FOR ROTARY TO DO WELL, THE CLUB MUST BE WELL….FOR THE CLUB TO DO WELL, THE MEMBERS MUST BE WELL.
(photo credit: Google.com)
Rotarian Wellness or Rotarian Welfare, is a relatively new concept for Rotary District 7020 although some clubs have been informally implementing Wellness principles for decades! Wellness initiatives help alleviate the stress of family members. Such a programme therefore strengthens the clubs’ and members’ commitment and ability to serve. Wellness also assists with membership satisfaction and retention.
Many clubs have a Family of Rotary chair or other person performing activities such as birthday, congratulatory and sympathy announcements, or planning events involving members’ family and the greater Rotary family. The “Wellness” element is an expansion of that concept. Some years ago, our District 7020 came to terms with the reality that there were active members in crisis who may fall along the wayside. The recent economic crisis in our region (and the world) highlighted this. DG Felix often exhorts Rotarians to look not just after others in the community but to also look after each other in the club. Service to the world is not incompatible with service to each other.
(photo credit: Google.com
In a nutshell, each club is being encouraged to develop a Wellness programme suitable for that club. Wellness depends on gathering information (sometimes confidentially) and responding with appropriate acts of kindness such as providing material, financial, physical or emotional support or by helping to locate sources of assistance when the club is unable to assist.
The purpose of Wellness is to develop a workable club-specific programme to identify and assist Rotarians who may need help or support during periods of transition or challenge. The great thing about having a formal programme is that a Rotarian needing help is more willing to talk about it and will find offers of assistance less intrusive! They will understand the motivation and intent behind the intervention, and that makes it easier for the club to intervene and more acceptable for them.
Here are some action steps:
1.Form a committee of trusted and respected Rotarians in your club in whom persons will confide and who can intervene appropriately in difficult situations.
2.Brainstorm as to how you will approach this in your club. Be specific and reduce this to writing. How will the programme work?
3. Create a Wellness Log/Confidential Information Directory so that the committee or a Wellness Chair or other club delegate can reach relevant persons if something were to happen to a member.
(photo credit: Google.com)
What if a member became unconscious at a meeting – would the club know who to call? If a natural disaster were to strike, do the members know how to physically reach a member?
I take this opportunity to wish your club a year of wellness!
Contributed by Past President Carla Stubs (Rotary Club of Nassau Sunrise – District 7020)
RCP Review 