leave them with the best first impression. It all starts with what the organization is, what it stands for, what it aims to achieve and what accomplishments have been achieved so far. These are the things that would equip them for a successful membership and fruitful journey to an impactful and fulfilling life of volunteerism and service.
Last August and September, I was privileged to be chosen as a speaker to two open houses and an Interact Assembly. The first was my home club, Rotaract Club of Pasay Cyber City’s Open House on August 21st, the District Open House on August 26th and Interact Assembly of District 3810 last September 18th. All events introduced the organization in a way that can easily help aspiring and new members grasp the Rotary ideals and be able to attract new members.
Professionally, I do new hire onboarding and doing these talks was no different. It is also an advantage that I’m someone who lives and breathes Rotary in the household so narrowing down the basics would be easy. One of the things I keep in mind is to put myself in the guest or potential member’s shoes- what’s the organization about, what’s in it for me and how do I see myself thriving and growing there. Fortunately, I am surrounded by Rotarians and Rotaractors who taught me everything I needed to know so I’d like to be someone like that, someone who can guide people and be able to bring out the best in them.
This Rotary Year is our 2nd year in an almost online yet interactive environment and honestly, it was easy to invite people and have them gather and listen to what the organization is all about, reaching more people even in different areas. What’s also great is that Rotary and Rotaract would always find a way to reach out to communities and beneficiaries. Imagine what these new breed of members can do to make the most of their time, talent and treasure even in the confines of their home. Preparing them for experiences that encourage learning, serving and growth was truly fulfilling. I was able to showcase most of the achievements our club, district and country has done the past year and this is an excellent way to empower people, to let them see the value of what their capabilities can do to make a wider impact to the world. Having a live online event allowed them to ask us questions, to delve further into what else we can do, what they can do and to also answer things they are curious about. The possibilities are seemingly infinite and with technology allowing people to connect even farther than before, I won’t be surprised if our new members can also come up with ways to tell others, far and wide, about us and how they can help.
With these online open house events, I am proud to say that there’s no stopping Rotary, Rotaract and Interact from giving people an opportunity to make a difference and have a life-changing year.
