M-T1-PS-12 · A 90-day try-out

A club plan for Rotary History Story Project

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
M-T1-PS-12 · Rotary History Story Project
Theme
Theme 1: Attraction & Visibility · Subtheme PS: Public Storytelling
Source material
Existing checked Theme 1 guide
Linked playbook entry
M-T1-PS-12 · Rotary History Story Project

1. Is this worth trying here?

What we hope will change: Researches and interprets the club's local history through sourced records and oral accounts, connecting past service to present community learning.

2. Our 90-day try-out

What our club will do for Rotary History Story Project
StepWhat we will doWho could lead itOur dateHow we will know it is done
1Define the period and themes and identify whose perspectives are present, absent or contested.History Project Lead
2Catalogue sources, record provenance and verify dates, names, places and project claims.Research Coordinator
3Conduct consented oral-history interviews with clear choices about attribution, access and future reuse.Oral Historian
4Develop a balanced narrative that distinguishes documented fact, memory, interpretation and unresolved gaps.Historical Editor
5Publish an accessible story package and deposit approved records with a sustainable custodian.Archive Liaison

3. Checks before we start

Things our club needs to check
QuestionWhat it means for usWho will checkDone?
Record source provenance and do not present recollection as settled fact when accounts differ.
Observe copyright, donor restrictions, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocols and permissions for living people.
High — poor provenance, copyright assumptions or exclusionary history can cause lasting cultural and reputational harm.

4. What changed?

What we will keep an eye on
What mattersWhere we are nowWhat we hope to seeHow we will checkWho
Sources catalogued with provenance and access status

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.

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

Communications and content planner

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

Open worksheet
02

Workflow and minimum-data register

Use this worksheet to map each step and keep only the information the club genuinely needs.

Open worksheet