Harbourside "Visioning"
What will Harbourside look like in 5 years?
This is the question that will be answered as members engage in a "visioning" process that will begin this spring.
Incoming President Mary Coward told us that Rotary International established a formal Visioning process in 2008 that used a business model for strategic planning, based on Rotary values and goals. Our District 5020 embraced this process and offered to assist any club with a Visioning process. About 25 clubs have gone through this process. The District Leader is Roger Painter; who will bring 3 other trained facilitators to a one-day workshop. The goal of the process is to talk about “what will your club be like in 5 years time” and build consensus and direction. The planning team for this process includes presidents for the next 3 years (Mary Coward 2013/14; Lisa Collins 2014/15; and Andrew Bekes 2015/16) and also Dennis Truss, as our mentor and adviser, who led a strategic planning process for the club six years ago.
Dennis Truss led a similar process when he was club President, in June 2006. We used the Rotary guide that was established at the time, asking members to identify concerns and issues. A strategic plan was developed that set priorities and provided a direction that has guided subsequent Presidents.
Roger Painter, Rotarian from Cobble Hill, is a District "Visioning" Trainer who will be guiding us through the process. The updated version of this exercise was developed by former Rotarians in Minnesota. It is intended to help clubs be more effective in their goal to embody our motto of Service Above Self. The process starts with a questionnaire for all members, followed by a one day planning day for a smaller group of 20 - 24 members who will be asked to develop goals and targets in 10 areas. The results will go back to the club to develop a new 5 year plan Each incoming President will review and update the plan.
Prior to adopting this process, RI invested primarily in providing training for new club Presidents. This was good, but there was no continuity from one year to the next. The bywords of the new process are: Continuity, Consistency, and Consensus.
Lisa Collins spoke about the questionnaire part of the process. It is an on-line instrument that will be sent to members in early March. There will be 50 questions about membership, club administration, international projects etc.
Mary Coward finished the presentation by saying that the planning day will take place on Saturday April 27 at the Uplands Golf Course. We can accommodate 24 members at that event. If we have more than 24 interested in attending, a second session will be set up. Please contact Mary if you are interested in attending.