Why Recruit?

National MOAA has a new 2006 contest underway and with effort chapters might gain new members and even win a financial prize.

Why do we really need to recruit?

As you launch your new effort, you’ll probably find you may not have the member support you really need, and that’s because there are those who feel there are plenty of members now. Just don’t need any new members. But organizations that are not always bringing in new members lose strength, and on balance chapter membership numbers are going down fast. That’s something all volunteer organizations have in common.

Why should you ask others to join? Why does the chapter need them? Why do you need them?

–There’s strength in numbers
–With more people we can get better ideas
–We can have more skills represented in the group
–We need a “critical mass” to be effective
–Those in authority won’t listen to only a few of us
–It makes us more powerful
–We can’t get what we need from the system alone; we need the chapter

Ok, that’s one perspective, important organizational or public oriented reasons, but there may be other reasons more private and personal for chapter members.

–It’s interesting to hear other people’s stories
–It’s very pleasant to be with other people
–Sometimes conversations with others serve as springboards to new ideas
–Other people think differently, and will help members see things in ways they can’t now
–There is a sense of community that comes from the group; people ask about me when I don’t show up
–We can’t do everything by ourselves; we need the chapter

So, there are benefits of recruiting for MOAA and the chapter, and personal benefits as well.

If your chapter is moving ahead with a “Give Me 10″ campaign, you might want to be ready when others ask why you’re working so hard to recruit. Write down the organizational reasons. Write down the personal reasons.

Chapters are recruiting to replace members lost, those who have died, moved away, members who have developed relationships more interesting than the chapter, those who have burned out. Chapters, on balance, are losing members; obviously if new members are not recruited, numbers decline.

The community changes. New ideas will be needed to meet different times. Perhaps it’s time to find “new blood”. Chapters that have the same officer groups and members year after year may not be interested in trying new technologies (like this weblog), methods, or strategies that may be needed to meet current challenges.

Being able to recruit new members shows the chapter still means something to people today. It’s a test of the organization’s worth and present importance. You might note that one well established fraternal organization in the community that for years would not change its basic appeal. It just wouldn’t recognize that men of the years 1990-2005 were not interested in the same activities that interested men in the 1950’s.

The organization’s newsletter read like the obituary sheet; the most important news were its dying members.

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