Expanding Our Reach

In the latest episode of the series Corey Lopardi of the New Club Task Force interviews District 5000 Governor Randy Hart, Past District Governor Winton Schoneman and Charter President Pili Valderrama of the Kaka’ako Eco Rotary Club to learn how their district has used environmental cause based clubs to grow Rotary.

Season 2 of the video/podcast series “Expanding Our Reach - The Stories of New Clubs” continues to delve into how new clubs can attract new members to Rotary. In the 11th episode of the series Corey Lopardi of the New Club Task Force interviews Anabella Bonfa - Rotary D5320 Membership Chair, Joe Alvarez - Rotary D5320 Membership Team/Irvine Rotary Member, Mukesh Bastola & Gudari Castillo - Co-Presidents of Soka Rotaract, and Rahul Sreedasyam - Vice President of UCI Rotaract.

Regardless of what some Rotarians might think, starting new Rotary clubs is not a new concept. If we didn’t start new Rotary clubs, then we’d all be members of the Rotary Club of Chicago. So why don’t most Districts start new clubs every year? Maybe it’s because they don’t have a plan for starting new Rotary clubs. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force interviews D5030 Past District Governor Catherine Gibson and D5030 District Governor Elect Kae Peterson to find out their secrets for forming four new Rotary clubs in their District over the last two years.

Have you ever felt like you were so lucky to be a Rotarian that you wished you could find a way to give back what Rotary has given to you? Do you have a passion for a cause that isn’t being supported by another group in your community? Maybe what your community needs is a new Rotary club. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force interviews D5500 Past District Governor Ellie Patterson and D5500 Past District Governor Michael Drake, charter president of the Tuscon Verde Rotary Club, to find out their secrets for turning a passion for an issue into a new Rotary club.

Rotarians often question whether starting new Rotary clubs will take members from existing clubs. Experience shows that this is not the case, with 88% of members in new Rotary clubs coming from outside of Rotary. But what if you focussed a club around a group non Rotarians with goals that were already aligned with Rotary? Maybe, you end up with hundreds of brand new Rotarians excited about their new Rotary club. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force interviews D5170 Past District Governor Ramesh Hariharan to find out his secrets for making connections with other groups and starting 4 new Rotary clubs.

Rotarians, like everyone else these days, live busy lives. We have many commitments like jobs and our families that often take our attention, and don’t always make it easy for members to stay involved in Rotary. But what if you focussed a club around flexible meeting times and family activities? Maybe, you end up with a new kind of Rotary club. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force interviews D5220 Past District Governor Liz Hosmer and Eugene Awuah, charter president of the Modesto Flex Rotary Club, to find out their secrets for turning a passion for an issue into a new Rotary club.

When Rotarians feel passionate about an issue, they usually dive right in and take action. Rotarians are People of Action, and making a difference in their communities and around the world is built into their DNA. But what do you do if you’re so passionate about an issue that you want to focus your whole clubs efforts around it? Well, sometimes you start a new Rotary club. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force interviews D5280 Past District Governor Cozette Vergari, Vanessa Galvan-Reddix, charter president of the Rotary Club of D5280 Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking as well as Kathleen Terry of the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club, to find out their secrets for turning a passion for an issue into a new Rotary club.

Rotarians are naturally busy people. They are People of Action making a difference in their communities. But sometimes work and Rotary can come into conflict. What would you do if you had to choose between work and Rotary? Would you stop attending meetings? Would you look to join a club that meets at a different time? What if that wasn’t an option? Well, one choice would be to start a new Rotary club. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force interviews Amy & Geoff Schmidt, of Kitsap Crossroads Rotary, to find out their secrets for growing a new Rotary club.

Rotarians are often looking for ways to create lasting partnerships in their communities. Sometimes, those partnerships can take on a life of their own and grow into something unexpected. When those partnerships are based around a local cause, they may just turn into a way to Grow Rotary. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force interviews D300 Rotarian Bob Spence, Pastor Kory Wenell, charter president of the West Covina Tutorial Cause Based Rotary Club as well Roger Gutierrez District Governor Elect of D5300, to find out their secrets for turning an idea for serving local students into a new Rotary club.

Have you ever wanted to attract younger Rotarians to you club? Have you ever considered starting a Satellite club? Satellites are a great way to meet the needs of potential Rotarians in your area without having to start a new Rotary club right away. Sometimes, though, those satellites grow up quickly and become their own clubs. Corey Lopardi of the Rotary Big West New Club Task Force recently had the opportunity to interview Gurkern Sufi, charter president of the Sacramento Midtown Rotary Club and Desiree Wilson District Governor of D5180, to find out their secrets for turning a Satellite Club into a new Rotary club.