The change of the Zone 22 boundaries is an opportunity for the districts in the zone to assess how they deliver training programs. In particular it is an opening for the sixteen districts in the new Zone 24 to review how training is offered to club presidents elect and it is an appropriate time to consider a new vision for the Presidents Elect Training Seminar (PETS).The zone boundary change is an occasion to discuss a model for a series of multi-district PETS across Zone 22, the new Zone 24. This is a time for district leaders to accept risk and to implement major reform of PETS across the zone. It is the responsibility of Rotary leaders to seize opportunity when it is presented. This is an opening for a significant advance in the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of how PETS is offered to club presidents.
In the United States nearly 80% of all Rotary clubs send their president elect to multi-district PETS. This compares to less than 50% in Canada. The majority of districts in Zone 22, who participate in multi-district PETS, send their president’s to a seminar outside of Zone 22. There is only one multi-district PETS held in Zone 22 and that is the three district PETS in the Toronto area offered by Districts 7070, 7080 and 7090.
A possible grouping of multi-district PETS for Zone 22 (24) could be:
• West Coast PETS – District 5010, 5040, 5050 and 5060
• Prairie PETS – Districts 5360, 5370 and 5550
• Central PETS – Districts 6330, 7010, 7070, 7080, and 7090
• Laurentides/Atlantic PETS – 7040, 7790, 7810 and 7820
What are the advantages of multi-district PETS vs. a single district PETS? Multi-district PETS offer economies of scale in the organization of the annual PETS. This includes central registration, more leverage in booking venues, and opportunities for high profile speakers. Multi-district PETS draw senior Rotary leaders as speakers. The RI president, president elect, RI Directors and Foundation Trustees attend multi-district PETS more frequently due to the audience size.
Multi-district PETS ensure greater exchange of opinions, views and ideas between president elects from different districts related to service projects, fundraising initiatives and club organization. There are expanded opportunities for fellowship and planning for cross district service projects.
There are also significant advantages in PETS being held in the zone vs. club presidents participating in PETS outside of their zone. Regional issues can be covered more adeptly when the clubs are all from the same zone. This is particularly important in the new Zone 24. Issues such as the difference in liability insurance between US and Canadian Rotary clubs, The Rotary Foundation Canada (TRF Canada) and Canadian Rotary Collaboration for International Development (CRCID) are better covered when all the presidents are from the same zone. These issues can be included on the PETS curriculum and president elects assigned to group discussions where appropriate by country. For some regions there is a need for translation of PETS presentations and for breakout groups based on language preference. These needs are met best by multi-district PETS.
A further advantage of a series of multi-district PETS in Zone 22 (24) is the leadership opportunities for past RI officers in the zone. Multi-district PETS are able to draw on the best presenters and facilitators from several districts. This encourages the development of future senior Rotary leaders in the zone.
When presidents are sent out of the zone for PETS, the zone leaders selected as presenters are often not the team that works with the clubs attending PETS. This includes the Zone Membership and Foundation coordinators and other taskforce and zone resource coordinators. By attending PETS in Zone 22 (24) presidents will meet the zone coordinators that work with their district rather than a coordinator from another zone. The zone coordinators are familiar with regional issues in the districts and are knowledgeable about multi-district projects and initiatives that may be underway.
All multi-district PETS include break out sessions by district and often by club size. All of the 25 multi-district PETS in the US conduct annual evaluations of their training. The president elects rate hearing and meeting senior Rotary leaders and the interaction with Rotarians from other districts as two of the most important aspects of attending PETS.
One of the common arguments in Zone 22 against multi-district PETS is the potential for higher transportation costs for presidents elect. These costs can be mitigated by moving the location of PETS around the participating districts over a three or four year cycle. For some clubs the cost of attending multi-district PETS in Zone 22 (24) will be lower than the current costs of participating in multi-district PETS outside of the zone.
Achieving “value for money” must be a consideration in the planning processes for multi-district PETS and should be considered and documented as part of the justification for a new model of PETS. Cost is not the only determining factor in assessing value for money. The quality of the education offered to the club presidents ought to be measured in relation to cost. Each district should decide what is the most effective method to train club presidents. Cost is only one factor. Rotary clubs will accept higher costs if the worth of the training is appreciably improved.
This is an opportune time for Zone 22 (24) districts that currently participate in multi-district PETS outside of the zone to step back and ask if they should join a multi-district PETS in the new zone. In some cases the current multi-district PETS cannot accommodate changes proposed by Governors Elect such as accommodating additional participants; the president elect’s partner or spouse, presidents nominee or additional members of the district leadership team. A new model of a multi-district PETS allows the development of new forms of PETS operating or management committees using the best examples from across the Rotary world as models. The DGE must retain responsibility and accountability for PETS in a single or multi district approach.
The flawed response to the idea of multi-district PETS would be to dismiss the proposal as not workable without either trying a multi-district PETS or at minimum debating and evaluating the pros and cons. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the slogan of the complacent and the overconfident. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to do nothing. Rotary leaders take proactive steps to implement change and to improve the education of club presidents. They do not dismiss proposals for change without discussion.
In his autobiography, My Road to Rotary, Paul Harris said, “We need men of microscopic visions who will explore the molecules, atoms, and electrons, but we also need men of telescopic vision who will explore the stars.”
The change in zone boundaries is an opportunity for the sixteen districts of the new Zone 24 to build an innovative approach to the education of club presidents. This is a time for Rotary leaders willing to take a risk and ask if there is a better model of how PETS is delivered in their district. It is not a time for the status quo and steady as she goes.
Contact Chris Offer at ChrisOffer@dccnet.com or 604-940-9365
Further information is available at the Multi-district PETS Alliance website at: http://www.petsalliance.org/
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