Rotary

Despite the work Rotary clubs have done on a local and international level, there has been talk that the oldest local service organization (Kiwanis was founded in 1915, Lions Club in 1917) may not last another hundred years.

Members are confident that is not the case.

Reports from Rotary International have stated that membership in the United States has declined in the past year. According to information provided by Jennifer Deters of Rotary Internationals Membership Division, between 2004 and 2005, membership declined by 4,400.

When asked to give a reason for the drop in numbers, club members said time was a big factor.
"Everybody is busy," said Granite City's Dennis Wilmsmeyer. "It's tough to find time."

With once-a-week meetings and strict attendance policies, the club has had to change with the times. When the club was started, perfect attendance was mandatory. Now members must only attend 60 percent of the meetings to remain in good standing.

"If you miss four meetings in a row, by the rules, you are supposed to be dropped," said Ken Buel of Collinsville Rotary. "Generally, when faced with the decision we'll say this person has such a position in the community of such a value to have in the club that even though their schedule does not allow them to attend regular meetings, we'll decide to keep that person."

Attendance can also be made up by going to another club's meeting or through a program on the Rotary International Web site.

Gerry Schuetzenhofer of the Edwardsville club said it is the weekly obligation that makes the club strong.

"It is a commitment, but that's one of the great things about Rotary," he said. "Other organizations may meet once a month or six or seven times a year and only a small percentage of the overall membership will show up. We have 70 to 80 percent of our members at every meeting versus the 17 or 18 percent another organization may have come to a monthly meeting."

The idea of a "membership only" group may be intimidating to would-be members, but those in the club say the rule is just a formality.

"Rotary membership is by invitation only, but that's not to say a person can't initiate the process," Buel said. "People who are interested are invited to visit a meeting and see if it's something they want to be a part of and then they are proposed for approval by a 10-person board."

Doug Weiss, president of the Collinsville club, said a change in society is another reason for the decline.

"We've become a ‘me' society as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I see that there are few kids that actually do service work at a high school level anymore. We aren't touching that as part of community betterment."

Despite the numbers, members are assured that their club will continue to thrive in the country it was created in.

Schuetzenhofer said he had no doubt that Rotary would continue to thrive in the U.S.

"Our club has been steadily growing five or 10 new members a year," he said. "Overall, we have not experienced anything but growth."

He said that Rotary was a great club in terms of work in the community because members don't focus entirely on one project or organization. Instead, they are open to every aspect of the area.

Internationally, Rotary has become very popular. According to Rotary International, since 2000, membership worldwide has increased by one million. Buel also said membership is especially high in Asia and in many countries in Europe and the former Soviet Union.

He agreed that societal and cultural changes are hindering more membership in this country, but said today's clubs are working to change that with continued work in the community and the world.

Can the wheel be stopped?