By Barton Goldenberg, immediate past governor of District 7620 (Maryland and Washington D.C., USA)

If you’re a baker, you know that a great cake is made up of individual ingredients that come together to produce something special. A great Rotary club is like that, in that it is made up of a unique mix of ingredients. Here are the five that I have found in most, if not all, successful Rotary clubs.

1. A unique club identity

There are four clubs in my city of Bethesda, Maryland. While they are only a short geographic distance from each other, each has its own identity. The first is a dinner club of 30 members who have been together for years. They are generous in their donations to the Rotary Foundation and our district. The second is a breakfast club with an even balance of older and younger members. They are very supportive and heavily involved with Rotaract and Interact clubs. The third is a lunch club that is proud of its traditions and is committed to domestic and international projects. And the fourth is a breakfast club celebrating its 15th year, with members who speak nine languages and originally come from 11 different countries.

2: Engaging club meetings

There isn’t a single correct format The pandemic has taught us all the need for flexibility and creativity. We can have virtual meetings as well as in-person ones, and even a combination of both. But there is a need for meetings to be engaging. Great clubs offer a reason for members to attend. They achieve this by spending effort to find inspiring speakers from a variety of relevant and timely topics every week. One week, you may learn about marine biology, the next about training service dogs for the blind. They keep announcements and club business short, and make their meetings personable by having greeters welcome newer people. They spend time recognizing member birthdays, and provide a place for all members to participate within the meeting format.