We all know the story of how the optimist and pessimist sees the glass as half full or half empty while the process engineer only acknowledges that we have the wrong sized glass. The moral of the story is simply that different people bring different perspectives to the same view of how things are.
From time to time the subject of ‘recruiting’ new members brings that different perspective idea to mind. From my perspective most people view the idea of membership growth and ‘recruiting’ new members as a dreaded process. That must be true or more Rotarians would be actively involved in the process of bringing Rotary membership to more people.
Those who are reluctant to be sponsors for new members approach the problem with the question of who they can prevail upon to give up a hundred hours, or more, a year of their valuable time and spend a thousand, or more, of their valuable dollars to join our cause. They approach the problem with the question of who can I get to do this.
The perspective of the few Rotarians who account for the large majority of our membership growth view the process of recruiting and growth in an entirely different way. They are continually looking for people who would appreciate and value the benefits derived from being a Rotarian. They understand that membership in Rotary is beneficial in expanding a potential members network for business and community. They also understand that the satisfaction of doing good things for other people creates the self-actualization described by Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of unmet needs.
We sometimes overlook the mission statement, the Object of Rotary, is to encourage and foster the ideal of service. It is in that ideal of service that people get that satisfaction that makes Rotary members into Rotarians. You can’t buy what Maslow called self-actualization, what I call karma points, at the most expensive department store in the world. It is almost a priceless commodity that comes with joining Rotary and getting involved. Looking for new members, new Rotarians, is really all about looking for someone you want to do something for.