1. Membership Why? When? How?
Introduce self: Member of St. Bernadette Council 11214, PGK, FDD

2. Why is Membership Growth Important?
Strengthens our council
Increases charitable outreach
Enhances our insurance stability
Furthers Father McGivney’s vision

3. How do I Create the Membership Team?
Membership Director
Recruitment Committee
Admissions Committee
Retention Committee
Insurance Promotion

4. Membership Director
Manages Recruitment Committee, Retention Committee, and Insurance Promotions Committee
Plans and coordinates council’s schedule of recruitment programs
The membership director is responsible for all membership activities of the council.
He will oversee the chair of each of the committees and should be a participant in each of the committees.

5. Recruitment Committee
Continually keeps a list of potential candidates
Three or more members
Identifies and schedules recruitment drives
Invites potential members to participate in council activities
The recruitment committee should take responsibility for overseeing all recruitment activities for the council.
It is important that the council doesn’t think that this committee is the only people that should be recruiting. They should work with all council members to encourage constant recruiting and working with potential members to get them into the council.
The recruitment committee is responsible to schedule recruitment drives but should get all council members involved. Potential members need to see the diversity of the council members and each person brings a unique perspective.
Use that diversity to enhance your council’s recruitment activities.

6. Admissions Committee Ensures candidates understand the order
Why the Order was founded
What the Order and the council does
What benefits are available
Ensures candidates know the dates of Admissions Degrees
The Admissions Committee should meet with each potential member before he takes his Admissions Degree. It would also be good to include the potential member’s wife and maybe even the family. This will ensure that he knows what he is joining and that his family is also aware. REMEMBER THAT WE ARE A FAMILY ORGANIZATION!

7. Retention Committee
Keeps members interested and participating in activities
Recognizes member’s accomplishments
Ensures new members are welcomed
Communicates with members
Works with Program Director to encourage member participation
Retention begins as soon as a new member finishes his Admissions Degree.
Assign someone to be a mentor—a person that will maintain contact with the new member and invite him to become a part of the council.
There is nothing that drives a new member away more than not feeling like he is part of the council from the very beginning
WHAT IS MISSING FROM THIS LIST OF RETENTION COMMITTEE DUTIES? Retention is not about keeping a member from leaving. It’s about keeping members engaged and participating.

8. Insurance Promotions
Ensure candidates understand the purpose of our Order
Encourage members to meet with Benefits Advisor
Share agent’s message at meetings that Field Agent can’t attend
Remember the reason the Order was founded. Make sure that all new members understand the insurance products that they get just by joining the council. Help them to understand the products that are available to them and their families and that the Fraternal Benefits Advisor is a friend and Brother Knight—not just some salesperson trying to sell them something they don’t need.
Tell story about insurance vs. survivor annuity/

9. What is the Quota?
Explain membership quota and insurance quota as requirements for Star Council.

10. What Affects the Quota? New members (+) Readmissions (+)
Former associate members that have been suspended less than 7 years
Reapplications (+)
Former associate members that have been suspended more than 7 years
Reactivations (+)
Insurance members that have been suspended
Counts double!
New member
New insurance member
Suspensions (-)
Members quitting (-)

11. What Doesn’t Affect the Quota
Transfers in from other councils
Transfers out to other councils
Deaths of members
It is still good to get more members into your council but it doesn’t help you toward your quota.
Likewise, it is good to keep a member from leaving the order if he moves….and it doesn’t hurt your progress toward your quota.

12. How Do We Recruit New Members?
Lead by Example
Grand Knight needs to recruit new members
Speak about membership at every meeting
Ensure Church Drives are planned and executed
Orderwide Church Drives are in October and March
But this isn’t the only time for recruiting
The GK is always at the front of the council. If the council doesn’t feel like membership is important to you then why would they think it’s important to recruit new members?
You should talk about membership at every council meeting. Make it a regular part of your Grand Knight’s report.
Make it a point that YOU earn the Silver Knight award as an example to the council of how important membership recruiting is to you.

13. How Do We Recruit New Members?
Plan what you say to a prospective member
Why did you join the K of C?
Why are you still in the K of C?
What made you commit to be an officer and the GK?
Be ready with an elevator speech
Always be ready with a Form 100
Do your members have Form 100s?
Can they get one immediately, if needed?
If not, you stand to lose a new member
ALWAYS be ready to speak with a Catholic man about our Order.
It isn’t hard to do—contrary to what I hear frequently. Just talk about what you like about the K of C. If you think a prospective member has something that will make him connect with another member, then put the two men in touch with each other. It isn’t about who recruits, but THAT we recruit.
Pair up with someone near you and give a 30 second spiel about the K of C

14. What is expected of councils?
Get started on membership activities NOW
Don’t wait until after the summer or you’ll be behind
Recruit one new member per council per month
This will ensure Star Council for membership growth for most councils
Hold Admissions Degrees regularly to bring in new members
Work with new members to get them through Formation and Knighthood degrees in a timely manner

15. What do we EXPECT from a new member?
Participation when he’s available?
One activity per year?
One activity per month?
One hour per month?
Attend every meeting?
Be a leader for an activity?
Earn Knighthood degree
Ideally a new member would be very active but that isn’t necessary or even reasonable in some cases. Speak with him about what he wants from and what he thinks he can give to the council.
One activity per year is ok if that’s what he can do.
It’s more important to get a man and a family that is a contributor at whatever level they can give than to lose them because they get burned out from expectations that are higher than they can meet.

16. Promote the Insurance Program
This is part of the requirement for Star Council
Remember why the Order was founded
Speak about that
It’s NOT about the quota; it’s about protecting our families!
Become familiar with the fraternal benefits available
Work with your Fraternal Benefits Advisor
Do you know your Fraternal Benefits Advisor?
If not, whose fault is that? Benefits Advisor work at night when they can meet with YOUR members. That means they can’t attend all your council meetings but it also means that they care about your success.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your Benefits Advisor and speak with him. I’m sure he will do whatever he can to help.

17. How Do We Earn Star Council?
Earn Father McGivney Award for Membership Growth
Earn Founders Award for Insurance Growth
Earn Columbian Award for Programs
Submit SP-7 by June 30
Submit Form 365 by August 1
Form 1728 by January 31
Remember that programs drive membership so your council should be doing the 4 programs in each of the program areas. Just make sure you report them on the SP-7 by the due date. THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD FOR RECEIPT OF THE SP-7 AT SUPREME.
Form 365 is the Report of Service Program Personnel—begin deciding on your team now so they are in place by the time your term begins and then all you need to do is submit the form.
Form 1728 (Report of Fraternal Activities) is how the Order maintains its nonprofit status and is crucial to submit.

18. When Do I Appoint These People?
Your membership team should be in place now
Focus on those people that are outspoken and not afraid to talk to people
Starting early improves your chance at getting new members and earning Star Council
Think about those people in your council that are comfortable talking to people about the K of C. Those are the people you want on your membership team.
Make sure that they are also organized and willing to put in the effort needed to be successful.

19. What Incentives Are There?
VIP Points
Shining Armor Award
Silver Knight Award
I’ll talk more about each of these.
In addition, for the last 3 years, Supreme has given each council earning any level of Star Council a credit of $4.50 per billable member. We don’t know if this will continue but it’s worth thinking about.

20. VIP Points
500 points for each new member recruited are sent to the recruiter by Supreme
500 points = $3
Good at Knights Gear

21. Shining Armor Award Eligible during first year of membership
Requirements
Attend 3 council meetings
Participate in 3 council events
Meet with Benefits Advisor
Attain Third Degree
Recruit 1 new member

22. Silver Knight Award
All requirements must be within a fraternal year (July to June)
Requirements
Earn/Be Third Degree
Attend 3 council meetings
Participate in 3 council events
Recruit 2 new members

23. Online Membership
Online Membership Coordinator Mike Danowski

24. What Help is Available? State Membership Director Your District Deputy
Ron Hassan
Your District Deputy
Your Regional Advisor
What are they???
Who are they???

25. Regional Advisors Duties
Help councils with membership and recruiting
Attend council meetings quarterly
Preferably they will be allowed to address the council about membership
Attend District meetings
Speak on membership activities and offer assistance as needed
THEY ARE HERE TO HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL WITH MEMBERSHIP. Reach out to them!

26. Regional Advisors Prince George’s Region – Keith Hurst
Districts 1, 4, 10, 15
Carroll/Baltimore County Region – Bill Adams
Districts 21, 25, 32
South Baltimore Region – Mike Ragolio
Districts 7, 13, 23, 24
Western Baltimore Region – Jim Klein
Districts 2, 17, 19, 28

27. Regional Advisors Northern Baltimore Region – Curtis Phillips
Districts 5, 16, 27
Montgomery Region – Tony Durso
Districts 6, 11, 18, 30
Southern Maryland Region – David Wilson, Jr & Bill Waldron
Districts 3, 9, 12, 29
Eastern Shore Region – Larry Houck & Tom Irwin
Districts 22, 26
Western Maryland Region – Dirk Griffin & Stephen Penrod
Districts 8, 20, 31

28. Regional Advisors Spanish Councils – District Deputy
College Councils – District Deputy
District 33

29. Questions