HOW TO PROPOSE A NEW MEMBER

Every Rotarian shares the privilege and obligation of proposing new club members. Rotary is unusual in that someone cannot simply join the organization — they must be proposed by a current member.

General Qualifications: Rotarians are adults of good character and good business or professional reputation, who hold or have held an executive position with discretionary authority in any worthy and recognized business or profession.

There are several key things to keep in mind when proposing a new member:

1. Do NOT ask Skip Murfey how it’s done (sorry Skip — just couldn’t resist).

2. The prospective member must work or live in the club’s community, or one of the adjoining communities.

3. The prospect must be an adult of good character and good business or professional reputation. The person must hold or have held (if retired) an executive position with discretionary authority in any worthy and recognized business or profession.

4. NEVER tell the person you have proposed them for membership until they have cleared all classification, membership, and board approvals. You will be notified once this happens.

The first step in proposing a member is to obtain one of the proposal forms. The club secretary has these available at every meeting. When you propose a member, fill out the card and turn it in to the club secretary. Please be sure to include your name on the card as the proposer.

You may also download an Acrobat version of this form here, or use our online proposal form.

The secretary will then forward the card to the appropriate committees, where the person is reviewed for classification eligibility, membership requirements, and board approval. As the board meets once a month, and the committee reviews may take some time, it is important that your prospect is not aware of the process. While we try to process everyone promptly, there may be delays on occasion. Also, should the prospect not be approved (this could happen to deserving candidates whose classification is currently held in the club), it saves considerable embarrassment all around.

Once the committees and board have approved the prospect, the proposed member is to be informed of the privileges and responsibilities of being a Rotarian. In Willoughby, this occurs at “The Lunch” (Craig's favorite part). In practice, a lunch (or breakfast) will be arranged with the proposer, prospect, and Rotary Information Officer, currently Craig de Fasselle. During the lunch (proposer pays — the free lunch makes it Craig's favorite part), the member will be informed about Rotary and the Willoughby Club. They will be asked to complete the application card, and give written permission to have their name and proposed classification published for the club membership.

If the board receives no objections within seven days following publication, that person (contingent upon payment of an admission fee) is considered a member. They shall be welcomed into the club with a brief swearing in ceremony by the President at the earliest possible date. We also ask that the sponsor act as a "host" and introduce the new member to others in the club. We want them to feel welcome. The Rotary Information Officer, board members, and officers should assist in this endeavor.

The new member will also be asked to give a brief classification speech (date to be arranged with the program chairperson). These typically cover the person's profession, background, and general family information--they can be quite informal (and often are among the best talks the club hears).

The classification principle is a unique feature of Rotary, and ensures that the members of a club comprise a cross section of their community’s business and professional life. There are now two types of classifications, namely:

Active member, the person currently “loaned” the classification. This member has full rights to vote on club matters, hold office, and all other rights of a Rotarian.

Honorary member, granted to deserving individuals who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals, but are not able to maintain active membership in a club. Honorary members do not vote on club matters and cannot hold office.

Under changes to the Rotary Constitution in 2001, a minimum of five people may share the same classification. In larger clubs, 10% of active members can share a classification (for Willoughby, this would allow up to seven individuals to share a classification).

There is no “transfer” provision in Rotary, so a Rotarian who relocates is not automatically eligible for membership in another club. However, that person can be elected in the usual fashion, even if the classification is full, with the approval of the present classification holders.