A Sunshine Coast man has launched a campaign to reinvigorate community organisation Rotary through attracting young people.
Little Mountain local Chris Rees said the Sunshine Coast Passport Rotary Club would have a more flexible membership.
"The Passport Rotary Club is much more on serving the community [and] cutting down on meetings," Mr Rees said.
"It's very much a flexible arrangement, basically help out when you can."
As president of the Caloundra Rotary Club from July 2019 to March 2020, he said meetings on "set days and times" is contributing to a decline in membership.
"You've got members in their clubs in their 80s and 90s," he said.
"They've done a tremendous amount of service work for their clubs but they’re not the future and they know that."
Since retiring in September 2015, Mr Rees said he was finally able to "give back".
"It’s something which I wish I had done earlier," he said.
"But like many people you're working, paying the mortgage, and you're all busy.
"I looked back and thought 'there's much more to life than just working, let's put something back in'. So I got wrapped up with Rotary … simple as that."
He said the use of the word "passport" in its name was more symbolic of its "pass" to assist other Rotary clubs and not for profit organisations.
Rotary role during COVID-19
He said the group would partake in traditional Rotary initiatives such as cleaning up lakes and rivers, and was particularly vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We would get involved in some of these COVID initiatives — such as collecting computers for kids to work on in schools," he said.
"Helping get prescriptions, getting groceries for people who can't get out."
Mr Rees said the structure of the new club would "probably appeal to the over 25s" and had between 12 and 16 people express interest in a recent information webinar.
According to Rotary rules, a club requires 20 members to register.
People interested in joining the Sunshine Coast Passport Rotary are being encouraged to join a series of upcoming information webinars.
