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WHY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Are Beneficial FOR PROFESSIONALS LOOKING TO NETWORK

You have probably heard of any number of international associations with local branches and meetings. But while you know their names, it is possible you are not sure what said organizations actually do. They all have different mission statements, meeting formats and guidelines for membership. In addition, there are local organizations such as a chamber of commerce that are great for networking purposes. Here are just a few such organizations listed with their benefits and specs.

 

Rotary International

Started in 1905 by Paul Harris, who is now considered the “Father of Rotary,” the first Rotary Club was met up of four local Chicago businessmen. They met once a week around lunch time and rotated their respective offices as meeting locations, hence the name “Rotary” and therefore starting the Rotary Club of Chicago.The focus of Rotary International and of Rotary Clubs across the world centers on philanthropy and charity — with the motto of “Service Above Self.” Today, there are 1.2 million Rotarians in 35,000 Clubs across the globe, according to Rotary.org. Club practices and projects are largely based in the Four-Way Test, which reads as follows:

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

 

A second integrated precept is the Object of Rotary, or “to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise, and, in particular, to:

 

FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

 

SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

 

THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;

 

FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.”Rotarians network with each other, but are also focused on giving back to their respective communities through local projects and interna- tional campaigns — particularly when it comes to the eradicationof Polio worldwide.

 

Lions Clubs

After joining a men’s club following the establishmentof his own insurance agency in 1913, Melvin Jones, according to lionsclubs.org, asked the following question: “What if these men, who are successful because of their drive, intelligence and ambition, were to put their talents to work improving their communities?” The answer to that question came with invitations from Jones to delegates to meet in Chicago to “lay the groundwork for such an organization,” and as such, the Lions Clubs organization was born in 1917.Once the idea took off, Jones left his insurance agencyin favor of committing himself to growing the Lions Clubs organization. The name of the organization is derived from Jones’ interpretation of a lion – “[it] stood for strength, courage, fidelity and vital action.” Later, the name was nearly changed at the 1919 Lions convention, but Halstead Ritter, a member of the organization, pointed out that L-I-O-N-S “heralds to the country the true meaning of citizenship: Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation’s Safety.”Similarly to Rotary International, today, Lions Clubsspend a great deal of time working on service projects — including sight programs, health programs, youth volun- teer opportunities, community and environment programs and disaster relief. Memberships are available not just on a one-person basis — the Lions have created family memberships as well as student memberships.As far as networking and business relationships, the Lions organization applies its code of ethics, including “[remembering] that building up [your] business it is not necessary to tear down another’s to be loyal to [your] clients and true to [yourself].”

 

Your Local Chamber of Commerce

Every chamber of commerce is different, but one aspect across the board is the networking opportunity that comes with membership. You will meet many professionals from your area in varying industries — and possibly some who are in the same industry that you are part of.But regardless of industry, you are there to help each other out. There are numerous venues in which that can be made possible. The obvious, more dated example is to swap business cards. Add to that: sharing each other’s social media information, recommending services that both of you can use and of course, referrals.Certain businesses are compatible to work together. For example: party planners and caterers; restaurants and food service distributors; insurance agents and bankers; retail shops and local publicists. If thoseat the helm of your local chamber of commerce are doing their jobs correctly, they will do their best to attract all types of businesses and encourage relationships amongst those businesses that can benefit from each other’s goods and services.The staff of a good chamber of commerce will also promote your business on your behalf, through a variety of channels. Some include: full membership mailings, social media sharing, meetups, newspaper advertising and posting fliers and business cards inside the chamber’s office.

 

Young Professionals Groups

 

Every YP group is also different — but they can be found in several cities and states across the country. Businesses may have their own internal YP committees. They invite those starting out in their careers to come together and help promote each other — and quite often, they perform philanthropic works as a team. Based on the requirements of a few YP groups, membership dues are required, but they are usually reasonably priced. While YP groups are clearly meant for a specific niche, they are a great forum for those of that niche to get their feet in the door.No matter what your profession, niche or passion is, there is a group out there for you in which you can further your network. These are great places to start looking, but with a little research, you can find even more possibilities that could work for you.