Membership Ideas to Go ~ How to get ‘em & keep 'em

Attracting New Members
Target specific new members. Does your club need professional people? Women? Doctors or lawyers? Teachers? Local agencies representatives? Conduct a membership recruitment meeting just for members under 40? Target what your club needs!
Schedule membership meetings well in advance in order to properly plan and execute successful drives
Tell new members about Rotary and provide club pamphlets. Let them know how we are making a difference-be proud of Rotary and what it is accomplishing not only locally, but internationally.
Tell the prospect about projects the club is currently supporting (last year and this year - not some project the club hasn't done for several years).
During the recruitment process tell prospect what is expected of them as a member
Induction and Orientation
Establish an effective orientation and education program for entire membership
Make induction a very special time for the new members. Consider asking their family members, boss, spiritual leaders, etc to attend the meeting.
Conduct one-on-one orientations, if necessary. Why wait months waiting for another member to join? Have the new member, sponsoring member and club trainer meet together at home, extended lunch or after the regularly scheduled weekly meeting. Use a prepared packet or PowerPoint for orientation. Include club roster, club calendar, Rotary literature, etc. Give the new member kit at this time.
Use a "Member Interest Finder" document to determine what each new member would be willing or have interest in doing. (Handout in training box.)
Work hard to continuously improve the New Member Orientation process
Involvement
To keep up the momentum after recruitment, immediately assign definite responsibilities and encourage (invite) the new member to become involved in club activities. Many will not volunteer until they feel accepted!
Be involved yourself and involve every member in something.
Don't give a member more that they can handle to prevent burn out. On the other hand, failure to involve them will cause them to leave.
Make sure each committee is working by requiring a report at the monthly board meeting.
Have small project groups with goals, plans, and responsibility instead of large committee where many of the committee members end up being inactive.
A personal visit, coffee or lunch meeting by the Club President and/or Club Membership Chair will make a new member feel welcome and important! As a last resort, email is OK.
Mentor Program
 Establish a mentoring program which would connect other members with similar interest with the new member. See Rotary booklet #414-EN, "New Membership Orientation: a How to Guide for Clubs", pages 6-7 for Mentor program information.
 Some new members may be comfortable choosing their own mentor. If not, assign a veteran member as a mentor to be in charge of the new member to be sure they come to meetings and take part in projects and/or social events.
Work hard to eliminate any "closed groups" within the club and do not let them become clicks; that can divide a club.
Building Loyalty
Help the new member set a goal for bringing in another new member and then help them in achieving that goal. Loyalty is established when the member feels he or she has played a part in the growth and well being of the club.
Projects
 Make sure the club has good project, good programs and gets good PR to keep the members interested and to arouse interest of others within the community.
Continually revamp and replace service projects to keep them interesting, relevant and fun.
Sponsor projects that most club members are interest in participating in.
Talk with new members and use them as a resource for ideas about different ways of providing service, raising money and conducting the general business of the club.
Meetings
START AND END MEETINGS ON TIME - respect the time frame a member has to work with in today's busy world.
Keep meetings upbeat, positive and enthusiastic.
Conduct limited business and have speaker or other interesting programs.
Programs
Have varied and entertaining programs - not the same types of programs over and over. Seek the advice of members on speakers, types of programs, etc.
See Handout "Program Source Guide" for ideas.

Written by: Randy and Leslie High - Membership Co-Chairs 2008-2009
District 6040 Membership Workshop, October 4, 2008