Your Guest Speaker Program
Your Guest Speaker program
Overview
The program for the Club weekly meetings and other activities is extremely important and requires a lot of planning, innovation and imagination. The program chairman must liaise with all directors and committee chairmen to ensure a balanced and interesting program which covers the five Avenues of Service, projects and activities of the Club for the year as well as informing members on current issues of vocational and international interest to them.
An interesting and balanced program will entice members to want to come to meetings. Not every meeting has to be a 'traditional' Rotary meeting. Vary your meetings with visits to interesting or unusual places.
The following will provide you with ideas for an interesting and balanced program.
Planning your Program
Begin planning your program with the whole year in mind. District dates and also a blank grid are provided for your reference and use.
- The special months will be a guide to possible activities e.g. April is Magazine Month. Invite a guest speaker from Rotary Down Under or plan a visit to RDU House in Parramatta
- Enter all the set functions and events eg changeovers, conference
- As soon as possible enter in public holidays, awards nights, Club assemblies, Club forums, Boatrd meetings, and other special meetings
Organising Guest Speakers
A program needs to be balanced and contain a variety of speakers who are inspirational and practical.
- Use your connections when looking for a guest speaker, don't go it alone. People will be more receptive to speaking when they are approached by someone they know
- The expectations of speakers from charities need careful management - your members may not react well if they feel they are being "put on the spot"
- Book your guest speakers months in advance
- Confirm the booking in writing on Club letterhead
- Confirm arrangements
- Publicise your meeting program in advance
- Liaise with the roster person
- Look after the Guest Speaker
- Introducing The Guest Speaker
- Arrange for someone to help the speaker pack up etc
- Help them to feel that they would like to come back
- Follow-up after the meeting
Suggested Guest Speakers
Interesting and unusual Guest Speakers can be sourced from radio interviews, newspaper articles and other Rotary Clubs. Local newspapers can be a rich source of leads. The District Secretary and/or your Assistant Governor also have access to a list of interesting speakers compiled from information supplied by other Rotary Clubs over the last few years.
Another good source of outstanding Guest Speakers is Margaret Gee's "Australian Celebrity Contact Book" (www.mgeecelebrity.com.au). Note that many of these celebrities may request a speaking fee. Do not agree to any such fee unless you have the approval of the Board.
- Involve the media by sending out a notice indicating Speaker event, noting subject and speaker
- Send a report following the event to local press and include pictures.