Membership Tip of the Month DECEMBER 2004 - RELAX Do you desparately need new members?  Feel like things can't go on if you don't get some new members soon?  If you do, then you have two options.  First you can ask your State or Pomona Grange for help.  Second you can relax. Relaxing doesn't mean stop doing things to attract potential members.  It means taking a look at your attitude.  We need members to serve the community and we need members to bring new ideas into our Grange.  During times when we need someone new we often get anxious.  We can forget that what we really need is a new friend to make our Grange stronger. When you are not pressuring someone to join because you need something, it is far more likely that you will listen to what they are looking for.  When you know what they want, you can share how the Grange will meet their needs.  When that happens, you are going to be more successful at getting them to join your Grange. When things look difficult in your Grange try to relax and you will find it is easier to gain new members. NOVEMBER 2004 - USE INVITATIONS Does it seem that it is difficult to get someone new to come to anything at your Grange?  Or maybe people come to your fund-raisers, but don't seem to ever join?  If you want more people attend an activity or are looking for ways to get your members to ask people to join, why not try an invitation. A written personal invitation may seem a bit old fashioned in this day, but it still carries importance.  When someone receives an invitation from a member of your Grange, it does several positive things.  One, it lets them know that they are considered important and we want them to be a part of the event.  Two, it personalizes the Grange as someone they know is asking them to participate.  Three, it is a written reminder that is much harder to forget than a verbal notice is. A benefit for your members is that if each writes one invitation a year, most will feel that they have done something positive for their Grange.  They will know that they have done something to help build their Grange. Use invitations in your Grange and you will find it is easier to gain new members. OCTOBER 2004 - DO ONE NEW THING How people view your Grange helps to determine how difficult it is to recruit new members or retain your existing membership.  Do members know what is going to happen at every meeting?  Maybe your community knows that each year the Grange does a certain project or fund-raiser.  If you want to capture people's or members' attention one way is to do something new. It doesn't matter how big or small a new project, event, or fund-raiser is, as long as it is new and exciting for your members.  If the members who are going to be involved with the "new thing" are excited then other members may get interested.  Even more important is that fact that if your members are talking about the "new thing" then the public will hear of it from them. If you capture the attention of the public with a "new thing" recruiting new members becomes much easier.  Something new gives a freshness to your Grange and often can make us relevant to different people in the community.  When you make a connection with someone, it grows our Grange family. Make it a habit to do one new thing in your Grange and you will find it easier to gain new members. SEPTEMBER 2004 - GET YOUR WALLS TO TALK What do the walls of your Grange hall tell visitors?  Do they inform prople about what your Grange is doing and what you've been recognized for doing recently?  Are the walls covered with pictures and awards from 30 or more years ago, or are the walls bare with only a few paintings? If you want new members, one thing is to change the public's perception of your Grange. If you allow others to use your hall or if you rent it to the public for various events, then use your walls to change their perception of your Grange.  Ask youself, what would be interesting to look at if I slowly walked around the room?  History is important, but today is critical. Make sure that something recent is displayed on the walls of your Grange.  Hang a newletter on your bulletin board.  Put up pictures of your members having fun or awards that the Grange has received recently.  Advertise your upcoming events and remember to highlight the ones that are open to the community.  Showcase your strengths and the things that are important to your Grange. Let your Grange walls tell the story of your Grange and you will find it is easier to gain new members. AUGUST 2004 - EXPAND YOUR COMFORT ZONE Do you get butterflies in your stomach when you meet new people?  Does doing something new make you anxious?  Are you willing to take a personal risk to make some new friends?  If you are, then the first thing you need to do is step out of your comfort zone.  Being in a rut and being in your comfort zone can be similar things. It is normal to be uncomfortable when confronted with having to talk to people you don't know or to share something personal with someone you just met.  The only way to expand your comfort zone is to expand it on a regular basis.  If you get nervous talking to people about the Grange, you must start doing it.  Just mention that you had, or are going to, a Grange meeting, event, or activity to someone new twice a week. If you do it twice a week, soon it will be easy to mention the Grange several times a week and it will become a habit.  Stepping out of your comfort zone is hardest the first few times.  After that, it gets easier and soon you will find that your comfort zone has expanded.  Remember that when you stop doing something, your comfort zone will retract.  It is your choice how big your comfort zone is. When you expand your comfort zone, you will make new friends and gain new members for your Grange. JULY 2004 - SPEAK UP Do you ever wonder why people don't join the Grange?  A common answer is that they don't know about the Grange.  Start with a "Keep it Simple" idea.  If you want people in your community to join your Grange, you must learn to speak up. Talk about your Grange in a positive fashion.  Find something positive and tell people about it.  The great program, the exciting guest, the wonderful activity or event that is scheduled or anything that you can brag about should be your motivation to tell others about your activities.  Speak up about the Grange every day to anyone you would normally talk to. Most people will have to step out of their comfort zone to speak up about the Grange.  Remember that the first time is the hardest.  After that it will get easier and you will find it has a side effect.  You will start to be more positive and excited about your Grange.  Telling others about what you are doing shows you value the Grange and that it is an important part of your life. Speak up to others about your Grange and watch incredible things happen. JUNE 2004 - THE IMPORTANT THING Do you need new members to keep things going?  If so, quit worrying about getting membership.  Make it your secondary concern,  Worry, and think, about the important thing. The important thing is what value does your Grange give to the community.  There are a lot of ways to give value, but they all require that the members be out doing something as a Grange.  Getting your hands dirty, at least figuratively, is necessary.  While writing checks is great, the community needs to see members doing something positive that benefits people. The important thing can be legislative action, community service, or educational.  It is important that it is relevant to the community and to your members.  It is also important that it be perceived as something the members are enjoying.  When your Grange does the important thing and people see the value and the fun, membership becomes an attractive option for them. When your Grange focuses on the important thing, watch the incredible happen! MAY 2004 - ASK FOR HELP Do you find it hard to recruit new members?  If so, try asking a nonmember for help.  There are several good reasons to ask for help in your Grange.  First, it means that your Grange is doing either something or planning on doing something.  After all, we don't ask people to help when we don't need it.  Look for assistance for a project that may be getting too big for your members or for a new project that will benefit the community. Second, when you ask for help you are making the person you ask feel important and needed.  When a person believes that others think that they are important, it raises the person's opinion of that group.  You are far more likely to join a group if you know they think you are needed and important to their success. Lastly, when someone does help you out, you will learn more about them and what interests them.  This will make recruitment much easier as you will have a much better idea of what they are looking for.  Also they will already have bought into the Grange to a degree because of their involvement. Ask someone to help your Grange and watch the incredible happen! APRIL 2004 - MAKE A BROCHURE Does your Grange have a brochure to hand out to prospective members or to have on a table at your Grange hall?  While the National Grange has a good brochure and several states have created great informational brochures, they are general to most Granges.  If you have members who can create a good-looking brochure that shows your Granges' activities, it will be the best brochure for your Grange. Keep in mind that people join organizations like ours for many reasons.  The number one reason is to be with friends and to make new friends.  The number two reason is to have fun.  Share those elements along with the important things in your Grange in a simple, brief, easy-to-read brochure and see what your members think of it. The closer to home the brochure is, the more effective it can be.  People in your community want to know about your Grange, not general information about the organization.  After all, they will either join your Grange or not join at all.  Brag about your Grange with a brochure that is customized for your community. Build a team to design a brochure for your Grange and watch the incredible happen! MARCH - 2004 GET EXCITED Have you ever been around someone who was excited about something?  Have you ever been filled with excitement about something at your Grange?  Well, it's time to get excited again.  Take a look at your current activities and programs and see if anything excites you.  Does your heart race a little, or do your eyes sparkle a little more than usual when you think of that one thing? If not, then what will make that feeling happen?  Either dive into that current activity or program or suggest that your Grange do something new that will make you feel that excitement.  If you want new members, the easiest way to attract them is for you and your fellow members to be excited about something in your Grange. It is impossible to be negative or down when you're excited about something. When you're positive, upbeat, and excited people want to know what is going on, and often, how can they share in the experience.  It doesn't matter how small or large the activity, program or event is, the important factor is that you are excited and when you're excited people will ask you about what is going on.  All you have to do to start recruiting new members is to share your Grange excitement. Get excited about something in your Grange and watch the incredible happen! FEBRUARY 2004 - USE THE GRANGE THEME "The Grange: Advocating for American Values" is the 2004-05 theme for the National Grange.  Try using this in your Grange to recruit new members.  Find a way to identify your Grange with an American Value in the eyes of your community. As an example, your Grange could donate a beautiful copy of the Bill of Rights or of Lincoln's Gettysburg address to your local school for each classroom.  Remember to let your local media know what you've done.  In looking for ways to assist Granges in using our theme, the National Grange Sales Department will send you as many copies of these two items as you need for just the actual cost of shipping (while supplies last).  Using the theme in an active way will make people in your community aware of the values of the Grange and may generate interest in those who share these values in joining your Grange.  People want to be around those who have something in common with them.  Let's show our communities what we believe in and who the Grange is. Find an active way to use the Grange theme and watch your Grange grow! JANUARY 2004 - SMILE How do your non Grange friends and family perceive the Grange through you and your fellow members?  Do you sometimes catch yourself talking about the "good old days" or griping about someone?  Does it frustrate you that your fellow members are not always as positive as they could be? If so, try smiling whenever you say Grange.  Challenge yourself and your fellow members to smile whenever they talk about Grange.  This may seem silly, but if you are up to this challenge it will change your, and your fellow members, attitude toward the Grange. It is very difficult to be negative when you're smiling.  When you smile and talk about something, you project a positive image.  A smile has been shown to actually improve your own attitude and outlook.  A smiling person is more trusted and is someone others want to be around. Start smiling whenever you talk about your Grange and make growth happen!