THE FRAGRANCE OF SERVICE Service not only generates happiness ~ both amongst the server and the served - but emanates a scintillating fragrance that enhances happiness. To serve with commitment gives you strength and motivation and being appreciated gives you courage to repeat your swas inducting new members say that Paul Harris founded Rotary for friendship. The speaker said, It was a cold lonely night in Chicago and a successful attorney named Mr. Paul Harris realised that there were not many friends with whom he can hang out. So, he brought togetheervice acts and enhance your participation. Service is in such a short supply and the demands ever increasing - that Rotary needs many more volunteers to cater to the demand. There is, therefore, an urgent need to enlist more volunteers. The creative pursuit of helping the needy is a challenging task. Men and women may be persuaded to join our brigade but to keep these new entrants interested and involved is not an easy task. It is easier to involve than to retain. Unfortunately, Rotary has, perhaps, not evolved any workable formula to keep the new hands actively involved. Of course, there is no set formula, and the methodology of retention may vary from Clubs to Clubs ~ but a uniform guideline and a workable plan needs to be put in action. One of the most effective ways of retention is to make the new entrants welcome and involve them in service activities of their choice. Once they are brushed with the paint of service and once they are given challenging responsibilities in the Club, attrition will fall dramatically. We were around 1.2 million more than two decades ago and we are still around this figure. The real challenge of membership growth is retention and all Clubs must formulate plans to retain most of those Rotarians who leave Rotary because either they loose interest or feel neglected or feel that their presence in Rotary makes no difference to Service. ASHOK MAHAJAN TRUSTEE THE ROTARY FOUNDATION (2009-13) DIRECTOR- ROTARY INTERNATIONAL (2007-09)