E-005 · A 90-day try-out

A club plan for Pre-Membership Coffee Catch-Ups

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-005 · Pre-Membership Coffee Catch-Ups
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 listening to prospective members, explaining the membership journey, finding an appropriate fit and handling personal information carefully; they do not constitute Rotary International endorsement of the locally named Pre-Membership Coffee Catch-Ups initiative or its detailed design.

Primary references consulted

  • Engaging Younger Professionals: Engage Emerging Leaders (Rotary International)
    Used for: Prospective members should be asked about their ideas, passions and ideal service projects rather than only being told about the club.; Rotary guidance supports helping a person find the right fit, including another club, rather than pushing immediate membership.
  • Our Clubs (Rotary International)
    Used for: Rotary describes a membership journey from interest and club matching through contact and invitation.; Rotary publicly identifies community service, connection, leadership and professional development as member benefits, alongside dues and participation expectations.
  • Collection of Personal Information (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner)
    Used for: Organisations should collect only personal information reasonably necessary for their work and use lawful and fair collection methods.; Sensitive information generally requires consent, subject to the applicable law and exceptions.

Candidate District material consulted

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

  • Club Playbook - Theme 2
    An informal pre-membership coffee conversation,Two club hosts rather than a large group,Confidence, readiness and a softer social entry as 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.
  • Our Clubs
    Supports: The 21 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: That the initiative is endorsed by Rotary International or District 9510, that it is permitted by the club's governing documents, that members want it, that it suits the local club, or that it will achieve the intended outcome.
  • Collection of Personal Information
    Supports: The 2 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: Whether the Privacy Act or another duty applies to this club, whether consent is informed and valid, whether collection or publication is authorised, or whether the proposed safeguards are sufficient in the actual circumstances.

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 Pre-Membership Coffee Catch-Ups 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 Pre-Membership Coffee Catch-Ups
StepWhat we will doWho could lead itOur dateHow we will know it is done
1Invite the prospect to an optional 45-minute catch-up, explain that it is not an interview or invitation to join, and let them choose the place, format and whether to bring someone.Prospective member contactWithin five working days of an expression of interestProspect's opt-in and practical arrangements
2Review only information the prospect has provided, check the club fact sheet and agree which host will lead and which will capture requested follow-up.Two coffee hostsBefore the catch-upBriefed hosts and current facts
3Spend the first half listening to the person's community interests, reasons for exploring membership, preferred experiences, available time and questions.Lead hostFirst 20 minutesProspect-stated interests and questions, recorded only with permission
4Give an honest, concise picture of the club's service, people, decision-making, participation patterns, full costs and what the membership process can and cannot promise.Lead hostNext 15 minutesShared, checked club information and answered questions
5Offer no more than two relevant next steps: a club experience, contact with another suitable club or programme, more time, or closure with no further contact.Prospect and hostsFinal 10 minutesProspect-chosen next step and agreed follow-up
6Send only what was promised, complete any warm referral and close or delete the working note when the pathway ends.Prospective member contactWithin three working daysCompleted follow-up and closed minimal record

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.
The conversation becomes a recruitment pitch that talks over the prospect or hides inconvenient facts. — Give the first half to the prospect, use a checked fact sheet and require hosts to state costs, expectations and limits plainly.
Hosts collect personal details, search for more information or circulate impressions without permission. — Use only information the prospect provides, record only the next step the prospect agreed to and restrict access to the named contact.
Choice of venue, refreshments, transport or technology creates a cost or access barrier. — Offer a no-cost accessible format, do not require a purchase and ask about practical needs before confirming.
A positive conversation is mistaken for a promise of invitation, nomination or approval. — Explain the club's actual membership process at the beginning and end, and use wording that distinguishes exploration from a decision.
Have the club's membership process, eligibility, invitation language and host authority checked against current governing documents and local practice.
Verify all dues, meal, event, insurance and other likely costs before the fact sheet is used.
Check whether and how Australian privacy law and the club's privacy policy apply to expressions of interest, notes, referrals and no-contact choices.

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 Pre-Membership Coffee Catch-Ups. Look for agreed early steps being completed, at least one useful club connection and every promised follow-up being delivered.
People who opt in receiving a catch-up offer or helpful response within five working days.
Prospects receiving checked information about costs, participation and the membership process before choosing a next step.
Promised club experiences, referrals or information delivered within three working days.
Prospects' choices to pause, decline or receive no further contact being recorded minimally and respected.

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

Pre-Membership Conversation Card

A one-page host prompt that protects listening time and keeps the catch-up separate from membership approval.

Open supporting document
02

Current Club Facts Sheet

A prospect-facing source of checked information that prevents inconsistent or incomplete claims.

Open supporting document
03

Prospect Consent and Next-step Note

A minimal working record of what the prospect asked the club to do next.

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