A new month begins....Rotary Membership Development and Retention Month.

Well, it's Monday again! How time flies; I can't believe that we are into the second month of the Rotary year.

Today I visited two fairly small clubs, both of which manage to carry out service projects and social activities of which bigger clubs would be proud. I had a super lunch with Honiton in pleasant company at their lovely country retreat. Mind you, I did for a few moments wonder where Jane, my 'sat nav guide' was taking me! After the meeting I travelled home to tie up a few more Rotary ends before travelling to Seaton, were I was due at their evening meeting. They meet at a small private hotel in Colyford where I was provided with a splendid supper; I can certainly recommend the fish. It turned out to be a business meeting and these are of great interest to District Governors. It's quite amazing how much you learn about a club, and shows how very bad we are at blowing our own trumpet and how much of our good work we don't make public.

Mid afternoon on Tuesday, Les and I made our way back to Exeter and along the A30 to Great Torrington. The club meet at the Black Horse Inn which is reputedly one of the oldest Inns in North Devon and was originally a 16th Century coaching inn with civil war connections. It is a venue full of character and charm. Torrington have recently changed their meeting time from lunch to 6.30 p.m. and are finding it to be very successful, adding a new dimension of leisure to their meetings, as they no longer have to watch the clock. They were also glowing from the recent success of a Sunday Lunch fundraiser that they had just run. There was much talk of Cornish comedian Johnny Cowling who had entertained them and made them laugh so much that they cried!

On Wednesday District Editor Peter and I had a working lunch with 1290 District Communications Chairman Ken Sharp, and Geri Parlby, current President of the Tavistock club but also of RePOD fame, who wanted to discuss District magazines with us. We had a very useful meeting and they went back to Cornwall to consider what they had seen and heard.

Wednesday evening, being the first one of the month, was our regular Conference Committee meeting. This is a mammoth task for Conference Manager David and the members of the Totnes club, but they are very much taking it into their stride and all the signs are good for a bumper conference in February. Watch this space!

CONFERENCE 2010-2011

25-27 February 2011

Langstone Cliff, Dawlish Warren

(Golf Competition 24-02-2011)

On Thursday I was back on the road to visit Crediton club for lunch. Another warm welcome and another very good lunch. This club has been organising the Young Technologist Competition, but it seems they need to pass the arrangements on to another club this year and are looking for volunteers, so please let them know if you can help.

August is Rotary membership and extension month, and that couldn't be more appropriate for District 1170 at present. Thursday evening saw the first planning meeting for the Exeter and Exmouth clubs who are to be involved in the membership recruitment campaign for which we have won RIBI marketing and PR support. This is due to the hard work and vision of District Membership Chairman, Nova to whom our sincere thanks must go.

This is an amazing and exciting opportunity, not only for his group of clubs to work together, but for this District to have some really substantial gains in its membership, not only in and around the city of Exeter but also further afield. With the right mindset and determination we can make a real difference. It is a one off chance and we will not let it slip through our fingers.

Membership must be at the forefront of our thinking whatever we are doing if Rotary is to thrive in this District and these islands. Without members we cannot carry out service, so it must be a fundamental and integral part of all our activities.

Please remember to consider the membership dividend in all your activities.