A top Rotarian has thrown down the gauntlet to a local Rotary club to recruit and retain new members.
Dr Mukunda Chidrawar, who heads the Rotary district that includes Shropshire and Staffordshire, was paying his first visit to Shrewsbury and Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club following his new appointment.
His message was recruitment, retention and relevance. He told local Rotarians: “You are recruiting, but retention is a big issue. “Give importance to senior Rotarians who have done great work. Involve them in projects because they have great expertise. Involve our senior Rotarians – there is evidence we do not involve them sufficiently. Although perhaps unable to undertake the more arduous activities, they offer a wealth of experience that can be used to support newer, less experienced members.”
He explained how Rotary changed his life in 1972 when he was in Mumbai, formerly Bombay. “My ambition was to be a surgeon. In 1972 God sent a message for me to be in Rotary. I got the best text books to study through Rotary. Rotary changes people’s lives and it changed mine. There are wonderful stories of what Rotary does in the world and in your own little way change people’s lives,” he told members.”
Rotary had changed his life and he implored Rotarians to ‘do their bit’ in their own community to change people’s lives. “Whatever we do, however small, can make a real difference to people’s lives, often without us knowing. You can do little things in your community that make a difference. If you want me for any projects I will be here. You are doing some great work and you have a global grant coming up for The Ark.”
He was referring to raising funds through Rotary International which could be worth many thousands of pounds in support of The Ark, Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury Severn Rotary’s newly elected president David Morris welcomed a potential new member to the club and added: “We want to be more outreaching during the year and feel that membership – particularly attracting more lady members – is our absolute priority.”
The president presented members with the club’s new yearbook for 2023-2024.
Anyone interested in finding out more about Shrewsbury Severn Rotary Club or considering joining can contact gdmw@hotmail.co.uk
