Membership Proposal Process

How to Propose a New Member 

Contribute to your club’s membership by bringing in qualified business and professional leaders who are interested in and committed to advancing the mission of Rotary. Together with your fellow Rotarians, you can help your club fully represent your community’s business and professional life. Use the attached form to propose a new member, or you can complete and submit an online new member proposal form. You’ll be strengthening your club and ensuring its growth and longevity.

Do it today!

STEP 1: ENGAGE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Proposing new members is essential to achieving Rotary’s goals of providing community and international service. As a Rotarian, one of your primary responsibilities is to help identify and propose new members. Consider the following approaches for finding future Rotarians:

  • Wear your Rotary pin to initiate conversations about your involvement with Rotary.
  • Share stories of exciting club projects with colleagues, friends, and acquaintances.
  • Distribute Rotary Basics (595-EN), This Is Rotary (001-EN), and What’s Rotary? (419-EN). All three are available from shop.rotary.org, the RI Catalog, or your international office.
  • Invite friends, co-workers, and colleagues to join you at your weekly Rotary meeting.
  • Offer an information brochure that outlines the club’s history and highlights recent service projects and social events.
  • Ask potential members to become involved
  • with a club activity or service project.
  • Encourage prospective members to tour the RI Web site, view membership videos, and complete a Prospective Member Form (www.rotary.org/membershipreferral).

Visit www.rotary.org for the latest news, videos, and membership development materials.

STEP 2 - COMPLETE YOUR PAPERWORK

Once a prospective member demonstrates an interest in membership:
  • Complete Part A of the Membership Proposal Form, and return the form to your club secretary for submission to the club’s board of directors. Remember: Do not inform the prospective member of the proposal until AFTER the board approves it.
  • Wait for the club secretary to notify you of the board’s decision, which should come within 30 days of the submission.
    Note: If the club board does not approve the candidate, please talk to your club secretary or board for next steps.
  • After your club board approves the candidate:
  • Arrange an information session for the proposed member, or have the club arrange one.
  • Ask the proposed member to complete and sign Part B of the proposal form. Return the form to the club secretary.
  • Publish the proposed member’s name and classification to the club. The Recommended Rotary Club Bylaws allow seven days for club members to consider and file objections, if any.
  • If no objections are received, the proposed member pays the admission fee and becomes a Rotarian.
  • The club secretary or president reports the new member to Rotary International via District 9685 Member Login Area.