AWARENESS MONTH WAS JANUARY
February 2013
Do your friends and co-workers know that you're a Rotarian? Do you tell acquaintances about your club's good works in the community or internationally? According to a public image survey commissioned by Rotary International in 2010, people are much more likely to know about Rotary and perceive it positively as a charitable organization if they personally know a Rotarian. The finding is just one of many that could shape how clubs and districts promote Rotary in their communities.
RI commissioned the survey of 1,000 individuals in each of six countries -- Argentina, Australia, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and the United States -- to gauge the general public's awareness and perception of the organization. The results are consistent with those of a similar survey conducted in 2006: While respondents had heard of Rotary, they did not know much about what it does.
High awareness, low familiarity: The survey showed that awareness of Rotary varies from country to country, and culture to culture. Of the six countries surveyed, Australia had the highest proportion of respondents who said they were aware of Rotary (95 percent), while Germany had the lowest (34 percent).
But awareness of Rotary doesn't necessarily translate into familiarity with what it does. While almost everyone in Australia indicated an awareness of Rotary, only 35 percent of respondents said they had some familiarity with the organization. In South Africa, where 80 percent of respondents indicated they were aware of Rotary, only 23 percent said they had some familiarity with what it does.
The survey report concluded that boosting awareness alone is not enough for the public to readily associate Rotary with good works, or to generate greater community involvement.
Public perception and giving: The public’s view of Rotarians differs somewhat from how Rotarians see themselves. More than 65 percent of respondents viewed Rotarians as charitable, respected, and caring. But only 26 percent selected the attribute women to describe Rotary, while more than 50 percent associated the organization with men. In other questions, more respondents said they associated club membership with men than with women. The survey concluded that Rotary is still being seen as a male-dominated organization. Work needs to be directed toward communicating opportunities for women to join.
Interest in contributing time or money to a Rotary club varies by nation. Interest was highest in South Africa, at 49 percent, and lowest in Japan, at 10 percent.
The public’s interest in joining a Rotary club is low. Among the countries surveyed, an average of only 16 percent of respondents said they would be likely to join a local Rotary club. More than 59 percent said they would be unlikely to join. In the United States, women were half as likely as men to report interest in joining.
Similar findings:
Similar findings came from focus groups that RI conducted between 2008 and 2010. The 40 groups included non-Rotarians in cities where Rotary had been experiencing membership declines.
In as much as each Rotary club is independent in deciding what services they want to be involved in, Rotary can cause mixed impressions in the communities about what we do.
These surveys underscore the importance of having a consistent message throughout the world but equally as importantly through the club’s Public Relations Chair person.
The 1.2 million Rotary club members worldwide are most certainly the organization's greatest strength.
Williams Lake Community Policing
Williams Lake Community Policing have implemented a new Youth Volunteer program for Citizens on Patrol.
At the present time there are four young people involved, age 17, students from “GROW”, intent on gaining their high school graduation.
The program involves youth from 16 to 19, those interested in policing or the military as future career paths.
They are regular members of the Citizens on Patrol program; observing, recording, and reporting suspicious activities.
They are learning leadership skills, new life skills and gaining new outlooks on what they want to do with their lives.
They maintain a regular police notebook and learn communication skills, having regular contact with RCMP members during their duties.
All have been accepted into the RCMP Youth Academy where they will attend for a week, during spring school break, and be “put through the paces”.
In preparation, the group attends gym during the school week.
These youth have their first aid certificates and have taken the fire suppression course.
They are very eager and energetic.
They have worked security for school dances, the Santa Parade and Halloween Fireworks.
They have performed speed watch duties, school patrols and make regular patrols around city streets and parks dealing with areas of concern or requiring greater attention.
The schools are very supportive of the program.
These youth, despite their background, are learning skills that will help them no matter what they do in future.
Citizens On Patrol are looking for other Youth to become involved in the program, so if you know of anyone that may be interested have them contact either Bob McIntosh or Dave Dickson.
They will be required to be at minimum age 16 and obtain a criminal record check.
Bob McIntosh
AUTOMOBILE TECHNOLOGY Gone are the days when a radio and cloth seats are optional features.
Today’s hi-tech options include heated-seat-massage, hands-free lift gate, automatic parallel parking and lane-keeping control.
The ever-increasing list of standard equipment is hard to fathom compared to thirty years ago when I was working at my dad’s dealership.
The NHTSA is proposing new regulations to mandate back-up cameras in 100 percent of new vehicles by 2014.
I’m sure we’ll hear ripples of discontent similar to the past era that ushered in mandatory seat belts.
One thread contributor spouts off, “Lazy f@$&s. Use your mirrors.”
I suppose one could respond, “Lazy person, use your horse (or your own two feet)!!!”
Welcome to the technological age of the automobile.
Lane Keeping Control: Driver fatigue is a present problem on today’s roads. Ford’s Lane-Keeping System can help. The feature can alert an unaware driver, during day or night, if their vehicle is leaving its intended lane.
Using a forward-facing camera, Lane-Keeping System alerts the driver by sending vibration pulses to the steering wheel when unintentional lane departure is detected or by providing steering torque to help direct the vehicle back into its lane when unintentional lane departure is detected.
Technologies just around the corner:
1. Cars That Communicate with Each Other and the Road
Ford is developing technology called Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication, or
V2V, which communicates information to the cars around it in order to provide information on how to keep the vehicles safe distances from each other.
For example, your car would know when another vehicle was running a red light and warn or respond accordingly.
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communication, or
V2I, is being tested as well.
V2I would allow vehicles to communicate with things like road signs or traffic signals and provide information to the vehicle about safety issues.
2. Airbags That Help Stop Cars
Mercedes is experimenting with airbags that deploy from underneath the car that will help stop a vehicle before a crash. The airbags deploy when sensors determine that at impact is inevitable. The bags have a friction coating that helps slow the car down and can double the stopping power of the vehicle.
3. Energy-storing Body Panels
In Europe, a group of nine auto manufacturers are currently researching and testing body panels that can store energy and charge faster than conventional batteries for the growing hybrid/electric automotive market.
Toyota is also researching body panels that would actually capture solar energy and store it in a lightweight panel.
Safe and Enjoyable Travels to All! Past President Bevan Koch
Club Members
Angela Ammann Lawyer
Mike Austin Investments
Wade Beaulieu Insurance
Willy Berger Real Estate
Jack Burgar Retired
Jay Cheek Accountant
Walt Cobb Renovations
Dan Derksen Eye Care
Dave Dickson Community
Doug Dodge Surveyor
Lorne Doerksen Auto Sales
Keith Dufresne Forestry
Karen Eden CFDC
Nancy Giesbrecht TRU
Brian Goodrich Computing
Don Goodrich Surveyor
John Hack Computing
David Hall Investments
Martin Hamm Retired
Tom Hoffman Forestry
Glen Holling Real Estate
Denise Ivens Banking
Cameron Johnston Ministry
Randy Kadonaga Ministry
Bevan Koch Auto Sales
Chris McGuire Equipment
Bob McIntosh Retired
Ed Mead Retired
Ed Novakowski Retired
Darrell Orosz Forestry
Bob Piderman Investments
Dave Polak Auto Sales
Ray Sanders TRU Director
Linda Symynuk Tea House
Keith Tjosvold HVAC
Scott Tucker Hardware
Betty Turatus TRU
Don Urquhart Printing
Rod Voth Construction
Guenter Weckerle Lumber
Irene Willsie Womens Care
Uli Wittal Foods
Glenn Woods Retired
Corry Wowk Office Eqpt
Telling your OWN Rotary story.
Our President, at the start of a recent meeting, handed two totally unprepared members an RI Public Relations card “Telling your OWN Rotary story” and asked those two members to tell their own story about their involvement in Rotary.
Aside from being on the paying end to our Sergeant at Arms, our President was making a very good point.
“What caused you to join the Rotary organization, why did you stay and what does it mean to you”?
Rotary, for many years, did not tell its story.
In fact it was not until the late 1980s that Rotary started explaining what we do, and only in recent years did Rotary consider a public relations committee.
For such a vast organization with clubs and Rotary friends all around the world one would think that Rotary would have been more vocal many years ago.
Some of us can recall times our club accomplished great things for the benefit of our community, for a humanitarian cause, for youth, for literacy such as our recent Library project and our efforts to support education.
Not many years ago we would have hidden our efforts.
That was the practice years ago. How silly it seems today.
Rotary’s focus worldwide is about peace and conflict resolution; disease prevention; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. In Williams Lake Rotary is active in all these areas under the banner of Service above Self. The more people who know and understand the more sincere help and partnerships we have. We should tell everyone & invite them into our projects.
Glen Holling
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