Baseball teams have hitters. New and developing hitters know the rules but need learning and coaching to achieve best results. Rules say hit the ball with the bat. Coaching helps new hitters hold the bat at the skinny end for best results and seasoned hitters to improve their stance at the plate. Rotary clubs have hitters also. Who teaches and coaches hitters on your Rotary club team to properly use our bats – like our Foundation, our RI image, our amazing Club Central support system? There is a district training committee, but what about at the club level?
Most Rotary clubs don’t have a club trainer. They count on regular learning events sponsored by the District Training Committee. District 5400 has events such as PETS, leadership forums, Foundation and grants training and more. Can learning from these events and from Rotary International sources be shared better?
An idea the District 5400 Training Committee would like clubs to try out is to appoint an informal Rotary Coach who could give learning reminders or share some fresh information at most club meetings. A person well qualified for this role is the immediate past president or recent past president. This person knows all members, is well versed in Rotary principles and inspirational stories. The Rotary Club Coach can help your hitters to have easier and more effective tools and methods for their club jobs. The club coach can relate short learning moments, add some learning fun to Sergeant at Arms time, and assess club hitter knowledge with important questions.
The District Training Committee is preparing a PDF file of key Rotary learning links, sources of information and a list of suggested club learning coach activities. We’ll send this to club Presidents and ask that a learning coach be identified to interface with the District Training Committee. As a sample learning quiz question, what is the cover story of the latest Rotarian magazine?