Membership R & R Challenge Friday, May 1, 2015 San Ramon, CA Soroptimist International Founder Region

Membership Committee Chair: Latresa Daniel District II Gina Moore SI Antioch District IV Sandy Frazier SI Santa Rosa District V Donna Ayres SI Eureka District VI Paulette Suzuki SI Honolulu District I – Margot Roache-Greene, SI the East Bay District III – Alicia Cook, SI Vallejo

We’re here for you to… Facilitate transfer of prospective member introduction forms Assist with club development Champion civility within clubs Provide recruitment event planning and assistance Be a membership resource

Updates to Membership Criteria and Membership Types What bylaws changes were made to membership criteria? Membership in clubs is no longer based on occupations and classifications. Each club shall maintain a membership of individuals from the community who support SIA’s mission. Regular, Retired/Unemployed, and Embarking members will now all be known as “Regular” members. Why was occupational status removed? At the time Soroptimist was formed, there was a need to base the organization around business and professional women and classifications were an important value as women broke new ground in the workplace. This no longer holds true in present day. To be of service in helping women and girls improve their lives, the employment status of a woman is no longer relevant. Membership Types: Regular - a Regular Member is a dues-paying individual who supports SIA’s vision, mission and core values. Life -members who achieved Life Member status by July 2001 and who have maintained that status.

Membership Reminder Clubs should maintain 12 or more regular members No club shall forfeit its charter due to having 11 or fewer of these types The number of members in a club is no longer included in the definition of a club to be in good standing To charter a new club, a minimum of 12 regular members are necessary

Challenge: Recruitment Problem: Our club has not realized an increase in members for one entire year or has realized a net decrease in membership for 2 consecutive years. Are you actively pursuing members? How many recruitment events have you hosted this year? Have your members personally followed up with each prospect? Do you have engaging guest speakers? Are new members given an appropriate introduction to the club? Does your club offer a New Member Orientation? Most importantly, does your club offer a welcoming atmosphere for new members?

Potential Obstacle: Tradition Must remember we are all volunteers. Even if people can’t attend, they pay dues and are ambassadors for the organization. “Unless the club opens up to younger women's concerns and issues in terms of projects, meeting speakers, and so on, it's going to be less than appealing for women like me.” “Soroptimist felt like a sorority, bound by tradition more than service.” Soroptimist Pledge –  The pledge is not required; headquarters does not keep it on the website, and when questioned about it, encourages clubs to find another way to give voice to its inspiration. It is a rather antiquated statement that has not aged well with modern society, and has never been used in any other Soroptimist federation.

Resources

Challenge: Retention The club has fallen below the 12 members that Federation Procedures recommend clubs maintain. Evaluate your retention efforts. Are your meetings held at a convenient time and location? Are your meetings interactive and engaging? How do you ensure that all members feel valued and committed? Develop a recruitment and retention plan that maximizes the strengths of your club members. Have meetings become monotonous? Inject social time into meetings. Talk to your members about being a “no-guilt” club.

Potential Obstacle: Change “Some members would shoot down every idea that was brought up and no one wanted to get involved with any new projects.” “I found that certain members were not open to new ideas, much territorialism, ownership of committees. ” Provides an opportunity to review habits and traditions and make improvements Encourages alternative viewpoints Increases problem solving skills and productivity Increases self-confidence Builds resilience Challenges you to improve yourself Promotes personal, social, and emotional growth

SIA Membership Hot Topics! Civility - Healthy club atmosphere First Impressions / Attracting Prospects Moving Soroptimist Forward / More Modern Clubs Create a happy and healthy club experience Use your SIA-created club address

R&R Videos Orientation Change: The Only Thing We Can Count On Engaging Members Adding Fun To Club Meetings Keeping the Peace

Recruitment Campaign Recruitment Campaign Club Year All Aboard The memberSHIP! or All Aboard The Soroptimist Ship! Goal = Enhance the ability of clubs to increase their membership Online recruitment kits, communications/marketing plan, tiered incentives

Enjoy the rest of Conference! Thanks for Attending