DG Lisa's Corner August 2026

By the time you read this, we'll be well into the new Rotary year. Club officers have settled into their roles, district committees are underway, and our Assistant Governors are beginning to reconnect with the clubs they serve.

August is Membership and New Club Development Month, and we'll naturally spend time talking about growing Rotary. But lately I've been wondering if we've been starting with the wrong question.

Instead of asking, "How do we get more members?" what if we first asked, “Why would someone want to join our club?”

What makes our club an experience worth being part of? Why do members stay engaged? Why do others quietly drift away? What does a prospective member see, hear and feel when they visit for the first time? Those questions aren't always easy, but they're the ones that lead to meaningful change.

Growing Rotary isn't simply about adding members. It's about creating a Rotary experience that more people want to be part of. For some clubs, that may mean strengthening traditions. For others, it may mean trying a different meeting format, offering new opportunities for service, or even exploring a satellite or new club that reaches people we aren't connecting with today.

As we recently began training our Assistant Governors, one message kept rising to the top: our role isn't to show up with all the answers. It's to listen first, ask thoughtful questions, understand each club's unique strengths and challenges, and connect them with the people and resources that can help them succeed. I believe that's a lesson for all of us. When something isn't working, perhaps our first question shouldn't be, "How do we fix it?" Maybe it should be, "What's changed?" "Who aren't we hearing from?" or “What haven't we tried?”

Those conversations are how we Create Lasting Impact, not by doing more simply because we've always done it, but by making sure what we're doing truly meets the needs of our members and our communities.

So, during Membership and New Club Development Month, I have two invitations for you.

First, ask one question this month that you don't already know the answer to. Ask a new member. Ask someone who hasn't attended in a while. Ask a prospective member. Then simply listen.

Second, if you're passionate about helping Rotary grow, consider serving beyond your own club. Our District Membership Committee is looking for additional committee members as well as chairs for our Membership Attraction and Membership Engagement subcommittees. If you enjoy welcoming people, building relationships, or helping clubs create exceptional member experiences, we'd love to have you join the team. Contact committee chair John French, johnfrench001@gmail.com, 585-746-7810 for more information.

The future of Rotary won't be shaped by having all the right answers. It will be shaped by having the courage to ask the right questions.

Yours in Rotary, 

Lisa Norwood 

Rotary District 7120 District Governor 2026-27