Use Rotary Myth-Busting Session 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-013 · Rotary Myth-Busting Session
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
These sources support general principles for accurate orientation, member engagement and club flexibility; they do not constitute Rotary International endorsement of the named Rotary Myth-Busting Session initiative or this locally designed delivery model.
Primary references consulted
Who We Are(Rotary International) Used for: Rotary describes itself as a global network that connects people, builds relationships and takes action.; The page describes clubs, Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation as distinct parts of Rotary with different functions.
Engage Emerging Leaders(Rotary International) Used for: New-member engagement should begin by learning what inspires the member and by offering introductions, participation and regular check-ins.; Rotary recommends a deliberate new-member orientation strategy rather than relying on informal explanations alone.
Club Flexibility FAQ(Rotary International) Used for: Meeting formats, participation expectations and membership arrangements can vary between clubs within the applicable constitutional framework.; Local club practices should not be represented as though every Rotary club operates the same way.
Candidate District material consulted
These records remain draft evidence and still need a human source decision.
Theme 2 - Sub Theme 1 - Onboarding and Induction.docx The related-record title ON-03 Rotary Orientation Workshop was used only as a semantic cue that an onboarding knowledge gap may be addressed through a facilitated session. No source wording, evidence claim or detailed field was copied.
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
Who We Are 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: 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.
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.
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
The club secretary must confirm every statement presented as a constitutional, policy or membership requirement.
The treasurer must verify current club, district and Rotary International dues and any meal or activity costs before financial questions are answered.
Claims about insurance, tax deductibility, political or religious status, member eligibility or complaint handling require a competent current source and must remain unanswered until checked.
Any participant comments retained beyond the session require an approved privacy purpose, minimum collection and access arrangement.
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 Rotary Myth-Busting Session when new members receive different welcomes or are unsure what happens after joining.
Clubs whose new members arrive with conflicting messages about attendance, cost, hierarchy, service or who belongs.
A mixed intake where members have joined through different sponsors and have not received the same explanation of Rotary.
A 30- to 45-minute onboarding segment that can be followed by individual conversations rather than a long lecture.
Before the club starts
Anonymous questions collected from current new members and recent joiners, using a non-digital option as well as an online form.
A myth-and-evidence register that labels each response as Rotary-wide, district-specific, club-specific or unresolved.
A facilitator who can say 'we need to check that' without becoming defensive, plus subject owners for finance, governance and member experience.
Current links to Rotary's public identity, new-member guidance, club flexibility information and the club's approved local rules and fee schedule.
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
What did you hear about Rotary before joining that does not match what you have experienced so far?
Which part of the answer is a Rotary-wide principle, and which part is only how our club currently works?
What would you need to see or experience in the next 30 days before this answer felt real rather than promotional?
Common traps
Trying Rotary Myth-Busting Session when Defending club habits that leaders have already decided not to examine or change.
Proceeding with Rotary Myth-Busting Session when Giving legal, tax, insurance, constitutional or financial answers that have not been checked by the person responsible for that subject.
A lively myth list creates entertainment but no improvement to the member's experience. — End with a personal next step and amend the FAQ, handbook or local practice wherever the session reveals a recurring gap.
A practical 90-day path
Three milestones for Rotary Myth-Busting Session
When
What the club does
Evidence to keep
Days 1–30: Agree the local design
Invite new and recent members to submit what they had heard, assumed or still find unclear; remove names and combine repeated questions without softening the difficult ones. Research each item and classify it as true across Rotary, true for this club now, variable by club, false, or not yet verified; record the source and date beside every proposed answer.
An anonymised longlist of actual questions and misconceptions A checked myth-and-evidence register with unresolved items clearly marked
Days 31–60: Run and adjust the first version
Choose five to seven high-value myths, arrange them from practical to more sensitive, and brief one local practice owner for any answer that depends on this club rather than Rotary generally. Run each myth through the same three-part frame: what people may have heard, what the checked evidence says, and what that means in this club; invite challenge and allow anonymous follow-up throughout.
A timed run sheet and a named responder for each local question A completed question record, including points of disagreement or uncertainty
Days 61–90: Review the evidence and decide
Ask each participant to note one matter now clear, one matter still to check and one person, activity or service opportunity they would like to explore next. Send only the checked answers, close or assign every unresolved question, and update the club's onboarding FAQ when a local explanation was missing or misleading.
A private clarity-and-next-step card for each participant A dated follow-up note, resolved question log and approved FAQ amendments
Fit it to the club you have
Small club
Use one round-table conversation and ask the secretary and treasurer to attend only for the questions they own; combine the evidence register with the club's onboarding FAQ so it remains maintainable.
Larger club
Run two parallel tables with the same checked answer cards, place a neutral facilitator at each table and consolidate unresolved questions centrally so different groups do not receive different answers.
Regional or rural club
Include myths about travel, meeting frequency, service across dispersed communities and the difference between limited local capacity and a lack of opportunity; offer phone or printed question routes where connectivity is uneven.
Metropolitan, hybrid or online club
Include how online, hybrid and project-based participation actually works in this club, use anonymous digital questions during the session, and provide captions plus an accessible transcript of checked answers.
Learn, adapt and know when to stop
Evidence worth keeping
Participants who can correctly distinguish a Rotary-wide fact from a local club practice in the closing check.
Submitted questions answered with a dated source or assigned to a named owner within seven days.
Participants who choose a relevant next conversation or activity rather than simply reporting that they attended.
Change course when
The session becomes defensive and makes new members reluctant to ask honest questions. — Collect questions anonymously, thank people for testing the club's explanations and require the facilitator to record uncertainty rather than improvise.
A club custom is presented as a universal Rotary rule. — Label every response by level and cite a current official source for Rotary-wide claims; use the club's approved documents for local claims.
Sensitive claims about fees, attendance, eligibility, insurance or governance are answered inaccurately. — Place unverified matters on hold and route them to the treasurer, secretary, district contact or other competent owner before circulating an answer.
How to put it into practice
Detailed implementation steps for Rotary Myth-Busting Session
Step
Action
Suggested owner
Timing
Evidence or output
1
Invite new and recent members to submit what they had heard, assumed or still find unclear; remove names and combine repeated questions without softening the difficult ones.
Onboarding coordinator
10 to 14 days before the session
An anonymised longlist of actual questions and misconceptions
2
Research each item and classify it as true across Rotary, true for this club now, variable by club, false, or not yet verified; record the source and date beside every proposed answer.
Content checker with club secretary
One week before the session
A checked myth-and-evidence register with unresolved items clearly marked
3
Choose five to seven high-value myths, arrange them from practical to more sensitive, and brief one local practice owner for any answer that depends on this club rather than Rotary generally.
Facilitator
Five days before the session
A timed run sheet and a named responder for each local question
4
Run each myth through the same three-part frame: what people may have heard, what the checked evidence says, and what that means in this club; invite challenge and allow anonymous follow-up throughout.
Facilitator and local practice owners
During the 30- to 45-minute session
A completed question record, including points of disagreement or uncertainty
5
Ask each participant to note one matter now clear, one matter still to check and one person, activity or service opportunity they would like to explore next.
New member with onboarding contact
Final 10 minutes
A private clarity-and-next-step card for each participant
6
Send only the checked answers, close or assign every unresolved question, and update the club's onboarding FAQ when a local explanation was missing or misleading.
Onboarding coordinator and club secretary
Within seven days
A dated follow-up note, resolved question log and approved FAQ amendments
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.
Confirm venue, accessibility, safety, incident, cancellation and follow-up arrangements for the actual audience and setting.
The session becomes defensive and makes new members reluctant to ask honest questions. — Collect questions anonymously, thank people for testing the club's explanations and require the facilitator to record uncertainty rather than improvise.
A club custom is presented as a universal Rotary rule. — Label every response by level and cite a current official source for Rotary-wide claims; use the club's approved documents for local claims.
Sensitive claims about fees, attendance, eligibility, insurance or governance are answered inaccurately. — Place unverified matters on hold and route them to the treasurer, secretary, district contact or other competent owner before circulating an answer.
A lively myth list creates entertainment but no improvement to the member's experience. — End with a personal next step and amend the FAQ, handbook or local practice wherever the session reveals a recurring gap.
The club secretary must confirm every statement presented as a constitutional, policy or membership requirement.
The treasurer must verify current club, district and Rotary International dues and any meal or activity costs before financial questions are answered.
Claims about insurance, tax deductibility, political or religious status, member eligibility or complaint handling require a competent current source and must remain unanswered until checked.
What to measure
After 90 days, review Rotary Myth-Busting Session. Look for agreed early steps being completed, at least one useful club connection and every promised follow-up being delivered.
Participants who can correctly distinguish a Rotary-wide fact from a local club practice in the closing check.
Submitted questions answered with a dated source or assigned to a named owner within seven days.
Participants who choose a relevant next conversation or activity rather than simply reporting that they attended.
Local onboarding explanations corrected or added after the session because a gap was exposed.
Follow-up: At the 90-day review, compare the recorded measures with the starting point, resolve the listed governance holds and tell participants whether Rotary Myth-Busting Session 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
Myth and Evidence Register
Keep every answer traceable and distinguish Rotary-wide information from local practice.
