Top 5 Reasons Every Leader Should Belong to a Service Club

Service clubs can be quite mysterious and even misunderstood.  Unless a person is a member of a service club, he or she might not even know what one is all about.

After being educated about the benefits of belonging to a service club, I am hopeful that you might consider joining one in your community.

In general, police officers are very giving people.  They dedicate their lives to serving others and give back to their communities more than most people.

I had heard bits and pieces about service clubs but didn’t understand what they did until Chief Bobby Moody joined the Marietta Police Department in 1996.  Chief Moody was a Rotarian and encouraged members of the Command Staff to join a service club.  He even offered to pay for it!

There were several service clubs in Marietta.  The Kiwanis Club and Rotary International were probably the two most significant.  Other service clubs included Optimists (I kind of like their name!), Lions and Civitans.

Captain David Beam joined Rotary International, Captain David Lee joined Kiwanis, and I joined Rotary International.  As luck would have it, there were two Rotary Clubs in Marietta.  David belonged to one and Chief Moody, and I belonged to the other.

When I first joined, I did not understand how significant my decision to join would be for my career and, more importantly, my life.

Thankfully, I understand today.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why every leader should belong to a service club.

Greater Opportunity to Serve Others

As a police officer, I help people frequently.  Sometimes I see the results of my work, but often I never know if I made a difference.  Such is the work of a police officer.

Rotary International, on the other hand, provides real-time opportunities to help meet the need of others in my community.  I get to witness and be a part of helping people in my community, across the state and even throughout the world.

All service clubs excel in this area.

Service Clubs Bring Leaders Together

Service clubs attract leaders from many different vocations.  Memberships in these organizations are diverse in thought and backgrounds.  Some service clubs even have rules that make sure no one profession is overly represented in the club.

Leaders from business, non-profits, and government join together serving their fellow man.  If you are a leader or aspiring leader, coming together with other community leaders is the place you want to be.

Opportunity to Establish Strong Roots in Community

The bulk of the work of a service club happens in the local community.  I will use Rotary International as an example.

There are 33,000 Rotary Clubs in the world with over 1.2 million members.  These club as semi-autonomous and operate in individual communities across the globe.  The majority of the charity work done by each club happens in their local community.

When I belonged to the Rotary Club of Marietta, we participated in charity events in our local community and the Marietta City Schools.

The same is true with the Rotary Club of Dunwoody.  We serve the students of Dunwoody through various programs like Laws of Life Essay, support for Quiz Bowl, participate in Junior Achievement, donate books for Christmas Book program and support an early reading program as well.

We raise funds through several charitable events and then donate money to many local charities.

As a police leader, the stronger your relationship is in the community, the better service you can provide.

As a candidate for promotion internally or for an open police chief position, having a healthy and established relationship with your local community is an asset and should not be underestimated.

Opportunity to Learn From Others

As I mentioned previously, service clubs have a wide variety of vocations represented by their members.  Each member has a story to tell.  Each member has something to contribute to the greater good.

I have learned a lot from the weekly conversations with my fellow Rotarians and the community projects we participate in together.  I’ve expanded my knowledge of finance, banking, business, fundraising, volunteering and a myriad of other topics by merely engaging in conversations with my fellow Rotarians.

Most service clubs meet weekly over breakfast or lunch.  Many of them have guest speakers each week.  Depending on the club and location, guest speakers can be quite informative.  The speakers can be experts in their field with years of experience to share.

For example, various experts in human trafficking, Alzheimer’s and homelessness have spoken to the Rotary Club of Dunwoody recently.  Some weeks I enjoy our speakers and learn a great deal while other weeks prove to be less informative.

Members Help Each Other Out

Service clubs can be a great place to network and expand your business.  Obviously, law enforcement leaders are not interested in growing their business.  Instead, they can expand their influence.  Influence can help you leverage your relationship to benefit your agency and the community you serve.

I have had the opportunity to educate Rotarians about the mission and values of the department. I have spoken to the club on numerous occasions and shared my expertise and experience.

Because of the relationships I have built over the years, my department has received many direct grants that support the mission of the Rotary club as well as the mission of our department.

Other service clubs take the time to recognize public servants through an awards program.

I have the privilege of providing counsel and advice to members of my club who may be experiencing a crisis.  I get a lot of personal satisfaction when I can help others and point them toward a solution.

Members help each other out.

Conclusion

Membership in a service club is not for everyone.  It does require a certain amount of commitment and obviously some expense.  Still, membership in a service club is worth both the time, effort and money it costs to participate from my perspective.

The friendships you make, the relationships you build, the people you help and the community you serve are all worth it.

Every leader should belong to a service club.  I have to say, I am a little partial to Rotary International!

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