Redistricting

 

 

AUTHORITY: Rotary Internationals Code of Policies (17.010.5. Districting Procedures) in accordance with RI Bylaws (Section 16.010) allows the Board to eliminate or change the boundaries of any District with more than 100 clubs or fewer than 1,100 Rotarians and in conjunction with any such change, the Board may move the Clubs from such Districts into adjacent Districts. The Board also may merge such Districts with other Districts or divide the Districts.
BACKGROUND: Historic membership records indicate that due to membership numbers, several Districts within Australia are vulnerable in the future. These Districts may be our neighbouring Rotarians today, it may be our own District in the near future.

ACTION: Rotary International Director Noel Trevaskis, assembled affected (real and potential) District leaders in December 2016 at Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane—briefing all, on the situation.
Further information was provided at the Rotary Institute in Darwin prior to a gathering of all east coast ‘G Train’ members in October 2017. At this meeting the members amiably reached an agreement on ’redistricting’, deemed beneficial to all, to carry us into a meaningful 10-15 year development.

Further meetings will be held with a ’Strategic Planning’ team, of qualified persons, selected from various Districts within Australia.
OPTION: In the event that Districts are unable to meet a consensus, Rotary International has the right to tell us how we will be redistricted.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US?
 We have the opportunity to determine our own destiny
 Your club WILL NOT change
 District fees should remain stable for a longer period
 Your District boundaries WILL change
 We will see some changes in our District programs
 New leaders
 New expanded opportunities with possible new programs
 There WILL be different District leadership opportunity
 Training can be bigger and better
 Conference opportunities — new venues, new thoughts, bigger audience

This is an exciting opportunity to support our elected leaders and combine with a neighbouring District because WE want to. We have been given the opportunity to make a decision and determine our future—or sit back and be told who we will be, when it will happen and where our boundaries will be.
We already know the WHY!.

 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

 

Q. How will redistricting affect my annual dues?
A. With more members in your District—the District revenue and finances are increased. The strength-ening of the District finances could result in resistant to adverse shift.

 

Q. Do we get a say in whether we accept redistricting
A. Through correct governance, the District Governor of an existing district may communicate a proposal to all clubs in the District to carefully consider the proposal for vote by the majority of club members. Clubs have 30 days from receipt of the proposal to object.

Q. What if, we reject the model? (N.B. applies to affected Districts only)
A. When a District consolidation proposal fails because a majority of clubs in the affected District(s) objected within 30 days of receiving the proposal, the Board may take action including but not limited to placing Rotary clubs into non-districted status, reducing the Governor’s allocation in the District, and not providing funding to send a district’s representative to the Council on Legislation.

 

Q. If we agreed, when would ‘redistricting’ take place?
A. 1 July 2021—unless an earlier date is agreed upon. Districts may waive the provisions of the RI By-laws that provide that changes to District boundaries shall not be effective for at least two years.

Q. Our District is already huge—how will a DG get around to clubs if its size and number of Clubs are increased?
A. A ’Strategic Planning’ team of suitably qualified persons has been selected from various Districts within Australia to assist. We have the option of using current technology, or, investigating the use of Regional Governors, or the like.

Q. What impact will it have on our annual District Conference?
A. With increased members and more major towns/cities it will open up opportunity for increased friendships and receptive visits within your State. With a new national Conference, opportunity exists to streamline District Conferences into affordable events.

Q. Where will our District training and development programs be held?
A. That will be the decision of the elected District leaders of the day; there maybe one large session or several throughout the District.

 

Q. What impact will redistricting have on our District youth programs e.g. YEP, RYLA?
A. You will now have a larger source of youth talent and Alumni to draw from, flexibility in training venues, and the opportunity to duplicate programs through the year in different areas.

Q. How will our District governor be elected?
A. All qualified members throughout the District will have the same fair opportunity as is now practiced in each District.

Q. What are Regional Governors?
A. This is a possible role under consideration; no final job description has been created due to the early stage of proposals. Any such role would be a District appointment, and numbers, determined as per District requirements.

Q. How many Districts leaders are aware of, and have supported
this proposal?
A. In October 2017, the current District Governors, District Governor Elects and District Governor Nominees from 8 Districts, within NSW and Queensland, emphatically and constructively challenged, debated and developed the current proposals, with the guidance of RI Director Noel Trevaskis and RI staff Andrew Best and Barbara Miffsud.