District Governor Support Equals Success for RLI Programs

As we approach the 2011-2012 Rotary year beginning July 1st, we all have high expectations for the success of RLI. Incoming District Governors are the active ingredient in the success or lack of success of our programs in most districts. If District Governors are participants in the program and value the concepts of leadership development, they can foster appreciation for the program in the club members. District Governors Elect find the RLI spring-meeting-schedule can be utilized to complement the PETS program in the leadership training cycle for President Elects. President Elects who attend RLI meetings in addition to the PETS program are fortified with Rotary knowledge and networking opportunities that will prepare them for the year ahead. Member districts of RLI show their support with their yearly dues payments. Some districts show additional committment by budgeting funds for club members who otherwise might not attend. Investing in leadership development in this way results in membership retention and prepared leaders in the Rotary clubs for years to come.

The Potential Impact of RLI on Deaf Rotarians

The Rotary Leadership Institute continues to have world-wide appeal to Rotarians across the globe. District leadership in District 7120 have reached out to try to include deaf Rotarians from the Rochester Deaf Rotary Club in the RLI experience. For many years incoming President Elects from this unique Rotary Club have attended the day and a half sessions at Multi-District PETS held in upstate New York. Last month at the PETS lunch table we had a three-way discussion among the deaf Rotarians, a certified interpreter and interested Rotarians. The interpreter explained how video conferencing called IP Video Relay Service (IP-VRS) can reduce the costs of leadership training for this limited population of Rotarians. Such a proposed version of RLI would use the existing curriculum that all Rotarians currently use . The preparation on the part of the RLI facilitators would be extraordinary and designed to appeal to deaf Rotarians.
Using video conferencing this way would allow for other deaf Rotarians to participate in RLI. Imagine hearing about leadership development from the point-of-view of deaf Rotarians!

Lasting Impressions Made By Faculty At RLI

When evaluating the impact of Rotary Leadership Institute we want to acknowledge the important part forged by the facilitators. As we review the evaluation/suggestion forms at the end of the meetings, the participants like to name the facilitators that stand out for their facilitation techniques. The Faculty can make a lasting impression on the attendees. The impression left by certain skilled facilitators can motivate the learners to come back to RLI sessions year after year. These stalwart Volunteer/Faculty come to the event the Friday night dinner ready to give real meaning to the slogan service above self. Saturday morning they arrive early ready to get started with the proceedings of the day. Their professionalism and dedication are extremely important to the success of the Rotary Leadership Institute now and going forward. We are thankful to have them on our team.

Leadership Development: Your Guide to Starting a Program

A handbook published by RI (250EN) to groom future club officers and enhance their professional lives is available online. Here are the guidelines for creating a leadership development program in a Rotary club: (communication skills, goal setting, accountability, leadership styles, ethics and mentoring) If these guidelines look familiar-they are elaborated on in detail every spring and fall semester at the Saturday RLI events. These guidelines from the Leadership Development Handbook for Clubs could serve as a preparatory step to advancing club members into the RLI forum for interaction across Rotary districts. Examine the handbook at http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/250.pdf