- Three years ago, under the inspiration of Past President Mary Barry, our New Member Mentoring Program was initiated. Since then, some 30 new members have been allocated among 15 of the trained mentors. Typically, they will maintain a close relationship for the mentee’s first six months of membership.
- New members are the lifeblood and the future of Rotary. Supporting them when they first join is crucial, as that is when they will feel the most motivated by their decision to become a member.
- Maintaining the new members’ level of enthusiasm, while helping them figure out how they can engage with the Club and contribute in ways that are meaningful for them, will ensure they feel part of us from the beginning, then develop their involvement over a period of time. The Program has been widely hailed by mentees as an outstanding success.
- We are now a point where we need to find more Rotary Mentors within our existing membership so we can continue to not only attract new members, but also retain them.
So, what is involved in mentoring and how do you become a Rotary Mentor?
- A Mentor can best be described as a coach who also passes on and shares their lived experience and knowledge about the structure, projects and opportunities offered by Rotary Melbourne to its members.
- Existing members who have a good understanding of how the Club operates, who enjoy helping people and who want to see the Club continue to grow, diversify and flourish, will make excellent mentors.
- All you have to do is attend a 1.5 hour training session which will be held at our office early next year. We also plan to run a refresher course for existing Mentors.
- New Mentors will be provided with a short manual that covers all they need to know about their role, together with guidelines on what to discuss with their mentees.
Being a Rotary Mentor is a great gift you can offer new members of our Club, so I invite you to let Mary Barry or me know of your interest in joining the team.
Thank you Robert Fisher.
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