Use “Who’s New?” Meeting Game to give new members a clear first 90 days, early relationships and a useful way to contribute.
Where this idea came from
Playbook entry
E-010 · “Who’s New?” Meeting Game
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 personal connection, welcoming meetings, fair collection and member choice; they do not constitute Rotary International endorsement of the named “Who’s New?” Meeting Game initiative or this local design.
Primary references consulted
Engage Emerging Leaders(Rotary International) Used for: Personal connection, learning what inspires a new member and making useful introductions are part of early engagement.; Clubs are encouraged to use short meeting exercises and to take member ideas seriously.
Enhancing the Club Experience: Member Satisfaction Survey(Rotary International) Used for: A welcoming environment includes members feeling known, valued and able to make useful connections.; Meeting format, social time and opportunities to contribute to discussion are relevant parts of member experience.
Chapter 3: APP 3 Collection of Solicited Personal Information(Office of the Australian Information Commissioner) Used for: Personal information should be collected fairly and only where reasonably necessary.; Informed consent is particularly important where a requested fact may be sensitive information.
Candidate District material consulted
These records remain draft evidence and still need a human source decision.
Club Playbook - Theme 2 Related Mini “Who’s New?” Trivia Game concept,Member facts and hobbies as clue types,Short post-induction meeting format,MC and trivia-card resource assumption,Recognition, fun and connection outcome intent
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.
Enhancing the Club Experience: Member Satisfaction Survey Supports: The 4 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.
Chapter 3: APP 3 Collection of solicited personal information Supports: Data-minimisation, collection-purpose, proportionality and consent safeguards where the Privacy Act and APP 3 apply. Does not establish: Whether a particular Rotary club is an APP entity or whether a proposed renewal survey, diagnostic or member record is lawful in its 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
Approve prohibited clue topics and the process for consent, withdrawal, incident response and deletion of any retained materials.
Confirm whether meetings are recorded or streamed and obtain a separate, specific choice from the featured member.
Check that the format and script meet the club's inclusion, respectful-behaviour and accessibility expectations.
Decide who may facilitate and how a concern raised during or after the activity will be received and addressed.
Still an internal draft: source interpretation, local suitability, accessibility, governance and editorial approval remain open checks.
Why a club might use this
A consistent welcome helps people build relationships sooner and understand how they can take part.
It may suit: New and prospective members, and the club members helping them settle in.
Use it when
Consider “Who’s New?” Meeting Game when new members receive different welcomes or are unsure what happens after joining.
Clubs where a new member has met many people quickly but established members still need a useful conversation prompt.
A regular meeting that can spare five focused minutes without turning the whole programme into entertainment about the newcomer.
New members who actively enjoy a light game and have chosen facts they are comfortable sharing.
Before the club starts
A private invitation that makes declining easy and offers a straightforward non-game introduction instead.
Three to five member-written clues that are safe, unambiguous and approved in their final wording.
A facilitator brief covering pronunciation, respectful humour, time limit, response options and how to stop the activity.
An accessible way for in-room and remote participants to read or hear each clue without requiring rapid speech, standing or phone use.
Capacity guide
Likely cost
Low; mainly welcome materials, refreshments and coordinator time.
Lead time
About two weeks to prepare the pathway and brief club contacts.
People
Three to five people, including an onboarding coordinator, club contact and relevant project lead.
A useful club conversation
Questions worth asking
Would each clue still feel respectful if it were read without the friendly tone we intend?
How will a member decline without having to explain why or being offered the game again?
What real introduction or invitation should follow so the activity creates connection rather than momentary attention?
Common traps
Trying “Who’s New?” Meeting Game when A surprise activity, compulsory initiation or competition about personal, cultural, family, health or workplace information.
Proceeding with “Who’s New?” Meeting Game when A meeting where the new member cannot preview the wording or take part through an accessible alternative.
The club mistakes recognition during a meeting for lasting inclusion. — Attach the activity to a named personal introduction or invitation and ask the member later whether it helped.
A practical 90-day path
Three milestones for “Who’s New?” Meeting Game
When
What the club does
Evidence to keep
Days 1–30: Agree the local design
Invite the new member privately, explain the format and audience, offer a normal introduction instead and record only the person's choice to participate or decline. Ask the member to provide three to five safe clues such as a hobby, a place that matters, a skill they enjoy sharing or the service issue that drew them to Rotary.
Voluntary participation decision Member-authored clue set
Days 31–60: Run and adjust the first version
Edit only for length and clarity, check that combined clues do not expose sensitive or security information and send the exact script back for approval. Open by naming the purpose and ground rules, present one clue at a time through spoken and visible formats, invite collaborative guesses and stop after five minutes whether or not every answer is found.
Approved facilitator script and accessible clue cards Short inclusive meeting activity
Days 61–90: Review the evidence and decide
Invite the new member to reveal and briefly expand on the clues, then name one kind of conversation or activity they would welcome after the meeting. Check privately within two club days whether the format felt respectful and useful, record any change needed and do not retain or republish clue cards without fresh permission.
Member-led introduction and connection invitation Member feedback and revised facilitator note
Fit it to the club you have
Small club
Use two clues and ask members to name a shared interest or useful introduction; avoid pretending people do not already know the answer.
Larger club
Play in table groups before a brief whole-room reveal, with one facilitator script so volume does not turn into pressure or ridicule.
Regional or rural club
Avoid clues based on employer, exact property, route or family details that could identify more than the member intended in a close community.
Metropolitan, hybrid or online club
Display accessible clue cards in the meeting platform, allow chat or spoken responses and ensure the member can approve any recording separately from participation.
Learn, adapt and know when to stop
Evidence worth keeping
Invited new members who freely chose the game or the equally valued non-game introduction.
Activities delivered within five minutes using the approved clues and accessible formats.
Participating members reporting privately that the activity felt respectful and represented them accurately.
Change course when
The activity feels like hazing, a memory test or pressure to perform. — Invite privately, make the non-game introduction equally visible, use collaborative guesses and let the member stop or skip any part.
A clue reveals sensitive information or invites stereotyping. — Use member-authored clues, review the combined information, exclude protected or intimate topics and prohibit facilitator improvisation.
Incorrect guesses become jokes about identity, culture, age or ability. — Set respectful ground rules, intervene immediately, keep humour about the format rather than the person and end the round if necessary.
How to put it into practice
Detailed implementation steps for “Who’s New?” Meeting Game
Step
Action
Suggested owner
Timing
Evidence or output
1
Invite the new member privately, explain the format and audience, offer a normal introduction instead and record only the person's choice to participate or decline.
Meeting chair
At least one week before the meeting
Voluntary participation decision
2
Ask the member to provide three to five safe clues such as a hobby, a place that matters, a skill they enjoy sharing or the service issue that drew them to Rotary.
New member with welcome contact
Five days before the meeting
Member-authored clue set
3
Edit only for length and clarity, check that combined clues do not expose sensitive or security information and send the exact script back for approval.
Facilitator
Three days before the meeting
Approved facilitator script and accessible clue cards
4
Open by naming the purpose and ground rules, present one clue at a time through spoken and visible formats, invite collaborative guesses and stop after five minutes whether or not every answer is found.
Facilitator
Early in the meeting
Short inclusive meeting activity
5
Invite the new member to reveal and briefly expand on the clues, then name one kind of conversation or activity they would welcome after the meeting.
New member, if they wish
Immediately after the final clue
Member-led introduction and connection invitation
6
Check privately within two club days whether the format felt respectful and useful, record any change needed and do not retain or republish clue cards without fresh permission.
Welcome contact
Within two club days
Member feedback and revised facilitator note
Controls and safeguards
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.
The activity feels like hazing, a memory test or pressure to perform. — Invite privately, make the non-game introduction equally visible, use collaborative guesses and let the member stop or skip any part.
A clue reveals sensitive information or invites stereotyping. — Use member-authored clues, review the combined information, exclude protected or intimate topics and prohibit facilitator improvisation.
Incorrect guesses become jokes about identity, culture, age or ability. — Set respectful ground rules, intervene immediately, keep humour about the format rather than the person and end the round if necessary.
The club mistakes recognition during a meeting for lasting inclusion. — Attach the activity to a named personal introduction or invitation and ask the member later whether it helped.
Approve prohibited clue topics and the process for consent, withdrawal, incident response and deletion of any retained materials.
Confirm whether meetings are recorded or streamed and obtain a separate, specific choice from the featured member.
Check that the format and script meet the club's inclusion, respectful-behaviour and accessibility expectations.
Decide who may facilitate and how a concern raised during or after the activity will be received and addressed.
What to measure
After 90 days, review “Who’s New?” Meeting Game. Look for agreed early steps being completed, at least one useful club connection and every promised follow-up being delivered.
Invited new members who freely chose the game or the equally valued non-game introduction.
Activities delivered within five minutes using the approved clues and accessible formats.
Participating members reporting privately that the activity felt respectful and represented them accurately.
At least one relevant introduction, conversation or invitation completed after the activity, with the new member's agreement.
Follow-up: At the 90-day review, compare the recorded measures with the starting point, resolve the listed governance holds and tell participants whether “Who’s New?” Meeting Game will change, continue 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
Participation Invitation and Choice Note
Make the game genuinely optional and document the agreed audience and alternative introduction.
