DEI

Hello, newbie here. I am studying for my test, and just connected with my local group. Everyone was really nice and helpful. But. They have a “club chaplain ” who began the meeting with a convocation. It was short and mumbled. And I can’t be sure what he prayed for, buy as a non-Christian this made me uncomfortable. I said nothing, as a guest there, but I wanted to know if this is a common thing.

I replied:

I don’t think that having a club chaplain is very common, but your club is probably not the only club with one. If I were you, I’d have a chat with the club officers about this. Chances are you’re not the only one who’s turned off by this, and speaking up might just get them to reconsider this practice. If you’re shy about doing this yourself, email me the name of the club or the officers, and I’ll contact them.

The Ann Arbor (MI, USA) Rotary club that I belong to used to offer a prayer at the start of each meeting. Some time ago–before I joined in 2005–they realized that that practice was not very inclusive, and could actually be a a reason for someone to quit the club or not join in the first place. So, to be welcoming to all, they replaced the prayer with a non-religious “inspiration.” And, our membersip includes Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and even agnostics like myself.

I suppose that there are some cases where you might not care about the diversity of a club. For example, if a church wanted to start a club open only to church members, then being exclusive and praying at meetings would be acceptable. I’d say, however, that most clubs should strive to be as inclusive and diverse as possible. Attracting and retaining a diverse membership will not only attract and retain members, but make the club more interesting and fun for everyone.