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E-015 · Detailed guide · Theme 2

Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough

Use Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough 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-015 · Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough
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 current, traceable and accessible member information; they do not constitute Rotary International endorsement of the named Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough initiative, the local handbook or this delivery model.

Primary references consulted

  • Learning & Reference (Rotary International)
    Used for: My Rotary presents separate routes for organisational information, policies and procedures, role resources, topic resources and learning.; The page lists and links to those official resource categories.
  • Policies and Procedures (Rotary International)
    Used for: The page provides a dedicated route to Rotary's governance documents, including constitutional and policy materials.; It identifies official governance sources available through My Rotary.
  • Document Centre (Rotary International)
    Used for: The catalogue lists Rotary Basics, the Standard Rotary Club Constitution and role-specific materials as distinct official documents.; It provides official routes for finding those documents.
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (Australian Government Architecture)
    Used for: The page identifies WCAG as the shared accessibility standard required for Australian Government digital services.; It outlines the Australian Government's WCAG conformance expectations for those services.

Candidate District material

No candidate local guide was used for this version. The current initiative identity and the attributed primary references remain separate.

Theme 2 source-assurance wave

What has been checked

  • 4 current primary pages used by this guide were reopened on 9 August 2026.
  • 8 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
  • Learning & Reference - learn by role
    Supports: The availability of current Rotary role resources and learning pathways for renewal leadership and capability development.
    Does not establish: The duties, delegation, eligibility, appointment method, authority or training completion of a particular person in a particular club.
  • Policies and Procedures
    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.
  • Document Centre
    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.
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
    Supports: The 3 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: The club's local need, legal position, capability, cost, safety, accessibility, suitability, likely effectiveness, authority to act or approval of the initiative.

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.

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 Member Handbook Walkthrough when new members receive different welcomes or are unsure what happens after joining.
  • Clubs that already have a handbook, welcome pack or member web page but cannot tell whether new members actually use it.
  • A small-group onboarding conversation focused on the next 90 days rather than reading every page aloud.
  • Clubs ready to assign ownership and review dates to the information they expect members to rely on.

Before the club starts

  • The latest club handbook in its print, digital and accessible formats, with version number, approval date and document owner visible.
  • A marked list of essential local facts: contacts, costs, meeting choices, decision routes, support, complaints, service opportunities and the first-90-days pathway.
  • Current official Rotary resource, document and governance links for matters the handbook summarises but does not control.
  • At least one recent member who has tested the handbook using realistic find-and-do tasks and recorded where they became stuck.

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

  1. What would you reasonably expect to find here but could not find within two minutes?
  2. Which statement tells you what our club currently does, and which one needs a link to the rule or source that controls it?
  3. After using the handbook, what real person or action do you now know how to reach?

Common traps

  • Trying Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough when Using an undated handbook as evidence of current Rotary, district or club policy.
  • Proceeding with Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough when Replacing a personal welcome, introductions and a real first contribution with document completion.
  • The walkthrough becomes a compliance exercise and overwhelms the member with information. — Use six realistic tasks, limit the session to information needed in the first 90 days and connect every section to a person or next action.

A practical 90-day path

Three milestones for Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough
WhenWhat the club doesEvidence to keep
Days 1–30: Agree the local designAudit the handbook page by page for owner, source, date, reading clarity, accessibility and whether the information belongs in a local handbook or should link to a current official source. Ask a recent member to complete six practical tasks, such as finding the cost, notifying an absence, proposing an idea, joining a project, seeking an adjustment and raising a concern; observe the route without coaching.A red-amber-green content audit and a list of material held back pending verification A task test showing successful routes, dead ends and unclear language
Days 31–60: Run and adjust the first versionCorrect or remove failed content, add source and review labels, and produce a short walkthrough map built around 'people, participation, decisions and support' rather than the handbook's page order. Run a guided find-and-do session in pairs: each new member locates information, explains what action they would take and identifies whether the answer is local guidance, a local rule or an external official source.A controlled draft handbook and a four-part navigation map Completed task cards and a live list of remaining usability issues
Days 61–90: Review the evidence and decidePersonalise only the final action page with the member's chosen contacts, next activity and preferred follow-up; do not write private needs or personal circumstances into the shared handbook. Log every correction, publish the approved version in all promised formats, notify members of material changes and schedule the next source and usability review.A private 30-day action page linked to the controlled handbook version A versioned release, change log and dated review schedule

Fit it to the club you have

Small club

Use a concise eight- to twelve-page core guide with a one-page contact sheet; give every section a named owner rather than relying on one volunteer to remember all updates.

Larger club

Use a stable core handbook plus controlled committee and project inserts; maintain one source register and prevent committees from circulating conflicting copies.

Regional or rural club

Provide a print-ready low-bandwidth version, phone contacts and clear travel or cancellation information; note which district or neighbouring-club opportunities are realistically accessible from the member's location.

Metropolitan, hybrid or online club

Use accessible HTML as the primary version, retain a downloadable tagged document, add direct links to online participation routes and test every task with keyboard-only navigation and at mobile width.

Learn, adapt and know when to stop

Evidence worth keeping

  • New members completing the six find-and-do tasks without facilitator rescue.
  • Essential sections carrying a visible owner, source and next-review date.
  • Walkthrough issues corrected, assigned or formally held within 14 days.

Change course when

  • Stale contact, fee or policy information is treated as current because it appears in a polished document. — Display version and review dates, assign section owners and remove any material that cannot be verified before the walkthrough.
  • A local summary is mistaken for a Rotary International or district rule. — Label content as local guidance, local governing provision or external official source and link to the controlling document where appropriate.
  • The handbook is technically available but unusable for members with disability, limited bandwidth or different language needs. — Test promised formats with users, provide equivalent print and non-digital routes, and complete an accessibility review before release.

How to put it into practice

Detailed implementation steps for Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough
StepActionSuggested ownerTimingEvidence or output
1Audit the handbook page by page for owner, source, date, reading clarity, accessibility and whether the information belongs in a local handbook or should link to a current official source.Handbook editor with club secretaryThree weeks before the walkthroughA red-amber-green content audit and a list of material held back pending verification
2Ask a recent member to complete six practical tasks, such as finding the cost, notifying an absence, proposing an idea, joining a project, seeking an adjustment and raising a concern; observe the route without coaching.Recent-member tester and onboarding coordinatorTwo weeks before the walkthroughA task test showing successful routes, dead ends and unclear language
3Correct or remove failed content, add source and review labels, and produce a short walkthrough map built around 'people, participation, decisions and support' rather than the handbook's page order.Handbook editorOne week before the walkthroughA controlled draft handbook and a four-part navigation map
4Run a guided find-and-do session in pairs: each new member locates information, explains what action they would take and identifies whether the answer is local guidance, a local rule or an external official source.Facilitator and onboarding contactsDuring the 45-minute walkthroughCompleted task cards and a live list of remaining usability issues
5Personalise only the final action page with the member's chosen contacts, next activity and preferred follow-up; do not write private needs or personal circumstances into the shared handbook.New member with onboarding contactFinal 10 minutesA private 30-day action page linked to the controlled handbook version
6Log every correction, publish the approved version in all promised formats, notify members of material changes and schedule the next source and usability review.Handbook editor and club secretaryWithin 14 days, then at least every six monthsA versioned release, change log and dated review schedule

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.
  • Stale contact, fee or policy information is treated as current because it appears in a polished document. — Display version and review dates, assign section owners and remove any material that cannot be verified before the walkthrough.
  • A local summary is mistaken for a Rotary International or district rule. — Label content as local guidance, local governing provision or external official source and link to the controlling document where appropriate.
  • The handbook is technically available but unusable for members with disability, limited bandwidth or different language needs. — Test promised formats with users, provide equivalent print and non-digital routes, and complete an accessibility review before release.
  • The walkthrough becomes a compliance exercise and overwhelms the member with information. — Use six realistic tasks, limit the session to information needed in the first 90 days and connect every section to a person or next action.
  • The club secretary must verify alignment with the current Standard Rotary Club Constitution, club bylaws and any applicable district requirements.
  • The treasurer must approve all fee, dues, meal, reimbursement and payment information before it appears in a controlled version.
  • Complaint, safeguarding, privacy, insurance and incident pathways require confirmation by the relevant competent owner and must not be simplified beyond accuracy.
  • Confirm which accessibility standard and obligations the club will follow, then test every format the club promises to provide, including any linked form or member-only page. The cited Australian Government page does not itself establish a Rotary club's legal or policy duties.

What to measure

  • After 90 days, review Rotary Member Handbook Walkthrough. Look for agreed early steps being completed, at least one useful club connection and every promised follow-up being delivered.
  • New members completing the six find-and-do tasks without facilitator rescue.
  • Essential sections carrying a visible owner, source and next-review date.
  • Walkthrough issues corrected, assigned or formally held within 14 days.
  • Members who use the handbook to make one relevant connection or begin one activity within 30 days.

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 Member Handbook Walkthrough 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.

02

New-Member Find-and-Do Test

Test whether the handbook supports real decisions rather than merely containing information.

Open supporting document
03

Handbook Change Log

Provide a visible record of material corrections and prevent uncontrolled copies remaining in use.

Open supporting document

Related playbook entries

  • E-014
  • E-016

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.