E-068 · A 90-day try-out

A club plan for Member-Hosted Meeting

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-068 · Member-Hosted Meeting
Theme
Theme 2: Engagement & Belonging · Subtheme 4: Social Connection & Bonding
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 Rotary member contribution, equitable opportunity and accessible meetings; they are not an endorsement of the named Member-Hosted Meeting initiative or this locally designed delivery model.

Primary references consulted

  • Our Clubs (Rotary International)
    Used for: Rotary clubs provide opportunities for members to connect, contribute and develop skills.; Member participation can include leadership and sharing experience when support and expectations are clear.
  • Enhancing Belonging and Engagement at Rotary (Rotary International)
    Used for: Rotary seeks equitable opportunities for people to contribute and lead.; A member-hosting pathway should remove structural barriers rather than reward only established confidence.
  • Hosting Accessible and Inclusive In-person Meetings and Events (Australian Human Rights Commission)
    Used for: Accessible meeting design includes invitations, venues, activities, technology, materials and adjustments.; A club retains responsibility for accessibility when a member hosts the program.

Candidate District material consulted

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

  • Club Playbook - Theme 2
    Candidate record 44 Member's Choice Meeting Night provides the related concept of a member choosing a meeting topic or activity. It is not a literal current-title match and does not supply transparent selection, supported ownership, access, rights, safety, governance, fallback or host-care controls.

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
  • 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.
  • Enhancing Belonging and Engagement at Rotary
    Supports: Belonging, accessibility, respectful participation and equitable access principles for renewal and club experience.
    Does not establish: That a particular meeting model, membership pathway, leadership process or club culture is inclusive without testing with affected people.
  • 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 Member-Hosted Meeting to create genuine friendships and informal connections beyond the formal meeting agenda.

2. Our 90-day try-out

What our club will do for Member-Hosted Meeting
StepWhat we will doWho could lead itOur dateHow we will know it is done
1Invite member proposals using a short prompt, publish the available support and choose a host through transparent fit criteria rather than popularity or seniority.Program chairEight weeks before the meetingA selected proposal and documented fit decision
2Co-design the purpose, agenda, host decisions, club-held responsibilities, budget, content boundaries, access and withdrawal point in a written agreement.Member host and meeting producerSix weeks before the meetingA host agreement and first agenda
3Check speakers, activities, stories, media, rights, advice boundaries, safety and accessibility, obtaining required approval or replacing unsuitable elements.Governance and access leadsFour weeks before the meetingA content, risk and access clearance record
4Rehearse the opening, transitions, questions, timing, technology and fallback, and agree private signals for help, pause, shortening or handing back to the producer.Member host and meeting producerOne week before the meetingA tested run sheet and support cues
5Let the member host lead within the agreement while the producer quietly manages access, time, conduct, safety and any issue requiring an authorised officer.Member host and meeting producerDuring the meetingA member-led meeting and issue log
6Debrief privately with the host, gather an accessible attendee pulse, close any permissions or concerns and record what support and format should be repeated.Program chair and member hostWithin five daysA host debrief and repeatable meeting note

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.
Collect only necessary data, state its purpose and retention, restrict access and provide a practical correction or withdrawal route.
The member is given responsibility without authority, budget, access support or a reliable fallback. — Use a written host agreement, named producer, realistic budget, staged approvals and private hand-back signals.
Selection favours confident, long-serving or professionally skilled members and reinforces existing status. — Publish fit criteria, invite varied formats, offer co-hosting and practical support, and monitor who receives opportunities.
Personal stories, third-party material or professional expertise are used beyond the host's intended scope. — Check privacy, rights and advice boundaries in advance and require specific permission for recording, quotation or later reuse.
An unsafe, discriminatory, political, grievance-based or otherwise unsuitable segment unfolds live. — Agree content boundaries, review higher-risk elements, retain an authorised meeting chair and use a rehearsed pause or transition process.
The club must retain responsibility for governance, safety, accessibility, privacy, complaints, finance and official decisions even when a member hosts the program.
The host must freely accept the role and may change, co-host or withdraw without penalty or loss of standing.
External speakers, regulated advice, identifiable stories, copyrighted material and recordings require the same approvals as any other club meeting.

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 Member-Hosted Meeting. Look for repeat participation, new connections across existing groups and members choosing to organise the next activity together.
Hosts drawn from varied tenures, backgrounds and preferred formats rather than the same confident speakers.
Each host confirming before and after the meeting that decisions, support, workload and withdrawal rights were clear.
Attendees reporting a useful different perspective and an accessible way to participate.
Content, rights, safety, privacy, conduct and technical issues closed before the format is repeated.

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

Member Host Proposal and Support Agreement

Give the member meaningful creative ownership with clear club responsibilities and safeguards.

Open supporting document
02

Member-Hosted Meeting Run Sheet

Turn the host's idea into a supported, accessible and time-controlled meeting.

Open supporting document
03

Host Debrief and Format Review

Learn from the host's experience without treating popularity as the only measure of success.

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

Content template

Use this worksheet to prepare clear messages and check the facts, permissions and approval before sharing them.

Open worksheet
02

Are we ready to try this?

Use this worksheet to decide whether a small first try is realistic and what the club must settle before it starts.

Open worksheet
03

Response tracker

Use this worksheet to note where things stand and choose a few useful signs that will help the club decide what to do next.

Open worksheet
04

Safety and approval check

Use this worksheet to notice problems early, make the idea safer and know who needs to say yes or help.

Open worksheet