First step: 1. Get started on the right track with these key materials?
Satellite Club Member Information Form
Why do you even want to start a Satellite Club?
- Attract new members
- Attract younger professional members
- Establish another place for members to attend another club and do a makeup.
- Create a different type of club to satisfy needs of people who can’t attend a weekly meeting at the current club’s meeting time.
Some things to consider with your current club:
- Include the current membership in the decision making process.
- The club will need to look at their own bylaws and make appropriate changes needed to start a Satellite Club.
- You will need to setup a committee to work on this and need a person who will champion the project.
- You will need to inform the District Governor that your club is planning on starting a Satellite Club and make sure you have all the forms filled out to get both the District and RI information done to get the process started.
- Once you have established that you have eight people who are willing to become members you are well on the way to getting the club off the ground.
- Have a membership nomination form available at all new meetings with the group of people interested in joining.
- Get their opinions on the number of meetings to be held and the place and times of the meetings.
- Continue to have meetings even though you haven’t gotten full approval of the District and RI.
- Once you have approval, make an event out of it and invite the DG and AG and other members of the District to an event, establishing the new club.
- Have an induction ceremony for the charter members of the club to make it official. Maybe even giving the charter members a certificate of their new membership.
Setting up the Board and how the club is governed:
- The Satellite Club is governed by the Standard Rotary Club Constitution available on rotary.org.
- The Satellite club is a child of the Sponsoring Club or referred to as the Parent Club.
- All members of the Satellite Club are members of the Parent Club and all members of both clubs should be aware of this fact.
- The Parent Club shall provide oversight of the new Satellite club and give as much support as needed.
- Satellite Club Board has the governance over the day-to-day operations of the club and has a board in accordance with the new club’s bylaws. They elect their officers and board members as set forth in their bylaws. The Board and officers should work closely with the Board of the Parent Club.
Satellite Club Administration:
- The club will be assigned a club number by RI linked to the Sponsoring Club number.
- It will have its roster, leadership structure and club dues.
- At the present time the Sponsoring club will be billed for the RI dues by RI and the District dues by the District.
- Satellite members pay the same dues for RI and the District. The rest of their dues structure will be determined by the Satellite club with approval of the Parent Club.
- They may set their own dues as far as meal charges or any other factors are concerned again with approval of the Parent Club.
Research that has been done show that the largest membership losses as well as most club terminations, occur during the second year. A Satellite club that has the strong support of the Parent Club well into the second year has the greater chance of becoming a strong, self-sufficient, and productive club.
Satellite Clubs can become a stand-alone club with the approval of the Parent Club. If another club in the District has developed a Satellite Club, seek out advise from them.