Club Service

To keep the Rotary Club of Hamden strong and encourage current member enjoyment and retention and new member recruitment we have the following policies and practices relating to club service:

Membership Recruitment, Orientation, Development and Retention:

The Rotary Club of Hamden has developed a membership recruitment plan. The club’s policy is to pay for the meal the first time a potential new member attends a meeting. This encourages members to invite guests to meet us and learn about our club. Members are encouraged to invite friends and potential new members. Rotary literature is available and various people speak about activities that our club is involved in.
Our club has created a new member orientation session where the basics of Rotary are explained, literature is distributed and questions are answered. The new member is informed about some of the many projects our club is involved with.
The Rotary Club of Hamden has developed and initiated a new mentor program. All new members are matched with a mentor who has been a member of our club for a longer period of time. The mentor answers questions and works with the new member to find a committee or project that interests them.
All members are encouraged to learn more about Rotary International by attending the many seminars that are available. The club pays the fee for any member that attends the District Assembly.
Members are encouraged to bring new ideas to the club. One of our newer members attended the District Assembly last year and learned about the literacy dictionary project. She did some research, presented it to the club board of directors and got approval for this wonderful program. Our feedback from the teachers and students of the schools was incredible and made us sure that the endeavor was successful.

Hamden Rotarians and Interact collaboration

Fellowship activities:

We hold many club fellowship activities and invite members to bring their partners and/or children to club events on several occasions. At a minimum these include the club installation dinner, adult holiday party, children’s holiday party, Valentine’s Day dinner, and the summer schooner ride. Family members are also encouraged to participate in fundraising events and community service projects (pancake breakfast, trash clean-up days, Habitat for Humanity work days, etc). Some members attend outside events together such as fundraisers held by other clubs and plays put on by the local high school. This past year several members traveled to New York City to see an off-Broadway play together. These friendships are important to maintaining a strong club.

The Rotary Club of Hamden also encourages members to attend district Rotary fellowship activities. This year we offered a rebate in the amount of $50 to any first time attendee at the District Conference.
At every week the club accepts “Happy Bucks” where members can contribute funds that support our club’s activities and relate some happy (or sad) tidbit or a joke to the club. This has become extremely popular and serves as an excellent way for our members to learn more about each other’s personal lives.

Programs:

At weekly meetings our club strives to have interesting and informational speakers. The program chair person enlists the help of other members to keep topics varied and interesting. Programs have been about:
1. Our town (Hamden Public Library, Hamden Elder Services, Hamden Chamber of Commerce, Eli Whitney Museum)
2. Surrounding towns (Peabody Museum, Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, League of Women Voters)
3. Rotary (Mac Leask spoke about the Rotary Foundation, Iona Black spoke about Rotaract)
4. International issues and projects (water issues, Gift of Life, Albert Schweitzer Institute, European Union Expansion, China)

Club Organizational Support:

The club has a member directory that contains names, spouse (or significant other) name, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of each member. It is updated and distributed every time there is a change in membership. The directory is also available on-line to all members of the Hamden Rotary Club with a valid password.
At the beginning of the year members are assigned to various tasks and committees and the committee structure is distributed to all members.

Club Communications:

The Rotary Club of Hamden produces a biweekly newsletter called the Charm. It is a fun and informative publication containing pictures of our members and events as well as informing Rotarians about our club and Rotary in general. The newsletter is sent by e-mail to all members, hardcopy versions are mailed to those without e-mail, and current and old issues are available on the club website.
The Rotary Club of Hamden maintains a website at www.hamdenctrotary.org. The website contains a calendar of upcoming meetings and events, current and past newsletters, a photo album, a list of officers, directors and past presidents, links to other important websites, and information about our club and Rotary International.

Public Relations and Publicity for Club Events:

The Rotary Club of Hamden appoints a publicity chair person to promote our club and Rotary through publicity in local and regional newspapers at every opportunity including monthly student of the month presentations, the dictionary project, trash clean up day, Amber Alert ID sessions, and our Centennial Community Service project.

Recognition Activities:

Annually we give an award to the “Rotarian of the Year”. The Rotarian receives an individual plaque as well as having their name added to a master plaque maintained by the club.
Occasionally the club gives a member a Paul Harris Fellow award for service above and beyond the call of duty. This is considered a very special honor for all of our members to receive.

Club Service

To keep the Rotary Club of Hamden strong and encourage current member enjoyment and retention and new member recruitment we have the following policies and practices relating to club service:

Membership Recruitment, Orientation, Development and Retention:

Our club has created a new member orientation session where the basics of Rotary are explained, literature is distributed and questions are answered. The new member is informed about some of the many projects our club is involved with.

The Rotary Club of Hamden has developed and initiated a new mentor program. All new members are matched with a mentor who has been a member of our club for a longer period of time. The mentor answers questions and works with the new member to find a committee or project that interests them.

All members are encouraged to learn more about Rotary International by attending the many seminars that are available. The club pays the fee for any member that attends the District Assembly.

​

Fellowship activities:

The Rotary Club of Hamden also encourages members to attend district Rotary fellowship activities. This year we offered a rebate in the amount of $50 to any first time attendee at the District Conference.

Programs:

At weekly meetings our club strives to have interesting and informational speakers. The program chair person enlists the help of other members to keep topics varied and interesting. Programs have been about:

Our town (Hamden Public Library, Hamden Elder Services, Hamden Chamber of Commerce, Eli Whitney Museum)

Surrounding towns (Peabody Museum, Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, League of Women Voters)

Rotary (Mac Leask spoke about the Rotary Foundation, Iona Black spoke about Rotaract)

International issues and projects (water issues, Gift of Life, Albert Schweitzer Institute, European Union Expansion, China)

Club Organizational Support:

At the beginning of the year members are assigned to various tasks and committees and the committee structure is distributed to all members.

Club Communications:

Public Relations and Publicity for Club Events:

​

Recognition Activities:

Annually we give an award to the “Rotarian of the Year”. The Rotarian receives an individual plaque as well as having their name added to a master plaque maintained by the club.

Occasionally the club gives a member a Paul Harris Fellow award for service above and beyond the call of duty. This is considered a very special honor for all of our members to receive.