Membership: National Membership Week, October 18-24

Joyce Bilyeu

2015-2016 Membership

National Ambassador 

At the time this blog was posted, the following Departments had reached the 80% milestone by September 30:

·         Alaska

·         Alabama

·         Arizona

·         California

·         Delaware

·         Florida

·         Georgia

·         Maine

·         Massachusetts

·         Texas

·         Utah.

Congratulations! These Departments will receive $250 for their hard work in reaching this milestone. Congratulations to all the Departments for working hard towards our record-breaking goal of being 100%+ in membership on a National level. I know you can all do it because you believe in our organization and because our veterans are counting on us.

We are now working on the second milestone, which is to be 90% by December 31. If you reach this goal, your Department will receive $300. If you did not make the first goal of 80% by September 30, you still can reach the December 31 goal!

By now all VFW Auxiliaries should be planning on what they will be doing for National Membership Week, October 18-24, 2015. This week is designated for Auxiliaries all over the United States to be out in communities recruiting new members and also collecting the dues from continuous members. Work side by side with your National Certified Recruiter Trainers for support and training to help prepare your Auxiliary for this week.

Suggestions on projects to do during National Membership Week include the following:

Day 1:  Send out a press release with information about joining the organization. Sample press releases can be found on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page under “National Membership Week Tools.”

Day 2: Set-up a recruitment booth/table at one of your local stores. This could be done each day during National Membership Week. Be sure to review “Recuitment Booth Pointers,”  “Local Talking Points,” and order membership applications and facts leaflets from National Headquarters prior to your event.

Fill your booth with information and resources available to you on the website on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page, under “Recruitment Tools,” including:

• VFW Auxiliary Membership Application

• VFW Auxiliary Facts Leaflet

• 8 Ways You Can Help Veterans Card or Printable Template

• Member Benefits One-Sheeter (two design options)

Day 3:  Form a committee of five or six people and give courtesy calls to members who still need to pay their dues. Check in with them and remind them that if their dues are not paid by December 31, they will no longer be a member in good standing. See if there is any financial support they might need. 

Day 4:  Encourage members to recruit “Just One” New Member. Set a goal to sign up male members this week. 

Day 5: Form a committee to go around the neighborhood to put the VFW Auxiliary “Door Hangers” on residential home doors. Go in groups and maybe ask a VFW member to go with you. There are four different Door Hanger design options available on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page, under “National Membership Week Tools.”

Day 6:  Hold a “Recruitment Dinner or Lunch” and ask members to bring an eligible guest with them. Have materials available to share with them. 

Day 7:  Celebrate all your recruitment efforts. At the end of the week you will be surprised just how much your efforts paid off.  

Each day: Share National Membership Week Facebook Posts for Member Recruitment posted by the National Organization on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/vfwauxiliary or use the Facebook Posts for Member Recruitment and Facebook/Social Media Shareable Options available on the National Organization website's 2015-2016 Membership Materials page, under “National Membership  Week Tools.”

Finally, I just wanted to remind all of the Department Presidents that at National Convention you made the following pledge to our veterans and the organization that your Department will be 100%+ in membership. If  there is any support you need, please feel free to contact me or your Conference Chairman. We are here to help you succeed!

 MEMBERSHIP PLEDGE

I promise my Department will be 100%+ in membership this year.

I make this promise so the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary

will be a larger, stronger, and healthier organization.

I promise that:

When faced with adversity, I will persevere.

When faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.

When faced with excuses, I will accept none.

I commit that my Department will become a “Band of Brothers and Sisters”

to accomplish projects for all veterans and

this commitment to membership will become our strength to the organization.

I promise to bear this commitment this year, and for years to come, because

I am a proud member of the

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Auxiliary.

I promise AMERICA and all VETERANS today that...

There will be NO EXCUSE...MY DEPARTMENT WILL JUST RECRUIT!