Harriett H. Schloer, PHF, Major Donor, Bequest Society

Chair: District 5110 PolioPlus Committee (2009-2012)
Member: 2010 Rotary International Convention Promotion Committee (Montreal)
Email: in2dtp@empnet.com
Member: Rotary Club of Bend High Desert Bend, Oregon (USA) District 5110
Executive Secretary: Rotarian Action Group for Blindness Prevention
Executive Secretary: International Fellowship of Rotarian Convention Goers

From the time of the CICO, DICO, to CLUB & District’s Administration, E-Clubs, Clubs and District web sites to Rotary eTraining, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter social networking groups, how has the Rotary World improved its presence and efforts to accomplish Rotary’s Ideal?

In 1999 when PRIP Frank Devlyn decided that he wanted to have a “presence” on the Internet and asked me to develop that presence for him, I knew that Rotary was about to change forever. He was the first RI President to have his own web site and to use that web site for worldwide communications purposes. It was something that Rotary had never done before. Frank adopted the model that I had developed for Rotary District 5110 several years earlier and used it to communicate with all of his governors, task force members, and DICO’s on a weekly basis. The impact was extraordinary. For the first time, club and district leaders were updated electronically on a weekly basis.

Frank’s goal was to be able to communicate quickly and effectively everything that he wanted to impart to his worldwide team and do it in a manner that would also give him “feedback”. Everything that was communicated was also posted on his web site as was the feedback he received thereby providing constant updates to his web site content and information to his team members. This was something new for Rotary and it had its “challenges” as they were not used to handling this type of “current” information. However, the communications methods that were put in place during the 2000-2001 Rotary year eventually led to the following: the Rotary Member Access Portal, Online Forums for DGs and DGEs; Online Registration for meetings such as the RI Convention; an Online Rotary store; RI publications being posted to the RI web site in PDF format for download; daily updates on the Council on Legislation actions; online training modules (ie: like the “RI University Training” that was implemented during the 2000-2001 year); weekly updates from RI via email on the RI web site, membership, Public Relations, The Rotary Foundation, Future Vision, etc., and finally the social networking groups like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Frank Devlyn is often identified as the “Technology President” for Rotary International. What I do know is that his passion for technology more than likely moved Rotary International more quickly into the “electronic age” than they would have if they had not had a leader with a passion for technology who also believed that this means of communication and providing information would be the key to Rotary “thriving” not merely “surviving” during its second hundred years.

What could you tell us about the potential of Interactive communication on the Internet among Rotarians?

Today, we are seeing Rotary becoming increasingly involved at all levels (International, District, and Club) with the social networking groups that they are participating in. Entities such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter provide the opportunity for “younger” generation Rotarians to communicate and keep informed on everything that is of interest to them. If they are subscribers to any or all of the above networks, they will become directly involved in the communications as they occur and they will also be able to provide responses to these communications that others in the network will receive. Are these types of networks beneficial to Rotary? Only time will tell. If, by participating in these networks Rotarians stay in Rotary longer, have better attendance, contribute to The Rotary Foundation, participate in projects, support Polio Eradication, etc. then they will most assuredly be of benefit to Rotary. If through the use of these social networks participating Rotarians share ideas and discuss matters that increase the humanitarian works of Rotary, then this, too, will benefit Rotary. If these networks draw younger members to our organization that will in time grow our membership and it will be membership that is ready for the future and not rooted in the past, then this will benefit Rotary. Communication has many facts but open, online communication can be powerful and a strong benefit to Rotary . . . as long as it is managed effectively and with wisdom, understanding, and great latitude in terms of online social networks.

Could you say that Rotarians are potential digital writers on Internet?

I’m not quite sure what you mean by potential “digital writers”. To me, the term “writer” means an individual that sets out, with purpose, to “write” a document, essay, op-ed, etc. on a specific topic (hopefully related to Rotary) and then publish that “document” on the Internet. My Rotary Classification is “Electronic Publishing”. What does that mean? It means that I develop web sites for the primary purpose of “publishing” information to the web site that will be valuable to the group / organization that has posted the web site. This is the means of “digital” communications (written communications) that these entities have chosen to distribute their information. They choose to do it digitally / electronically as opposed to publishing it in the standard printed format. I believe that anyone can produce information of this type and produce it digitally. However, determining how Rotary can do this is another thing. At the International level, all such digital writing is handled by the RI staff. At the district level, it is handled by webmasters, newsletter editors who have their work published electronically, and others who have the ability to update digital information on district web sites; at the club level it is handled just as it is at the district . . . only on a local basis. The bottom line is that at each level of Rotary, “digital writers” are producing what is needed on the entities web sites and this will only continue to grow in the future.

Do you believe that on the Internet there is more writing instead of a better writing? If so, what could you recommend to discover the art of writing in digital times?

Writing on the Internet (in relation to Rotary) is currently assigned to RI Staff at the International level; to District Webmasters, Asst. Webmasters, and other designated individuals at the district level and to similar individuals at the club level. Except for the RI web site, the overwhelming number of people who “write” for the Rotary Internet are not “trained” writers. They have had little (if any) experience in “creative writing”, do not understand composition or even the “who, what, why, where, or when” of telling the story. Most of what is published is a story, but when the basics are not covered, it is not a good story. Rotary does not offer any tools other than the “RI Visual Identity Guide” (547-EN) to assist clubs and districts in their “writing” communications. However, even this “guide” is more geared to following the Manual of Procedure section on the “Rotary Marks” than it is in developing good writing skills.

If an individual is to become responsible for digital writing (on the Internet), they must first become proficient in GOOD BASIC WRITING SKILLS. These can be taught at any local community college and there are also online courses available in this subject which can be located by a good online search.

Writing is not an “art” per se, however, all of us have experienced very poor writing and even the most basic of skills can provide an individual with enough good tools to produce a minimum “readable” digital document.

What is new on Internet for Rotarians?

Asking what is “new” on the Internet is like asking what color was the sky at sunset five minutes ago. The Internet is changing geometrically each and every day. I have stopped trying to keep up with everything . . . it is simply not possible to do this and still have a life outside of Rotary and the Internet. Instead, I recommend that individuals determine what is important to them in terms of keeping current, such as: Rotary, business applications, travel, communications, etc. Finding one or two web sites that track new information in the areas that are of particular value to you will make it easier to stay on top of the latest info on the Internet. Google, Bing, and Yahoo are probably the best resources. Do a search, bookmark the search and repeat it each week. In this way, you’ll know what’s new before it is published in the latest computer magazine.

Do you agree that Internet is a platform to enhance Rotary at Media?

I’m not sure that I would say that the Internet “enhances” Rotary Media. As more and more Rotary videos have been posted to YouTube, I find that I am truly disappointed in the quality of the products that are being posted. Granted, I understand that said media has to be in low enough resolution to be downloadable and streamed from the Internet, but the quality tends to be such that I feel it is a poor representation of what we should be providing to the public. The media posted to the RI web site is much better. I believe that the web is a tremendous “vehicle” to showcase Rotary media and that it is important that we use this media, but I do not believe that media on the Internet, in less than broadband format, is a good representation of what we, as an organization, can provide to the general public.

If so, do you believe on what can be sized, can be optimized at Rotarian Tech. Communications?

I really can’t answer this on a technical level. Video is not my area of expertise. Even though I use video on the web sites I manage, I use so many tools to make these available that I do not have the underlying expertise to be able to produce an online product that will be of superior quality and still be able to be viewed by any Rotarian connecting at any speed.

Does Rotarian Internet can give additional value and generate conceptual clicks to our work?

I believe you are asking if the Rotary web site is of value to promoting ROTI’s work on the Internet. Unfortunately, I believe that ROTI is like all other Fellowships and RAGS when it comes to Rotary International’s “promotion” of their work. We have a listing on the RI web site and on occasion, there is mention of an organization’s work in the RI weekly update, but overall, we (fellowships and RAGS) need to promote our work on our own. Participating in conventions (which can be costly), being participants in Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and communicating with districts and clubs (within the guidelines of the RI Manual of Procedure) are still our primary avenue of getting out our message of service and showing our members we can provide to them. It is an ongoing “challenge” that only time and creative marketing can overcome.

A special message from you to Rotarians On The Internet?

I am honored to have been asked to submit this “interview” to ROTI. I am privileged to have many of your members as dear friends and Rotary associates. ROTI is a groundbreaking organization in terms of fellowships. When the rest of the Rotary world was still trying to understand what the “Internet” was, your organization and your members showed the possibilities to a Rotarian who paved the way to change Rotary forever. That ROTI member was John Buchanan and that Rotarian was RI President Nominee Frank J. Devlyn. The rest is history. I’ve now worked for Frank Devlyn for ten years and during that time we have all watched Rotary grow in its technology development and its presence on the Internet and we’ve watched Frank Devlyn grow and adapt with the times. Today, “The Future of Rotary is in OUR Hands” and with guiding lights like ROTI and PRIP Frank Devlyn . . . Rotary’s future has a light that is very bright which all of us can follow.

My sincere thanks to all of you for all that you do . . . . please don’t stop. Rotary owes you a great deal and you should be proud of what you have helped Rotary to accomplish. It is through the ideas presented in the past 10 years from all of us, that Rotary has become the organization that it is today. It is still “evolving” and it still has a long, long way to go. But, it is moving FORWARD and that, more than anything is the most important thing.

Thank you for all you do for Rotary.