Our club meeting looked pretty grim this week with only 14 people registered to attend at Holm Park by Tuesday afternoon. Remembering that our cut-off time is 10.00am and we needed a minimum of 20 people; otherwise, the member's money was paying the shortfall, it was not a good position to be in. In steps, Secretary Sam to do a targeted whip around and we scrape past with 24 attendees. While it is a modern-day miracle that we got past 20, we have some considerable challenges with attendance, the most pressing being the cater/venue's profitability.
Rotary's meal cost has been touted as a major reason why Rotarians don't turn up to meetings. Our meal costs have dropped 30%, but we still have low attendance at around 45%. Statistically, I would say that meal costs have nothing to do with Rotarians not attending a meeting, but are merely an excuse. Rotarians' core group is still supporting the club by attending meetings and the fringe group is still largely absent. This is a pretty common scenario across the Rotary Clubs I communicate with, but even so, it leaves the club in a dilemma.
To be a dinner club, we need a venue and a caterer. If we want to jump down to a noisy pub and get a counter meal, that might cost us between $18 and $35 plus a drink. No speaker, no broad communications except by sign language, but possibly a fun time. Then there is the "Back Room", cramped, uncomfortable, limited. Meals are limited, no wifi, background noise, a little awkward if the people outside the room hear us sing or something. Last stop is what we have! A great venue, air conditioning, room to move and hold bigger functions, wifi and a good well-priced meal. In each of these three scenario's we will have people complaining about something, that's what people do.
So the next target/excuse for non-attendance is the meeting itself. Boring, uninspiring, waste of time. This is where I see there is some merit in the excuse, except that the Rotarians in this group are not feeling engaged enough to break into a meeting and make the changes needed to bring 55% of the club back into action.
The last reason for not attending meetings is ill health, being away or work. Zoom was supposed to look after the people who are away, or are in poor health. If you are working, that is fine, everyone needs to earn a living.
So Zoom is not working with people who are away, and for people who are ill Zooming isn't working either.
The object of this analysis is not to lay blame on any Rotarian, it is to work out the next moves the club must make to stay in its current venue and support a caterer. We have got it really good where we are and we are laying it all to waste!!
The caterer is now asking for a minimum of 25 meals per week NOT 20. If you were reading last week's bulletin I mentioned a Genie, well it is popping out of that bottle and we need to do something quickly before we are back to paying $30 (Inner Wheel are already paying that for their monthly meeting). Our current membership is 44. There are members who have not attended a meeting at all this year. So here is the dilemma, charge the eating members and extra $5 for the privilege of supporting the club in its current format, charge the non-apologising members $5 (and there is plenty of those ATM) in their dues or increase the dues across the membership to cover the shortfall.
It is up to all members to make our club the Rotary that they want it to be. 55% is a big silent majority. I don't think anyone wants to see an extra $225 on their dues because they are not engaging with the activities of the club. Just saying, get on board and make the Rotary Club of Berwick strong, vibrant and connected to our community, businesses and schools in 2021. COME TO THE MEETINGS, they aren't that bad!