Club_Officers_Handbook_2016

Guide to Visitors and Protocol Protocol for Visitors

How To Handle Visits by National and District Officers A. When you learn that an officer is going to visit your club or district do the following: 1. Tell the officer how many will be present, what the meeting is for, when the officer will be on the program to speak, what other notables will be on the program, and what clubs or organizations will participate. 2. Ask the officer to send an advance picture and write up. 3. Write the officer and give directions to the meeting place. Arrange to meet and escort the officer if travel is done commercially. 4. Inform the officer of the name and address of a comfortable motel or hotel and airport nearby and offer to make reservations. 5. Inform the officer of the part to take on the program and how long to speak. 6. If tickets are required to get in the meeting, be sure to mail one to the officer ahead of time. 7. If appropriate, be sure to invite the officer’s spouse. B. When the officer arrives do the following: 1. Offer an opportunity to take a shower, change clothes, and rest for a few minutes. 2. Never take an officer to the meeting too early. 3. Be sure you have invited a photographer and a reporter. Introduce them to the officer. They will appreciate a few words of introduc- tion, and you will get better media coverage. 4. See that the officer is seated next to an agreeable, interesting person. 5. Be sure your clothing is suitable for the occasion. 6. When the Ruritan National President rises to speak, make sure the audience also rises. (The audience should rise only for the National President or the representative, not for any other officer or speaker.) 7. Give ample time on the program. If you cannot do this, then do not invite him/her in the first place. C. After the meeting is over do the following:

Protocol - a big sounding word, but its mean- ing is very simple. It is the “accepted way of doing things.” While we in Ruritan are very flexible and friendly, there are certain accepted procedures we follow in recognizing officers and guests unless the persons involved request a change or unusual circumstances dictate other- wise. The following list is presented to assist you in understanding the order of precedence, by Ruritan office: 1. National President 2. National President Elect 3. Past National Presidents 4. National Presidents or Elected representatives of other civic groups National Board Members: 5. National Secretary 6. National Treasurer 7. National Directors (first by tenure in office, then by alphabetical order) 8. Foundation Trustees 9. Executive Director National Chair and Committees:

General

10. Standing Committees 11. Special Committees 12. Past National Directors 13. District Governors 14. Past District Governors 15. Lieutenant Governors

16. District Secretary 17. District Treasurer

18. Growth & Development Chair 19. Foundation Promotion Chair

20. Zone Governors 21. Club Presidents

1. The officer will stand to be thanked for the part played on the program. You should stand next to the officer and advise who the persons are that come up to speak. If you do not know their names, ask them. Then tell the officer so they may be called by name. 2. Guests should not be solicited to participate in fundraising activities of the club or district. 3. Either take or guide the officers to the place where he/she will spend the night. Talk a few minutes and leave. If the officer has a car and will not need you to take him/her to the air- port or station, then advise the best place to eat breakfast. 4. After the officer gets home, write to express your appreciation.

How to Handle Introductions and Seating Arrangements Introductions: It should be pointed out that in making introductions, protocol requires that the office of lowest rank (the bottom of the list above) be presented first, reserving the highest office until last. Also, when a person to be presented has held more than one office, that person is introduced only once, and then by highest office. Seating: Protocol requires that the highest office represented shall be seated to the right of the presiding officer, with the next highest to the left, and so on from right to left. However, because of the size of most head tables, usually only those who will participate in the program and are holding office at the time will be seated at the head table. If space will permit, then others may be seated in the order of precedence. While these rules of protocol are generally accepted, it should be remembered that good judgment and the wishes of those involved should always be respected.

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Revised 8/2016