Norwegian Rotarians go online with Digital Connect

Members of the Enebakk Digital Connect satellite club.

By Nicola Rivli, a member of Enebakk Digital Connect, a satellite of the Rotary Club of Enebakk, Norway 

Our journey began during a sunset in June 2024 on the island of Jeløya. As I was holding a glass of wine in my hand, I was approached by Hanne Bergersen, the membership chair of District 2260 (Norway), who asked me if I would be interested in starting our district’s first online club. I said yes.

Having been involved in Rotaract in England in the 90s and later in Oslo, I knew the power of Rotary’s community. Many of the people I met through Rotaract are now part of the project group that helped build this club from scratch. We started planning in autumn 2024, inspired by conversations with Rotary members in Denmark and Finland who had experience with e-clubs.

Why Digital Connect?

We saw a need for flexibility. Whether you’re constantly travelling, live far from a physical club, haven’t found the right fit, or simply prefer not to attend in-person meetings — Digital Connect offers a solution. Personally, I wanted to be part of Rotary, but not in the same club as my husband.

Our goal is to end every meeting a little wiser than when we joined. We believe digital meetings are a part of Rotary’s future, and we’re proud to be involved in that evolution.

Successes so far

We’ve grown to 12 members — nine women and three men — and hosted three information meetings and 10 speaker events. We’ve held two hybrid gatherings at Deichman Library with dinner in Oslo, which received great feedback. Two of our members have participated in the President Elect Learning Seminar (PELS), Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI), and we’ve attended the district conference.

Our meetings are structured and consistent: every other Tuesday, starting with half an hour of social time at 19:30, followed by updates, a short member presentation, and a guest speaker. We use Google Meet, and communicate actively via Facebook, LinkedIn, and email.

Challenges and learnings

Digital platforms aren’t always intuitive, especially for less tech-savvy speakers. Recruiting members is ongoing, and we’re aiming to become a full club by February 2026 with 20 members. We’re constantly refining our outreach and welcome tips — whether it’s family, friends, or frequent travelers who might be interested. We were mostly women in the beginning and found out it is harder to recruit men. But we are talking with five former Rotarians, all men, who will likely join our club soon to give us a better balance.

How we differ from our sponsor club

While Enebakk Rotary meets in person, we operate entirely online, though we maintain a close connection. Our program is even linked to theirs, allowing members to join seamlessly. We also represent a different demographic and energy, rooted in our shared Rotaract history.

Advice for other districts

Start with a strong project group. Ours was built on long-standing relationships and shared values. Embrace flexibility, structure your meetings well, and communicate actively. Most importantly, create a space where members feel they grow with each meeting. We pretended to be a fully established Rotary club from day one, even though there were only seven of us. Line up programs at least three months in advance, because with a great program, you can more easily attract people who hopefully will want to join.

We’re excited about what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to share our story. If you’re considering starting a satellite club — especially a digital one — contact us. We’re happy to share more about how we are growing our club.