Before I began my summer research project, I had little knowledge on Rotary clubs, or their function in our society. The day before my first meeting with my supervisor, I frantically skimmed Wikipedia articles on Rotary International and was submerged into a plethora of incomprehensible vocabulary and data. However, weeks away from that moment, I can boldly chuckle and say that I now understand what Rotary clubs are and their purpose.
This summer, I am researching the reasons Rotary International has relaxed its strictness over the years, as well as further consequences on participation, membership, and attendance. In addition, I am studying the Club Good Theory and its ability to model the changes in Rotary’s legislation, such as allowing the enrolment of female members.
In my first week, I was overwhelmed by the extensive reading. Moreover, with the weather finally getting brighter in St Andrews, sitting indoors and tackling a heavily worded 19th century book on Rotary Clubs were genuine internal struggles. Eventually, I managed to get into a rhythm - I found it easier to distinguish important information, and simultaneously made an effort to read outside or have lunch with a friend, so I had something fun to look forward each day.
I am now about halfway through my project, and it’s amazing to reflect on what I have learnt so far, not only pertaining to my research topic but about myself and how I work best. An interesting fact I learnt about Rotary clubs was a unique attendance monitoring system similar to a method used in football. To elaborate, if you missed a meeting, you receive a blue card and if you missed two, you received another blue card. And if you miss three meetings in a row, you got a red card! (What a fun way to let someone know their membership is on the line).
Apart from reading papers and skimming Rotary magazines for more data, I have enjoyed studying economic models, and understanding how they can be used to model historical events and social and cultural issues. In addition to my project, meeting other scholars, both online and in person, has been fundamental to building new connections with likeminded curious individuals. I look forward to studying more about the club good model and how it can be applied to my research question, whilst simultaneously bettering myself as an individual and pushing myself to be a better leader.
Below is a picture of me at St Mary's Quad, one of my favourite places to work.
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