View from HQ
Dave Mathewson
Bring in new members through meetings and programs [email protected]
Although it's only mid-August, it won't be long before cooler weather sets in for those of us in parts of the country where we have to deal with cold weather, and our thoughts turn from flying to winter club meetings.
AMA regularly receives calls from club officers asking how they can increase attendance at their meetings. There are a number of things that club leaders can try. Not all may work, but by trying a few ideas, you may get the results you're looking for.
A good club website or newsletter can help encourage members to attend meetings. Use these tools to communicate to your members not only dates of meetings, but some of the issues that will be on the meeting agenda. Mention current programs that the club is working on and the progress that's been made.
Making members aware of club projects—especially those who don't generally attend meetings—raises awareness and may increase participation by those who have an interest in whatever project the club is planning.
Start the meeting early enough so there is time at the end for some to get together for a quick dinner and talk model aviation. Members can have a chance to become friendly with each other in a casual setting and sometimes discussions are more productive than those that take place during the meeting.
Newer members typically attend their first meetings because they are interested in learning more about the club and want to meet their fellow club members. Sometimes it's easy for longtime club members to forget that. Although longtime members are at ease in an environment where they may know nearly everyone in the room, it's not that way for newer members.
... remember that model aviation is an outlet for many and a time to get away from the typical stress and struggles that can occur in the workplace.
Welcome new members. Ask them to introduce themselves and tell the others what attracted them to model aviation and why they joined the club. You'll be surprised at some of the interesting answers you'll hear and doing this will help the new member assimilate into the club setting.
Making a new member feel comfortable will bring him or her back to future meetings.
After the business part of the meeting has concluded, schedule programs that the members will find interesting. Every club has members who have a talent that could be beneficial to others if shared.
Consider a covering demonstration or a seminar about power plants—internal combustion or electric—or maybe hold a building seminar to introduce members to the art of building a model.
Meeting programs don't necessarily need to be modeling related. Many communities have a local EAA chapter. Inviting an EAA member to your meeting to make a presentation can make for an interesting program.
Club members might enjoy listening to a presentation from someone in an organization unrelated to aeromodeling. There are all sorts of options available.
It's good to try to keep club meetings somewhat light. Although club business needs to be done, remember that model aviation is an outlet for many and a time to get away from the typical stress and struggles that can occur in the workplace.
Members have as much of an interest in having a good time at a club meeting as they do in participating in the operation of the club. Occasionally when members disagree with each other, those disagreements should be handled respectfully. If members feel that every club meeting they attend is filled with tension, it won't be long before they stop coming.
This may seem slightly at odds with how some clubs are managed, but consider encouraging members to attend board meetings, although only board members have voting privileges. It can be valuable for new members to learn and understand the club's business operations.
The best time to address keeping meeting attendance high is before there are signs of declining attendance. It is much easier to keep someone engaged than to try to re-engage someone after he or she has lost interest. Make sure members know that the club leaders care about them and their satisfaction as members.
See you next time.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
