New Year’s resolution: Stand up and be an ambassador for Rotary
 

Posted by Ernest Hauser on Jan 05, 2017
 
By Evan Burrell, Rotary Club of Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia
It’s a new year, and here’s something you can resolve to do for your club and for Rotary in 2017.
Think about the last time someone gave you a “word-of-mouth referral” that influenced your decision to do something. Maybe a friend shared a new favorite restaurant over Facebook, or your neighbour recommended a plumber. Or maybe it was that friendly suggestion to come along to a Rotary club meeting that got you involved in Rotary in the first place. Regardless, you probably acted on the referral, in part, because it came from someone you trust!
If you’re passionate about Rotary like I am, I encourage you this year to become an ambassador for your own club — and more importantly for Rotary — by using your “word-of-mouth refNNew erral” power. Here are a few things you can do:
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  1. Be Active online and offline. Being active online means posting, commenting, and sharing positive Rotary stories via social media. It’s that simple. Being active offline means you’ll need to be able to have meaningful and interesting conversations about Rotary and who we are and what we do to anyone and everyone.
  2. Wear the Rotary Brand. Wear the Rotary logo on your hat, wear your club shirt or Rotary lapel pin out in public, or change your Facebook profile picture to the Rotary logo for a week. You never know who you will run into or who will see it and the conversations that may be sparked by seeing you wearing some great Rotary apparel.
  3. Tweet. Share with your Twitter followers information about your clubs upcoming events, retweet Rotary International, and tweet about your own personal involvement with Rotary.
  4. Invite a Friend. Next time you are planning to volunteer at one of your club service projects or attend your club meeting, invite a friend along and/or alternatively invite them to like your Rotary club Facebook page.
  5. Share on Facebook. Go beyond just liking your Rotary Club’s or the Rotary International Facebook page and share posts from these pages.  Sharing a Facebook post from your clubs or other Rotary page’s will enable your friends to learn about Rotary and what Rotary is doing in the community.
  6. Tell People. Tell your family, your work colleagues, your Facebook friends, or anyone you meet, about your involvement with Rotary. Talk about your recent involvement with a club service project. Perhaps they never knew of your involvement and were always interested in learning more about Rotary.
Your support as a Rotary ambassador helps your club and the larger organization maximize their reach and increase awareness of the good we are doing in the world! By spreading the word, you may attract participants to things like Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and Youth Exchange, raise funds for your projects, increase your online presence, and most importantly recruit members into your club.
So STAND UP in 2017 and make yourself an ambassador for Rotary.