Viking Magazine - May 2010 - 30

MEMBER MA TTERS
Lodge Success Story
SWEET SUCCESS
Gateway to Florida 3-541 shares its secrets to being the large lodge category winner of the 2009 Fall Blitz.
BY JANE DI LEO
hen it comes to attracting
new members, Gateway to
Florida 3-541 in Jacksonville,
Fla., just might have the perfect
recipe. Combine dynamic leadership
with public events, personal contact
and new member appreciation, and
you have the formula for a successful
Fall Blitz membership drive in the
large lodge category-with 31 new
members, or a 23 percent increase.
The Fall Blitz was organized to motivate
lodge recruiting and retention
efforts. " We wanted to emphasize both
recruitment and an essential component
of membership: retention, " says
W
Nichole Neuman, membership coordinator
at Sons of Noway International
Headquarters. " A lodge recruitment
campaign, as opposed to an individual
one, gave lodges an opportunity to use
their membership committees and to
consider how to welcome members,
and revisit what they do to keep new
members engaged. "
Gateway to Florida vice president
Kent Larson and his sister, Marci,
president of the lodge during the Fall
Blitz, took up the call to action. " We
knew that trying to win was a pretty
huge challenge, but we felt that our
lodge was in a good position to do
Keys to Recruitment & Retention
S
et up a membership committee: " Our committee is made up of
the membership secretary, our newsletter editor, our sunshine and
myself, " Kent says. " Among the four of us, we are able to work
together to create a situation where people feel that they're coming into a
wonderful organization. "
Go Public: Gateway to Florida
not only hosts internal events, it
also gets out into the community by
hosting booths at fairs, participating
in parades and helping other
clubs with their fundraising efforts.
Marketing Materials: Present
the benefits of your lodge in an easily
digestible format. It allows potential
members to take materials home
with them.
30 V I K I N G M a y 2 010
New Member Programming:
Create programs aimed specifically
at new members so that they feel
welcome and can get involved immediately.
Poll
Your Members: Survey
members to find out what types of
programming appeal to them.
Program Diversity: " Create
diversity in your events, in terms
of topic, location and time, "
Marci says.
Personal Touch: " You can stand
up in front of a room or send out
invitations or newsletters, but a
personalized, one-on-one connection
makes all the difference in the
world, " Marci says. She adds that
prior to every event, they call members
to connect with them and give
more information about current and
upcoming lodge events.
that, because we do have some good
monthly programming and special
events, " says Marci Larson.
The Fall Blitz was great motivation
to attract new members, Kent says, but
he adds that increasing membership is
always a priority. " Working on gaining
new members is not something
new for our lodge, " he says. " We have
set a goal for the last several years to be
one of the premier lodges within Sons
of Norway, and in order to be that, we
must have members. Membership is
the essential tool to our viability. "

Viking Magazine - May 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - May 2010