A club with a view

Toronto Skyline club's informal vibe attracts young members

A band jams at the Hard Rock Cafe in Toronto, in a competition sponsored by
the Toronto Skyline Rotary club. The event raised funds for a water and
sanitation project in Cambodia. © 2013 David Anthony/Rotary Club of Toronto Skyline

 

Asked to describe the Rotary Club of Toronto Skyline in two words, Amber Anderson chooses "dynamic" and "participatory." Anderson's club, chartered in April 2012, embraces an informal style that is resonating with Toronto's young professionals. Launched with 25 members, the club finished 2013 with almost 40.

"So we make our events appeal to people like us," she says. Those events include the annual Toronto Wing Festival, a dart tournament for Rotary alums and Rotarians, and a battle of the bands held at the Hard Rock Cafe.

The club formed when several members of the Rotaract Club of Toronto turned 30 - aging out of Rotaract - and wanted to continue their connection to Rotary. Anderson and fellow charter member Kevin Quan visited area clubs but couldn't find the right fit. "We decided to start something new rather than force ourselves into a club," Quan says.

They spent about a year working to recruit – and retain – the required 25 members to charter a Rotary club. "We were very flexible in the beginning; we were never afraid to change things as we went along," Quan says. "That first year, we held our meetings at a new venue every week."

Testing different meeting spots gave the founders a good sense of what kind of setting worked best for the members. "We wanted a private space with a pub feel, not a hotel feel," Quan says. They settled on a downtown spot called The Office Pub. Instead of including the expense and formality of a meal in its meetings, the club charges members $5 a week, which covers a standing order of fries, nachos, and other appetizers.

 "We knew from reading The Rotarian and other Rotary materials that some clubs were experimenting with replacing one meeting with a hands-on service activity," Quan says.

The club tried that format, but members wanted a regular weekly meeting in addition to the opportunity to volunteer. The club now offers a standing time when members help staff the local food bank.

Quan says the club's first year went well, but retaining members has proved a challenge. "This year we are really focusing on follow-up," he says. "For new members, we have a sponsor who guides each of them, and is on them if they miss a meeting."

Quan also gets referrals from other Rotary clubs in the district. "We hosted a darts night and encouraged all clubs in the district to send someone - a son or daughter, an ex-Rotaractor - to check us out. A lot of other clubs know they aren't doing well with younger members and don't mind referring them to our club."

Anyone who joins can participate in the club's unconventional induction ceremony: "Our president, the new member, and sponsor do a shot [of liquor]," Anderson says.

from the Rotary Leader