AND FINALLY

It’s 6.15am on a damp Saturday morning with one of the first London-bound trains easing out of Portsmouth Harbour station.

Destination is the Rotary International Presidential Peace Conference at the International Maritime Organisation on the banks of the River Thames.

RI President Gordon McInally will be there along with a stellar cast of speakers including the Lord Mayor of London, Michael Mainelli and the former Government minister, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who served in the cabinets of Prime Ministers’ Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

And in a busy eight-hour programme carrying the theme “to promote & strengthen positive peace to create hope in the world”, there are no fewer than a dozen speakers – some familiar, others not so.

So, what’s the point of writing an article BEFORE the event, rather than reflecting afterwards? Because my theme is cost.

The cost for attending the London Peace Conference is £70, the same figure as a three-course meal and awards evening held last night at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in Holborn.

Now this is no criticism of the organisers because that’s the going rate for hosting an event in one of the most expensive cities in the world. And without sponsorship, this conference is entirely self-funding.

More than 650 delegates from 50 countries around the world will be there including Rotaractors and schoolchildren which is a smart move.

An email popped into my inbox yesterday with details of the Action Summit in Newcastle this November which, to be fair, you’re not going to get much change out of £500 for your weekend on the Tyne.

However, I will be there in Newcastle this November. Why? Because besides being an amazingly friendly and picturesque city, I know what is going to be delivered will be value to my Rotary journey. And I know many other Rotarians will agree with its location serving the five countries well within Great Britain & Ireland.

Rotary International Director, Eve Conway, and the team involved, put on a first-class Action Summit in Manchester last autumn which attracted Rotarians from across Europe, plus speakers from across the world. The bar has been set high.

We make our financial choices based on what we can and can’t afford, decision which are ultimately – and selfishly based - on value and personal expectations.

By the way, what about the Rotary International Convention in Singapore this May, with a registration fee of between $450 and $695 for starters, before you get into the $100 lunches, and the $200 a night accommodation!

A few years back at the RI convention in Hamburg, some Rotaractors justifiably questioned how other Rotaractors and even Rotarians could afford to attend these global jamborees with these eye-watering costs. Interestingly, they asked why there has never been an RI convention in Africa.

As we look to grow Rotary, to make it more inclusive and more accessible, then we must be very careful with cost. Of course, there must be value, and we also have to be mindful of the quality too; good speakers, good venue, good atmosphere.

I have long advocated to continue the tradition of annual national Rotary conferences where we come together as one. It’s a surefire way to recharge that Rotary mojo, which will happen for me in London for the Peace Conference and at the Action Summit in Newcastle.

But, and this is my bottom line: Rotary can no longer be an exclusive organisation if it wants to survive. When we are staging events, even hosting club meetings, we need to think carefully about cost and value. And yes, even meal costs at club meetings.

Conventions, conferences, club meetings are part and parcel of the Rotary experience. They are essential ingredients for an environment of learning, understanding, development and engagement. I’m not suggesting we abandon them – instead, we should think differently.

Even working full-time, I can’t afford to go to Singapore or could justify £70 for last night’s Peace Conference dinner – it was a Friday night fish & chip supper with Mrs K instead. But other Rotarians will make that choice.

Let’s not forget we are living at a time of economic uncertainty when people are watching their pennies closely.

As we look to grow membership, delivering a more diverse demographic, Rotary needs to quickly lose that exclusivity label to make itself more accessible, where cost does not become a barrier towards giving service.