Members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco Evening meet at a wine bar after work, share a social outing, and promote all their activities on social media like Meetup and Facebook.

As the first evening club in the city, it has attracted many young professionals from Silicon Valley tech firms whose work schedules keep them from joining a more traditional club that meets for breakfast or lunch. But more than that, the evening format has helped the club grow by 30 percent since it received its charter in mid-2013.

Danielle Lallement, who was its charter president, says the club has been successful because it accommodates members' preferences.

"The majority of our members are in their 30s and 40s, and their financial and work obligations outside the club are great, so we cater to their needs," she says. "We are extremely flexible with our members, their attendance, their payment options, and expectations."

For example, almost half the members are citizens of countries other than the U.S., so leaders dropped the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of meetings. In addition, members can easily schedule recurring dues payments online, and a PayPal credit card reader is brought to meetings to facilitate dues payment. Early on, members also decided they wanted the last meeting of the month to be a social event. Members have attended the San Francisco Ballet, visited a karaoke bar, played miniature golf, and worked with a golf pro to improve their swings.

Members are asked to attend at least half of all meetings but aren't pressured if they can't, especially if life events like marriage, a baby's arrival, or an increased workload claim more of their time. Club officers frequently use Skype or a conference line to join board meetings they can't attend in person.

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