Becoming A Member
 

Membership Application - Download Now!
  

Sponsoring of a New Member

The bylaws of Rotary clearly outline the procedure for a prospective member to be proposed for Rotary club membership.  The "proposer" is the key person in the growth and advancement of Rotary.  Without a sponsor, an individual will never have the opportunity to become a Rotarian.

The task of the proposer should not end merely by submitting a name to the club secretary or membership committee.  Rotary has not established formal responsibilities for proposers or sponsors; however, by custom and tradition these procedures are commended in many clubs.  The sponsor should:

1. Invite a prospective member to several meetings prior to proposing the individual for membership.
     
2. Accompany the prospective new member to one or more orientation/informational meetings.
     
3. Introduce the new member to other club members each week for the first month.
     
4. Invite the new member to accompany the sponsor to neighboring clubs for the first make-up meeting to learn the process and observe the spirit of fellowship.
     
5. Ask the new member and spouse to accompany the sponsor to the club's social activities, dinners or other special occasions.
     
6. Urge the new member and spouse to attend the district conference with the sponsor.
     
7. Serve as a special friend to assure that the new member becomes an active Rotarian.
     
8. When the proposer follows these guidelines, Rotary becomes stronger with each new member.

Non-attendance Rules

The Standard Rotary Club Constitution specifies three conditions under which a Rotarian's membership will automatically be terminated for non-attendance.  These circumstances are: failure to attend or make up four consecutive club meetings, failure to attend or make up 60 percent of club meetings each six months, and failure to attend at least 30 percent of the meetings of one's own club in each six-month period.  Under any of these three cases, a member will lose Rotary membership unless the club board of directors has previously consented to excuse such failure for good and sufficient reason.

To some individuals, these rules may seem unusually rigid.  However, being present at club meetings is one of the basic obligations a member accepts upon joining a Rotary club.  The constitutional rules merely emphasize that Rotary is a participatory organization that highly values regular attendance.  When a member is absent the entire club loses the personal association with that member.  Being present at a club meeting is considered a vital part of the operation and success of every Rotary club.

For any Rotarian to miss four consecutive meetings, or disregard the other attendance requirements, should be considered tantamount to the submission of one's resignation from the club.  When a club terminates a member for non-attendance, it is simply an acceptance of a resignation and not a punitive action b the club officers.  All Rotarians know the consequences of non-attendance, so it clearly becomes a conscious decision by a Rotarian to withdraw from the club when he or she fails to fulfill the attendance requirements.