E-002 · A 90-day try-out

A club plan for First 90 Days Coffee Series

Use this as a starting point. Cross out what does not fit, add what is missing and make it your club's own.

Where this idea came from

Playbook entry
E-002 · First 90 Days Coffee Series
Theme
Theme 2: Engagement & Belonging · Subtheme 1: Onboarding & First 90 Days
Source material
Current playbook index title and category plus an internally authored detailed-guide draft

Initiative-specific development wave

How this draft was developed

The cited sources support general principles for flexible, accessible and relationship-centred member engagement; they do not constitute Rotary International endorsement of the locally named First 90 Days Coffee Series initiative or its detailed design.

Primary references consulted

  • Engaging Younger Professionals: Engage Emerging Leaders (Rotary International)
    Used for: New members should be invited to experience meetings, service projects and other events so their interests can emerge.; Personal connections, introductions, member ideas and regular check-ins support early engagement.
  • Club Flexibility FAQ (Rotary International)
    Used for: Clubs can vary meeting formats and use social, service, virtual and other gatherings.; Rotary advises asking current and prospective members what they want from the club experience rather than relying on rigid attendance expectations.
  • Hosting Accessible and Inclusive In-person Meetings and Events (Australian Human Rights Commission)
    Used for: Meeting and event accessibility includes venue, communication and activity design.; Accessibility should be considered before participants arrive, not managed only after a barrier occurs.

Candidate District material consulted

These records remain draft evidence and still need a human source decision.

  • Club Playbook - Theme 2
    A three-conversation coffee cadence across the first 90 days,Rotating member perspectives rather than a single host,Early connection and mentoring as the intended outcomes

Theme 2 source-assurance wave

What has been checked

  • 3 current primary pages used by this guide were reopened on 9 August 2026.
  • 6 attributed source claim(s) were mapped to their bounded use in this initiative.
  • Candidate District material remains separate and does not establish this result.
See each source's scope and limit
  • Engage Emerging Leaders
    Supports: Member-centred discovery, mentoring, feedback, emerging-leader support and club-health review principles during renewal.
    Does not establish: That a person is ready for office, should be selected, has consented to a role or that a proposed renewal pathway will work locally.
  • Club flexibility FAQ
    Supports: The availability of flexible club models and participation arrangements, subject to member consultation, current constitutional documents, bylaws and local decisions.
    Does not establish: That a particular flexibility option is permitted by the club's current documents, affordable, accessible, desired by members or suitable for its community.
  • Hosting accessible and inclusive in-person meetings and events
    Supports: The 71 attributed Theme 2 claims attached to this source, limited to the implementation elements and supporting documents named in each initiative-level claim mapping.
    Does not establish: Accessibility or inclusion conformance, the needs or preferences of any person or community, cultural authority to act, the suitability of a format or venue, or local approval.

What still needs a person to confirm

  • Confirm the member, prospective-member, past-member and community needs, preferences and consent that the local design assumes.
  • Confirm which privacy, safeguarding, incorporated-association, charity, work health and safety, food, liquor, copyright, licensing, screening and other duties apply to the club and the activity.
  • Test accessibility, cultural safety, belonging, language and alternative participation routes with affected people and recognise First Nations cultural authority rather than inferring suitability from the guide.
  • Confirm every local fact, starting point, cost, role, current service contact, measure, stopping condition and platform capability before the club decides to proceed.
  • Confirm the authority and current scope of each primary source, resolve login-gated or moved-page references and keep any candidate District material attributed and unapproved until its source decision is made.

The source-verification release gate remains closed.

Checks still on hold

Still an internal draft: source interpretation, local suitability, accessibility, governance and editorial approval remain open checks.

1. Is this worth trying here?

What we hope will change: Use First 90 Days Coffee Series to give new members a clear first 90 days, early relationships and a useful way to contribute.

2. Our 90-day try-out

What our club will do for First 90 Days Coffee Series
StepWhat we will doWho could lead itOur dateHow we will know it is done
1Set three distinct gatherings: 'People and belonging', 'How we serve' and 'Your voice and next step', each with one intended follow-up outcome.Series coordinatorAt least three weeks before the first gatheringThree-session series plan and topic cards
2Invite recent members to the whole series, ask about format and access needs, and make it clear they may attend any session or none.Onboarding coordinatorTwo weeks before the first gatheringOpt-in cohort list and access arrangements
3Run the first conversation around names, interests, club language that needs explaining and two people each participant would value meeting.Coffee hostAround week 2Participant-requested introduction list
4Run the second conversation using two short project stories, then let each participant nominate an impact area they want to explore without assigning them a job.Coffee host and service leadAround week 5Optional service interests and requested project contacts
5Run the third conversation about what has felt welcoming, what remains unclear and the next club experience each person would choose.Coffee host and membership leadAround week 10Member voice notes and individual next-step choices
6Complete promised introductions privately, close actions with participants and review the series without publishing identifiable comments.Series coordinatorWithin five days of each gathering and again by day 90Closed follow-up log and de-identified series review

3. Checks before we start

Things our club needs to check
QuestionWhat it means for usWho will checkDone?
Check the idea with the people affected and confirm its purpose, owner and practical limits before putting it into use.
Protect member choice and privacy, make participation accessible, and do not infer belonging or satisfaction from attendance alone.
Confirm venue, accessibility, safety, incident, cancellation and follow-up arrangements for the actual audience and setting.
A close cohort becomes a clique that is disconnected from the rest of the club. — Use the series to make requested introductions across the club and vary the carefully briefed guest member at each gathering.
Participants feel expected to disclose personal circumstances in a group. — Keep prompts optional, allow private follow-up and record only actions a participant has asked the club to take.
Venue, cost, food, transport or technology choices exclude a member. — Offer a no-cost accessible option, ask about requirements in advance and provide a format that does not depend on buying refreshments.
Warm conversation is not followed by real introductions or opportunities. — End each session with no more than two agreed actions per person, each with a named owner and completion date.
Confirm event, venue, food, transport, incident and insurance requirements for each local format.
Check how invitation, contact and access information may be collected, used, stored and deleted.
Approve a fair refreshments or reimbursement approach so participation does not depend on personal spending.

4. What changed?

What we will keep an eye on
What mattersWhere we are nowWhat we hope to seeHow we will checkWho
After 90 days, review First 90 Days Coffee Series. Look for agreed early steps being completed, at least one useful club connection and every promised follow-up being delivered.
Invited members receiving clear format choices, cost information and an explicit opt-out.
Requested introductions and project contacts completed within five days.
Participants who identify at least one peer connection and one member-chosen next step by the third gathering.
Participant feedback on whether the series felt welcoming, useful and free from attendance pressure.

After 30 days

Is it reaching the right people? Is anything unsafe, unfair or harder than expected?

After 60 days

Make one useful change based on what people have told you.

After 90 days

Compare with where you started. Decide whether to change it, continue it or stop.

Made for this initiative

Tailored supporting documents

These working documents use the decisions, safeguards and evidence needs of this initiative. Complete them with the people affected and keep the agreed version with the club's project record.

01

Coffee Series Session Cards

Three concise host guides that keep each gathering conversational and distinct.

Open supporting document
02

Cohort Invitation and Access Register

A minimal working list for invitations and practical arrangements, not a record of personal discussion.

Open supporting document
03

Coffee Series Action Log

A short accountability record for introductions and other promises made during the series.

Open supporting document

Before your club says yes

Does the idea fit?

Talk with the people it is meant to serve and check that the need is real.

Who can say yes?

Name the person or group that can approve the work, spending and any safety arrangements.

Are people protected?

Check privacy, consent and safety. Collect only the information you genuinely need.

Can everyone take part?

Check the language, format, place, technology and cost for barriers.

Are the facts and permissions right?

Check names, claims, images, quotations, partner references and Rotary branding.

How will we learn?

Note where things stand now, check in at 30, 60 and 90 days, and decide what to do next.

Worksheets for your club

Open them online, print them or change them to suit the way your club works.

01

Event brief

Use this worksheet to plan who the session is for, when it will happen, how people can take part and what happens afterwards.

Open worksheet
02

Registration and follow-up log

Use this worksheet to map each step and keep only the information the club genuinely needs.

Open worksheet
03

Feedback form

Use this worksheet to hear what people experienced and decide what to change next.

Open worksheet