Membership…What’s in it for Me? 

Halloween is not the only way to SPOOK your members!  Sometimes the beginning of a club year is overwhelming with many activities and can FRIGHTEN members.  Does your club VALUE members’ TIME?  Are your club’s projects and programs SCARY or MEANINGFUL??  Is there enough DIVERSITY to grab (and KEEP) the interest of new members??

• If your membership is lacking the normal excitement, consider surveying your members to see if your club needs to make some adjustments
  • Change meeting times to increase attendance (even virtual meetings should be fun and well attended!)
  • “Retire” projects that are no longer beneficial to your club and members
  • Involve those newer members – what WAS it that made them want to join?
• Club members’ time is valuable – evaluate your projects and programs to ensure your members STAY excited and engaged
  • Look at the new CSP project and program ideas and find something new for this year. Offer a few choices and let the members choose which they will commit to – give them ownership!
  • Have members record club infomercials on topics such as Leadership (I’m a CSP Chair, now what do I do?) and New Members Orientation (how the local club fits in the District, State, and GFWC) then share via email, FaceBook, Instagram, and on your club’s website.
  • Embrace your club members’ strengths and DIVERSITY – host monthly virtual Holiday Decorating Classes – fall centerpieces using pumpkins as vases, wreath making, cookie baking & recipe exchange, or virtual progressive dinner with a different cuisine at each home – report them as an Arts project, activity for Health and Wellness, or International Affairs program for Education!
• Visually survey your members during meetings – are they paying attention or are they secretly playing Word Finder or scrolling FaceBook or Instagram during a presentation?
  • Mix things up a little – rearrange your meeting agenda
  • Throw in a pop quiz and offer a great prize – this can also be done virtually!
  • Play Federation or Membership Bingo with prizes
  • Have members read a book one month and discuss it as your meeting program – consider a book on DIVERSITY and then you can REPORT it under a new CSP!

Amp up excitement within your club membership – post events and activities on social media – be sure to utilize #GFWCNC!!

Don’t forget our incentive for this club year!   The GFWC-NC Membership Committee is drawing at the end of each of the four “seasons” for a $25 gift card to help your club celebrate its newest members!  There will be another drawing at the end of the year for a $100 gift card and other fun stuff for your club.  Your club must submit the GFWC Seasonal Recruitment Campaign Report to GFWC and send a copy to Kim Fulcher.  Be sure to submit for each “season” your club adds new members.  Even if you only took in one new member – REPORT it and your club will be eligible for the drawing.  Congratulations to the Mary Stewart Woman’s Club for winning the Summer gift card – the next drawing will be in December!

“Falling in love with October. Leaves descending to the ground, orange, magenta, green & brown. The cool crisp breezes in the air, Autumn season must be here.” – Charmaine J Forde

When you think of fall, October’s vibrant colors and promise come to mind. At GFWC it is one of the busiest months. It is National Arts and Humanities Month and the Arts & Culture CSP Chairman’s article this month is full of ideas. It is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Book Month, and GFWC Advocates for Children’s Week is October 24-30, 2021. Advocates for Children is initiating a challenge for clubs to “stick their neck out” by undertaking a service project that directly benefits children during Advocates for Children Week.

We learned much about mental health this year at the convention in Atlanta.  “Physical Funding” is key. A walk for just 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week, improves attitude and reduces anxiety. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is promoting A United Day of Hope on October 9^th:  Home (namiwalks.org). The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is sponsoring Out of Darkness Community Walks on October 9^th and in November. Find a walk in your area or enjoy a walk with friends and the beautiful fall weather!

We are so appreciative of all our North Carolina clubs, their creativity, and their community involvement. Several clubs were recognized by GFWC for their projects. Congratulations to the following GFWC-NC clubs on their GFWC Top Ten Project honors!

The Mary Stewart Woman’s Club members donated various items to deployed female service members through Ladies of Liberty, part of the Soldiers’ Angels organization that provides care packages to women serving overseas. Members donated snacks, medicines, personal health, and hygiene items, and filled USPS military boxes to ship overseas. The first shipment was so popular, they decided to repeat the project.

GFWC Greensboro Woman’s Club held a program to recycle corks through the Cork Club, a sustainability initiative funded by Widget Co., Inc. This organization donates up to two cents for each natural wine cork received toward forest and ocean conservation. They collected from restaurants, bars, and family and shipped more than 33,864 corks or 338 pounds of cork.

Mary Stewart Woman’s Club hosted a “Little Red Wagon” pool party for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the summer. The cost of admission was a donation toward the purchase of the Little Red Wagon. These Little Red Wagons (also called Patient Wagons) can be purchased for $100 each and are used as transportation within the hospital for St. Jude’s youngest patients.

The A.L. Brown Juniorette Club focused on Break the Cycle, a website for teen dating violence prevention, in February for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Members made posters and displayed them throughout their school. To promote healthy teen relationships, they organized special emphasis days at school, including “Wear Orange,” to spread awareness; “It’s Time to Talk” and “Thunderclap” for National Awareness.

The Fuquay-Varina Junior Woman’s Club held the Gingerbread Competition and Fundraiser in partnership with the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center. A gingerbread kit donated by the local Michael’s store was provided to all 49 entries. Houses were on display at the Arts Center, where visitors voted for the People’s Choice Award. The event was shared on social media and followers voted for the Virtual People’s Choice Award. The club raised $345 through the People’s Choice voting, as well as additional funds through participant entry fees.

Members of the Woman’s Club of Mount Airy made face masks and provided them to hospice, nursing homes, and teachers throughout the community. In lieu of payment, recipients were asked to donate food to the local school system. Members working in teams completed various tasks, including bookkeeping, addressing shipping labels, embroidering logos, cutting elastic and fabric, assembling the masks, soliciting sales, and selling to GFWC sisters. The club members contributed 1,800 volunteer hours and raised $3,600.

GFWC of Holden Beach values the experience, knowledge, and passion of members who have served as club president or State President. They created a Past Presidents Committee, which provides leadership ideas to the club and works with and supports the current club leadership. They make personal phone calls to club members and help coordinate the State President’s special project efforts in their own club.

The Woman’s Club of Raleigh’s suffrage centennial celebration was highlighted by a voter registration drive held in collaboration with another GFWC North Carolina club. The drive was held at various locations, including area churches, the state farmer’s market, and the Raleigh-Durham Airport. They were recognized by the Wake County Board of Elections. Club members and guests attended a club program on the historic 2020 election process.

In celebration of Federation Day, members of Wilmington Woman’s Club chose to plant trees at the historic Oakdale Cemetery, established in 1852 as North Carolina’s First Rural Cemetery. The cemetery experienced severe damage to hundreds of trees and flower beds during Hurricane Florence, so members purchased three fast-growing oak saplings to plant.

Many thanks to all the CSP, Special Program and Advancement Plan Chairmen. Be sure to reach out to them for program information and support. They are always hard at work and will have the latest updates for members at the fall meeting in Asheville. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks!

Karen & Pam

The end of the summer is not the end of the world. Here’s to October…” — A.A. Milne

Attention all Clubwomen Artists!!!

It is time to pull out your colored pencils and paints…. join us in November in Asheville for the GFWC-NC Fall Conference to hear details about an exciting Arts and Culture contest. The prize will be a be a benefit for your community!

October is the National Arts and Humanities Month.  This is the largest annual celebration for the arts and humanities across the United States. No matter where you live, how artistic you are… or not… there are many ways you and your club can celebrate this October.

Americans for the Arts, through The National Arts & Humanities Month, focuses on equitable access to the arts; encourages individuals, organizations, and diverse communities to participate in the arts; makes sure governments and businesses are allowed to show their support of the arts; and raises public awareness about how the Arts and Humanities can affect our communities and lives of its citizens.

The National Arts & Humanities Month is the time for communities to come together in unified celebration of the power of the arts to make a difference and change our lives for the better.

The NAHM website lists these Ways to Engage and Promote the Arts:

• Join our 31-day Instagram challenge and encourage others to join, too! Find our daily themes and post along with us all month long using #ShowYourArt2021.
• Ask for a local government proclamation. Your mayor, city council, even your governor can officially declare National Arts & Humanities Month—and our sample proclamation (Word document download) will make it easy. Read our one-page How-to Guide (PDF download) for help making “the ask” to your local government.
• Advocate for the National Endowment for the Arts. The U.S. House has passed $201 million in funding for the NEA in FY22—$33.5M more than last year and the largest budget increase in NEA history. Now it’s up to the Senate to match it, and arts advocates can help spread the word using social media posts and graphics in our advocacy toolkit (Word document download). Don’t forget to contact your own senators and ask for their support!
• Get the word out to the media, even if you’ve never spoken to the press before! Read our tips on working with the media (PDF download) to garner attention for virtual events in your community. Download our press release template (Word document download) and customize it for where you live. Or, get advice on how to write an op-ed or letter to the editor (PDF download) for your local paper.
• Tell the world how the #ArtsCreateHope for you. As we begin to recover from the pandemic and continue the fight for racial equity, the arts are there to support us. During National Arts & Humanities Month, share your story on social media of the arts creating hope in your life using #ArtsCreateHope and #NAHM.

Here are some ways to encourage friends, neighbors, colleagues, and community members to take part in the arts this October!

• Send a press release/media alert to your local news outlets. Use our sample press release (Word document download) to get started.
• Advertise on a local event website or add to a calendar of events in your local newspaper or newsletter.
• Arrange for emails and fliers about National Arts & Humanities Month to be sent to your local community through Chamber of Commerce or Community organizers. Include information about local artists and events.
• Write an op-ed piece, letter to the editor, or editorial for your local newspaper.
• Get artists involved by asking them to reach out to their networks personally or via social media. They can also design posters, bumper stickers, and buttons to promote National Arts & Humanities Month in community gathering spots and on social media (be sure to give the artist proper credit!). You are free to use the National Arts and Humanities Month logo on your materials—download a hi-res JPG or a lo-res JPG of the full logo, or a hi-res JPG of the NAHM star.
• Showcase your event on social media and share with your community. Send reminder emails to friends and co-workers and ask your network to share your posts.

North Carolina has two organizations that support the NAHM. More information is available on their websites.

North Carolina Arts Council ncarts.org

Arts North Carolina artsnc.org

For more information on resource organizations please go to the Arts & Culture link on the GFWC-NC website. There is a wealth of information available to you.

Don’t forget that the GFWC Challenge Project for the Arts & Culture CSP is to host or sponsor a Youth Arts contest during March. Think outside of the “Arts Festival” box and see if your club can come up with fun and challenging art projects for the youth in your area. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking…. Check in with your local arts teachers for ideas on what type of art they are teaching…. See if there is an area in the school that could be painted, such as a large rock that they paint birthday wishes on, and whichever class has the most creative rock painting could win.  Contest prizes could be art materials given to their class, or a party during class time. Use your imagination and be sure to submit your projects!!!

“Art is Everywhere and Everywhere is Art” ~ Brandon Boyd

Literacy is a blessing often taken for granted. Reading is essential in our daily lives. Navigating through the world without being able to read or write is challenging and is a blockade for experiencing so many things

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, a national campaign to emphasize the importance of library cards to a child’s education and to combat illiteracy. The campaign first started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education, William Bennett, who stated: “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.”

The American Library Association took Secretary Bennett’s words seriously and teamed up with the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) to start the campaign, with a grant of $85,000 from the Reader’s Digest Foundation.  A telegram was sent to Secretary Bennett saying, “We accept your challenge.”

The first theme was “The Best Gift You’ll Ever Give Your Child … A Library Card.”

This year Marley Dias, author, executive producer, and founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, is joining the American Library Association and libraries nationwide in promoting the power of a library card this September.

As honorary chair, Dias wants to remind the public that signing up for a library card provides access to technology, multimedia content and educational programming that transforms lives and strengthens communities.

“A library card provides opportunity for discovery and access to a rich and diverse world. It empowers you to make change and experience new stories,” said Dias.

There’s nothing more empowering than a library card. Through access to technology, media resources and educational programs, libraries provide people of all ages the opportunity to pursue their dreams and passions.

Additionally, International Literacy Day takes place on September 8 every year to raise awareness and concern for literacy problems that exist.  Can you imagine navigating modern-day life without the basic ability to read and write? Wiping out illiteracy in every local community around the world is what International Literacy Day is all about.  Although much progress has been made in improving literacy rates in the more than fifty years since the first International Literacy Day, illiteracy remains a global problem. Some of the ways this program is promoted are: students and employed people volunteer to tutor children in the community, books are generously donated to libraries, and a student’s tuition and learning are sponsored to launch their life-long success.

Institutions and government and international organizations campaign for literacy at the grassroots level, as well as host think tanks and discussion forums to strategize and implement the best policies for the eradication of illiteracy. They also host fundraisers for the cause. A theme is set every year which is used as a way to build awareness around specific issues.

And we, as library lovers, can take part in promoting Library Card Sign-Up in September by volunteering and sharing to social media about how the library empowers us.

We have almost made it through this hot summer! Here are some great projects to wind down Summer of Service and take you into fall.

Food Security for College Students: More than 50% of college students experience food insecurity or concerns over finding healthy choices. Campus food pantries provide nonperishable items. Some offer fruit, vegetables, and frozen food. Support community college and university students with heathy food options: nuts, nut butters, dried fruit, beans, low sodium broth, brown rice, and canned chicken and tuna.

Elevating Women and Girls: Every woman, no matter how young, needs access to basic necessities to maintain health and self-esteem. Organizations like Days for Girls and I Support the Girls promote sustainable products to help manage hygiene. Women should not have to sacrifice their dignity, so reach out to elevate the women and girls in your community.  Remember the President’s Special Project Acts of Kindness & Creativity!  Remember the scavenger hunt too for the Fall Meeting!  GFWC-NC President’s Special Project scavenger hunt list!

Teen Dating Violence Awareness: Teen dating violence affects millions each year. It takes the form of physical and sexual violence, psychological abuse, and stalking.  It’s never too soon to educate teens and adults about healthy teen relationships and recognizing red flag behaviors. Help increase awareness and education! Loveisrepect.org

Be sure to read this month’s article by Eva Jackson, GFWC-NC Education & Libraries Chairman. With International Literacy Day on September 8^th and children back in school, September is the perfect month to focus on literacy.

There are a few updates to the award entry and reporting forms. They are available in the updated Administration Book. The tab and type versions will be available on the website mid- September. The Tips for Awards and Reporting and Award Fundamentals guidelines are posted on the website. Please take note of the changes on pictures.  These changes apply to all awards, unless noted.

The Community Impact Award allows for entry for up to three projects, over the 2-year period, January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021, that have had a positive effect in your local community. The projects submitted for this award can be included in your annual award entries under any CSP or Special Program. They can include pictures. The GFWC-NC winner will have the chance to compete for a $2,500 grant from GFWC.

We hope to see you in Asheville in the fall. There will be hands-on projects and plenty of ideas to take back to your clubs.

Karen Throckmorton – GFWC- NC 1^st Vice-President

Pam Mediano – GFWC-NC Dean of Junior Community Service Programs

Membership – What’s in it for me? 

Although we are getting our club year geared up with meetings, projects, and programs we have already been hard at work RECRUITING new members.   And after we thought we were on our way to some sort of normalcy, BAM!  The delta variant of COVID creeped into our communities.  We find ourselves asking again how do we hold a successful recruitment event?  Fingers crossed we can mask up and continue with in-person events – at least for now!

Here are some tips for a “successful” recruitment event:

• Set a goal. Set a REALISTIC goal so you don’t get frustrated and remember we are still in a pandemic.
• How will you fund this event? Does your club have it budgeted?  If you need some creativity be sure to reach out to your members and see what talents they have to offer – any bakers?  any caterers?  any own a store where they can offer donations for needed supplies?  Did your club win one of the quarterly $25 gift cards from GFWC-NC?  See the last paragraph of this article for more info!
• Know who you want to recruit – get club members involved in asking friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.
• GET THE WORD OUT! Post on social media.  Distribute fliers at local schools and colleges, your nail or hair salon, your local library.  Put an ad in the newspaper.  Ask how to get on your news station’s community bulletin.

Need some ideas for keeping your members engaged and connected?  Check out a few virtual social and volunteer ideas listed below:

• Spooky Halloween/S’mores Fall Event – send members a S’mores pack in the mail and gather together to share ghost stories.
• Share a Workshop – Does a member have a special skill to share with the membership?
• Trivia Night – there are online versions you can find, or you can make your own.
• Brewery Tour or Tea Party – have each member purchase a couple of beers from a local brewery to try as a group or send members a variety of tea bags and a treat and have a tea party.
• Arm’s Reach Show and Tell – ask members to grab one thing within arm’s reach and tell the club about the item.
• Competition – have members show off special hats, etc and provide a small prize to the winner.
• Beauty Night – have members bring their own beauty masks, nail polish, etc and chat while all of you have time to pamper yourselves.
• Sandwich Making for a Local Shelter – find a local shelter taking donations and have each member make a certain number of sandwiches to be picked up the next day and delivered by one of your members.

And if you try one of these, please post on social media, utilize #GFWCNC!!

Don’t forget our incentive for this club year!   The GFWC-NC Membership Committee is going to have a drawing at the end of each of the four “seasons” for a $25 gift card that we hope will help your club celebrate its newest members!  Maybe host a social, or purchase a gift for each new member, or whatever you choose.  Then at the end of the year there will be another drawing for a grand prize that will include a $100 gift card and lots of other fun stuff for your club.  The catch??  Your club must submit the GFWC Seasonal Recruitment Campaign Report to GFWC and send a copy to Kim Fulcher.  Be sure to submit for each “season” your club adds new members.  Even if you only took in one new member – REPORT it and your club will be eligible for the drawing – first one will be in September so don’t forget to submit your report by September 1, 2021!

Women’s History and Resource Center

2020-2022 Emphasis: Encourage member participation in diverse club and community projects developed to preserve the past, promote the present, and inspire the future.

How are you and your club preserving the past and promoting the present? Here are a few ideas:

• It is not too early to develop a proactive public awareness program by offering GFWC history stories to your local news media for Women’s History Month (March), Federation Day (April 24), and Archives Month (October).
• Clubs can partner with local historical institutions to promote the role of your club in local history.
• Host a showing of the GFWC PowerPoint “This Old House”. The WHRC Committee has recently added a scripted, PowerPoint presentation to the list of members-only WHRC Resources. “This Old House” was originally prepared in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the opening of the Women’s History and Resource Center. It has been updated to provide an “armchair tour” of our magnificent, historic home. The PowerPoint slides and historical narrative documents are available in the Member Portal’s Digital.
• Clubs and Members can always make donations in honor or memory of a special clubwoman to GFWC-NC, GFWC-WHRC, your local Historical Society, or Museum.

You can support the GFWC Women’s History and Resource Center by purchasing one of the WHRC Heritage Pins. The pin is a replica of the rising sun pin, GFWC’s original emblem is available in GFWC’s Marketplace. Purchase of the Heritage Pin allows each of us to help preserve GFWC’s historic collection of International Past Presidents’ portraits. The collection of 51 portraits is displayed on the third floor of 1728 N Street. The lack of climate control in the building has taken a significant toll on many of the portrait frames. Proceeds from the Heritage Pin will be used to repair or, as necessary, replace damaged frames. The price of the pin is $15.00

About the design: In 1892, the Committee on the Federation Badge Pin was created to design an image that would reflect the aim of GFWC. Appointees included GFWC’s founder, Jane Cunningham Croly, and its first president, Charlotte Emerson Brown. The Committee chose the sun’s rays and the color blue as elements to symbolize the Federation. The resulting pin, GFWC’s original emblem, featured an image of the rising sun in a blue sky above snow-capped mountains with its rays illuminating “GFWC” in block lettering. An upturned, russet-colored banner displayed the motto, “Unity in Diversity.”

The WHRC Heritage Pin offers a faithful facsimile of the original emblem on an updated lapel pin with a magnetic back. Proceeds from the sale of the WHRC Heritage Pin will be used to repair or replace portrait frames in GFWC’s historic collection of GFWC International Past Presidents’ portraits. The pin is available for purchase through the GFWC Marketplace.

Recording History!

Thanks to the many clubs who have taken the time to write up community service projects and share them with us on Facebook this summer. The GFWC-NC Summer of Service project ideas can be found on our GFWC-NC website under the community service tab. Here are a few:

• Encourage healthy physical and emotional lifestyles for children this summer.  Swimming, biking, boating and sports programs that promote skills as well as safety help improve children’s self-esteem and protect them from harmful situations.
• Every woman, no matter how young, needs access to necessities to maintain health and self-esteem. Organizations like Days for Girls and I Support the Girls promote sustainable products to help manage hygiene. Women should not have to sacrifice their dignity, so reach out to elevate the women and girls in your community.
• Celebrations of the 100^thanniversary of the woman’s right to vote were limited, but there is no reason not to celebrate women and the 101^st anniversary on August 26^th! Votes for Women selfie stations at local summer events, campaign yard signs, and voter registration drives are ways to commemorate the occasion. Remember to post with #summerofservice.

GFWC Federation Day, April 24^th, was a great opportunity for projects as well. We appreciate the following clubs for sharing their creativity, participating in the Federation Day contest, and recording our history! And congratulations to the Wake Forest Woman’s Club (WFWC), this year’s Federation Day contest winner!

The Wake Forest Woman’s Club (WFWC) kicked off Federation Day with a financial donation to the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina and continued with a virtual afternoon Tea Party in vintage dress. The highlight of the tea party was traveling back in time and eavesdropping on two clubwomen, “member-actors” in costume, chatting about the accomplishments of the GFWC through the early 1900s. Their original script, performed live at the Tea Party, gave birth to a WFWC original video – “GFWC Beginnings – Unity in Diversity – Federation Day” now posted on the WFWC’s Facebook page!

The North Wilkesboro Woman’s Club began with the curators at the Wilkes Heritage Museum to exhibit historical items from the North Wilkesboro Woman’s Club and the Wilkesboro Woman’s Club which withdrew from the Federation in June 1993. They held their annual tea with vintage hats, gloves and purses and visited the 19th Amendment display to celebrate 100 years of Women’s Right to Vote. They were surprised by a special decorated cake to celebrate the club’s centennial.

Mary Stewart Woman’s Club invited Juanita Bryant, past GFWC International President, to share her inspirational stories from 7 decades of service in a memorable Federation Day. The Club and Debby Bryant, Juanita’s daughter, organized the gathering. A member interviewed Juanita prompting a fountain of information from her years of service at all levels of Club work. A video will be sent to the WHRC at GFWC headquarters. Juanita advised, “make your decision and stick with it.”  Juanita put that into practice to complete the Women’s History and Resource Center as international president.

GFWC of Holden Beach collected much needed items for the Boys and Girls Home of North Carolina. Hundreds of personal care items and a check for $575.00 was delivered on Federation Day. A long-time member sent handmade cards to every club member, and GFWC, GFWC-NC and District 7 officers with the message of “We unite around a renewed commitment to service and civic duty.”

The NC Sorosis President asked members to do a simple act of kindness of their choosing for Federation Day. They gathered and eight blue pinwheels were placed in front of the NC Sorosis Clubhouse sign along with a homemade poster to acknowledge Child Abuse Awareness Month. A member made a $25.00 donation to Stop Soldier Suicide and another baked cookies for the local fire department.

The Woman’s Club of Clayton scheduled a Federation Day program and then created a quiz for members to answer and bring to the April meeting. They had great fun going over the correct answers and the winner received a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant. On to next year!

The Wilmington Woman’s Club honored the firemen at eight fire stations within the City of Wilmington by preparing a variety of baked goodies, delivering them, and thanking them for their service.  They celebrated the firemen as part of Federation Day on April 24^th and fulfilled the promise of GFWC.

Thank you to Federation Day Chairman Pauletta Parker and the judges too!

Wendy Carriker, GFWC-NC Women’s History and Resource Center Chairman, reminds us again in her article this month how important it is to share and preserve our history. The Women’s History and Resource Center in Washington DC deserves attention and a visit as well.

Remember every summer has a story, so be sure to share yours!

In Federation Spirit,

Karen Throckmorton, GFWC-NC 1^st Vice President

Pam Mediano, GFWC-NC Dean of Junior Community Service Programs

RETAINING MEMBERS IS A TWO-STEP PROCESS – STEP 2 

As we mentioned in July, retaining members is a two-step process – your club and your membership are both key players.  Last month we shared how your club contributes to membership retention and this month we will look inside your club and discuss how your members have a significant impact on retention.

What is your club doing to keep members coming back year after year?  Do your members understand the projects they are asked to support?  What is it that drew someone to visit your club, join your club and then, perhaps, never return to your club?

FUN is what we want our members to feel when they attend a club meeting. FUN is infectious and allows you to release the stress of the day and then you can concentrate on the business at hand.  Smiles and laughter also make a “visitor” relax!  Here are a few ideas to bring in the FUN:

• Open your meeting with an inspirational reading or quote.
• Always have food…remember if you feed them, they will come!
• Involve as many members in project development/discussion as feasible.
• Educate your members so they know that they are part of district and state organizations. Encourage your members to attend district and state level meetings so they can see firsthand the overall affect GFWC plays in their state.
• Be sure to recognize members for their hard work – even a small verbal thank you will be enough to brighten a member’s day!

Remember, a happy, fulfilled member is the single best tool to recruit new members. And each new member recruited will expand your club’s base to recruit additional new members. Need more details on Membership Retention?  Check out the Member Portal on the GFWC website.

Don’t forget our incentive for this club year!   The GFWC-NC Membership Committee is going to have a drawing at the end of each of the four “seasons” for a $25 gift card that we hope will help your club celebrate its newest members!  Maybe host a social, or purchase a gift for each new member, or whatever you choose.  Then at the end of the year there will be another drawing for a grand prize that will include a $100 gift card and lots of other fun stuff for your club.  The catch??  Your club must submit the GFWC Seasonal Recruitment Campaign Report to GFWC and send a copy to Kim Fulcher.  Be sure to submit for each “season” your club adds new members.  Even if you only took in one new member – REPORT it and your club will be eligible for the drawing – first one will be in September so don’t forget to submit your report by September 1, 2021!

RETAINING MEMBERS IS A TWO-STEP PROCESS

Retaining members is a two-step process – your club and your membership are both key players.  This month’s article will discuss the club’s role in helping to keep your members and in August we will look inside your club and discuss how members impact retention.

Have you looked closely at your club and reflected on what it is that keeps members engaged and more importantly, what makes them leave?  Looking at our club to find out why members leave is often difficult but it is important to reflect on your club and discover and know why members join in the first place, and also why members decide your club is no longer where they want to be.  Here are a few things to think about…

• What works? At the beginning of each club year poll your members and ask them what they liked and disliked over the past year.  LISTEN to your members and make changes if needed.  Projects run their course and often members lose interest, or the project is no longer relevant – steer clear of the phrase “We do this project because we always have.”  Make a change and stir up excitement!
• What kind of club are we? Look at your members – are they young professionals?  Stay at home moms?  Retired and semi-retired?  What are their needs, what kind of club work interests them, how can you keep them engaged?  Consider the availability of your members and cater to them to make sure meeting times and activities are working and doable for all.
• Do you really involve ALL members? Members stay when they are engaged and have “ownership” within the club.  Be sure everyone has a job or purpose in the club no matter the size – some leaders come are destined to be President, and others are happiest as workers.  Take some time to reflect.  When you KNOW your members and their needs, you KEEP them!

For more detailed information please go to the Member Portal on the GFWC website.

Don’t forget our incentive for this club year!   The GFWC-NC Membership Committee is going to have a drawing at the end of each of the four “seasons” for a $25 gift card that we hope will help your club celebrate its newest members!  Maybe host a social, or purchase a gift for each new member, or whatever you choose.  Then at the end of the year there will be another drawing for a grand prize that will include a $100 gift card and lots of other fun stuff for your club.  The catch??  Your club must submit the GFWC Seasonal Recruitment Campaign Report to GFWC and send a copy to Kim Fulcher.  Be sure to submit for each “season” your club adds new members.  Even if you only took in one new member – REPORT it and your club will be eligible for the drawing!