Grow your membership!

Did you know that if every Kiwanis Club in the Kentucky-Tennessee District would get one new member – we would be on the plus side of membership for the Kiwanis year? But you only have about a month to achieve this. This is an especially good time for new members to join Kiwanis because of the new pro-rated reduced new-member dues for now until the end of the year. Ask your club secretary how much it would cost for a new member for August and September.

Many clubs have shown their capacity to attract new members. Following is a list of the clubs that have attracted 5 or more new members than they started with on October 1, 2009. And, of course, there are many more clubs that have positive increases that are fewer than 5 new members. But I especially wanted to recognize those clubs – because they show that significant increases of existing clubs are possible. These clubs, listed alphabetically by their membership increases are: Richmond, KY + 21, Rockcastle County + 10, Hopkinsville, KY +8, Jonesboro, TN +8, Irvine Ravenna, KY +7, Paducah, KY +7, Glasgow, KY +6, Louisville, KY +6, Sevierville, TN +5, Bowling Green, KY +5, Frankfort, KY +5, Johnson City, TN +5, Hazard, Ky +5, Ooltewah-Collegedale, TN +5, Spring Hill, TN +5, and Tullahoma, TN +5

I am so proud of my home club – Richmond, KY. Under the leadership of Club President Ray DeSloover, the club spent one club meeting writing personal letters to people in the community who they thought would make excellent Kiwanians (whether or not they knew that individual). They were invited to a free pizza party meeting at which six persons who were with agencies the club supports explained how Kiwanis was a significant force for good in the community – and these representatives described what Kiwanis did for their organization. The net result was 19 new members from that single effort. You might try that approach.

Another approach has been suggested by the Missouri-Arkansas District.

The Mo-Ark Governor Mike Grimes wrote to all of the Kiwanians in his district, “I am begging EVERY club to have a BAG Day in your Club. BAG Day stands for Bring A Guest Day! You can download the posters from the K-T District site by going to this URL:

BAG Day Poster (PDF)

PLEASE try this … Here is what I am asking you to do…

1. Set a BAG Day for your club meeting the week of August 31 to September 3 OR at the latest the week of September 13 -17.

2. Give every member a copy of a BAG Day poster to put up at work or on their dashboard to remind them to Bring at least One Guest with them on this special day. Do this two weeks before you set your BAG Day. Mail it to the members that aren’t there if you can. Tell them ALL visitors will have a FREE meal for coming.

3. The week before your BAG Day … give every member a copy of the 2nd poster and ask them to put it somewhere that they will see it every day. Really promote it!!!

4. Have a special program planned on BAG DAY! Be sure and welcome and introduce any visitors that come and ASK them to join!

5. Immediately … send their applications in online or by mail to Kiwanis International. For August it is only $12 and for Sept it is only $6 each. And then email me and let me know the success of your BAG Day.

Remember – if you add a new member to your club roster in the KT District – the new Kiwanian will pay $17 in August ($12 KI and $5 KT add fees) and they will pay $11 in September ($6 KI and $5 KT add fees).  KT reduces its new add fees by $5 each quarter.

Above a couple of ideas that you can try to help your club and service to your community grow. If you come up with any new ideas that are successful – please share them at the convention or send them to me so I can forward them for use on our blog, our web site, and our K-T News.

Recently I visited the Kiwanis Clubs of Sevierville and Spring City. I’ll soon be visiting the following clubs to help them celebrate major anniversaries of the founding of their clubs. Sweetwater, TN on August 19, Maryville, TN on August 21. Coffee County in Manchester (their charter banquet on August 30, and Newport on September 1. President Paul Palazzolo will be the principal speaker at the Newport event.

So if I don’t see you at any of the above events – I ‘ll see you in Clarksville, TN at the September 8-11 K-T District Convention!

Glen

Glen Kleine
Governor
Kentucky-Tennessee District
Kiwanis International