Orientation

ROTARY CLUB OF CHARLESTON

Proposed New Member Outline
(Guidelines and Responsibilities)

A. The Club: Founded 1915; 300 active members; meets every Monday at 12 noon, Charleston Civic Center.

B. New Member Orientation:

Each new member is required to attend this informative training session. Sessions are held when announced at 10:45 am on Monday’s, the second floor Board Room prior to the regularly scheduled weekly Rotary meeting .The orientation schedule for each Rotary year is as follows:

September, TBA	January, TBA
November, TBA	April, TBA

C. Opportunity for Service:

Each member is expected to complete a questionnaire annually and indicate past responsibility as well as current interest in several areas of service. The Opportunity for Service Committee coordinates with other committee chairpersons place the member in active service roles. New members will be assigned to serve role prior to their orientation date.

D. Attendance Requirements:

1. Each active member is expected to attend at least 50% of all regularly scheduled meetings,
However:

2. The Board has approved make-up for attendance credit for those instances where a Rotarian participates in vocational (outside one’s own vocational service employment), community service, or international service activities that are consistent with goals and object of Rotary. The Membership Committee will develop criteria and guidelines, and make-up credit will be documented by members on cards much like make-up for attendance at another club meeting.

Thus, many of the service activities in which club members are already involved may now count toward Rotary attendance when noted on a make-up card and submitted to Rotary office. Despite this change, Rotarians will still be required to actually attend Rotary meetings of our club or another, but the minimum requirement for actual meeting attendance will be set at 25%, or about one meeting per month at the home club. Credit for 100% attendance will continue to be measured based on actual meeting attendance or make-up by attendance at other club meetings.

3. Make up opportunities with all other area Rotary clubs are available two weeks before or two weeks after an absence in order to count toward the attendance requirement. A listing of these clubs is published in our club’s newsletter.

4. Rotary has 3 categories of membership. Regular members are required to attend 50% of club meetings. Members whose tenure in Rotary plus their age equals 85 are exempt from attendance requirements. Each of these members categories pay dues and enjoy all the rights and privileges of Rotary. A third category “honorary membership” does not pay dues and have no rights except they are welcome to visit any club meeting.

E. Financial Responsibilities:

1. Dues/Initiation Fees
Dues are currently $90.00 payable semi-annually. A one-time initiation fee of $154 is also due with the initial dues invoice. The initiation fee is used primarily to pay the ongoing expenses of the Club.

2. The Rotary Club of Charleston Foundation

Each year the Club may seek to raise funds in support of local Rotary Club projects. Every member is asked to support this effort. Use of these monies is under the general supervision of the board and the Community Service Committee. The majority of these monies will be directed toward projects of a local nature where our club is involved.

3. The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation (TRF) supports Rotary activities worldwide. Ambassadorial scholarships and matching grants are but two of the many ways in which the Foundation supports Rotary in collaboration with local clubs, including our own.

In honor of Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris, a Rotarian who contributes $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation is, upon member request, designated a Paul Harris Fellow. Our goal is for all members to become Paul Harris Fellow thus, by giving a minimum $100 annually to TRF (Sustaining Membership) each Rotarian will in ten years attain that status. A member may speed up the process by accelerating gifts.

Members are encouraged to continue regular giving to the Foundation. Each time a $1,000 mark is attained another Paul Harris designation is available for the member, or for use by the member in honoring a spouse, parent or other person.

F. Classification: Each active member of a Rotary club is classified in accordance with his/her business or profession. A “classification” describes the principal and recognized activity of the firm, company or institution with which a Rotarian is connected, or which describes the member’s principal and recognized business or professional activity. It is the goal of our club to have in its membership a representative of every recognized business professional activity in the community.

G. Special Rotary Events:
Each Rotary member is expected to attend and participate in club events that may be announced from time to time.

H. Sergeant at Arms and Fellowship Duties:

Newer members are requested for one month service to assist with Sergeant at Arms duty. Members arrive by 11:30 am and set up for the weekly meeting as well as assist storing Rotary items afterward. A more detailed list of duties will be forwarded to each assistant Sergeant at Arms.

Fellowship Duties involve primarily acting as a greeter for weekly meetings and/or accounting for visiting Rotarians and guests. This is particularly useful task for new members in that it gives them the opportunity to meet face-to-face with membership. Again, a specific list of duties will be forwarded to each person assigned the responsibility.

I. Review session conducted with proposed member of Rotary Club of Charleston this ______________________ day of _______________________, _______________.

___________________________________ _________________________________
Sponsor Signature Proposed Member Signature

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