Proposing a Candidate for Membership

If you are currently-Active member and are considering the proposal of friend or colleague for membership, please note the following in planning your proposal:

FIRST, you must be an Active member of the Club at the time of Proposal, not Honorary.  You will then be deemed a Sponsor;

SECOND, it is customary for the person being considered for membership to attend one or more Club meetings, as a guest of the potential Sponsor, in order to learn more about Rotary.  Strongly consider this process for introduction to Rotary and our Club, as it provides first-hand knowledge to the potential candidate for membership;

THIRD, if the potential candidate displays interest in membership and the ideals of Rotary, and you are interested in proposing that candidate for membership, you should then notify the Club's Membership Committee of the proposal who will then notify the Board of Directors.  For Rotary Year 2005-2006, the Chair of the Club's Membership Committee is  Frank McMeen .  Please note that it is traditional that a potential candidate for membership not be told he or she is being proposed for membership.

FOURTH, the Board of Directors has the responsibility of reviewing the qualifications of the potential candidate for membership, per the standardized by-law provisions for clubs as issued by Rotary International and in accordance with the principles of classification-based clubs.  The Board of Directors will then notify you, the Sponsor, of a decision to either approve or disapprove the potential candidate's membership for further action.  The period from the point of notification to the Membership Committee by the Sponsor to the point of action by the Board of Directors is typically thirty (30) days, though this may vary depending upon meeting schedules.

FIFTH, if an approval for further action on the proposed candidate is issued by the Board of Directors, the then-approved candidate for membership should then be fully informed of the  privileges, expectations and responsibilities  of becoming a Rotarian.  That approved candidate should then complete a  Proposal Form, and provide written permission for his or her name to be published along with his or her proposed classification.  If no objections to the proposal are received within seven (7) days of the required publication period, and the admission fee is paid, that approved candidate is then deemed a new Rotarian and the induction may be scheduled.

SIXTH, the induction of a new member should be a formal ceremony.  In the Rotary Club of Jackson, the new Rotarian is typically introduced to the members of the Club by you, the Sponsor.  The President of the club will then formally induct the member and place the official membership pin on that new Rotarian's lapel.  It is suggested by Rotary International that the spouse and/or children of the new Rotarian also attend this ceremony as Rotary is truly a family commitment to service.

This entire process could be accomplished in less than sixty (60) days, depending upon schedules.  If you have any questions about proposing a member of the community for membership, please contact  Club Secretary TOM AUD (TomAud@gmail.com) or any member of the  Membership Committee.