Key
Club Membership Development
 There
is no secret formula to membership development. Membership development
takes work, determination, creativity, and enthusiasm. But, most important,
it takes a plan.
Although club members should always be on
the lookout for students who would make good Key Clubbers, Key Club International
recommends that your club have two membership drives. One occurring at
the beginning of your school year, the fall drive, and one occurring at
the end of your school year, the spring drive. The reason for suggesting
a membership drive in the spring, as well as in the fall, is very important.
It will strengthen your club in the summer, so it will be in full operation
when school starts.
To ensure the success of your club’s effort,
review and utilize the following membership development resources:
How to Approach
Potential New Members
Approaching prospective members can be done
by using various methods. Many clubs open their membership to all interested
students and by means of posters, school announcements, and displays at
orientation meetings invite interested students to attend an informational
meeting. Hanging posters and flyers in areas where students congregate
is very important. You cannot over-advertise a meeting. Make sure the
word is out.
But sometimes, membership is difficult to
build at certain times through the year. Using a "gimmick" to
provide incentives for people might help get people to the informational
meeting. Advertise this gimmick to encourage attendance. A gimmick can
be anything from building the biggest banana split to drawing for free
tickets to an upcoming school event. While you have the prospects at the
meeting, make sure you provide information about Key Club in a motivating
and exciting manner.
A social gathering might also provide a casual
but entertaining evening for club prospects. Perhaps a swim party at the
beginning of the school year for all members and new prospects could be
held to get the word out about Key Club. Make the event fun, but informative.
Membership should remain open to all students.
Some clubs set limits on the number of members allowed, but a club that
establishes a membership quota not only denies prospective members the
opportunity to serve, but limits the scope and amount of service the club
can provide as well. The argument that a large membership is harder to
work with and more difficult to monitor is refuted by the many clubs with
more than 100 member that can boast an active membership with a successful
service record.
Establish Goals
Anticipate your club’s manpower needs.
Does your club participate in regularly scheduled projects that require
a certain number of manhours for completion? Are there projects that your
club has set aside due to a lack of members? Consider the history of
your club’s membership. Has your club experienced steady and sufficient
growth? Have the members expanded their contribution to the school and
community?
Establishing performance standards for individual
members through the use of a point system can help prospective members
(along with present members) realize the emphasis Key Club places on participation.
Such standards would also allow the club to highlight the accomplishments
of the club’s go-getters. A sample point system can be found later in
this document.
There is a growing demand for people to address
the needs of the community. Key Club can help meet that demand.
Develop a Prospect List
Remember that caring and sincerity are key words in your search for new
members. Look for students with a desire to serve. Freshmen and sophomore
representatives should be given top priority because they are the future
of any Key Club and are too often overlooked by older club members.
Get input from your principal, guidance counselors,
teachers, and fellow club members. They might know names of students interested
in joining an organization like Key Club. Try to increase your membership
with students from a variety of backgrounds to provide diversity to your
club.
Suggestions
for a Successful Membership Drive
Establish Goals. Determine, as a club or as
a board, the number of new members you are to striving for. Provide incentives
for present members for bringing new members.
Advertise. Make sure that for whatever format
your club chooses to recruit new members that the entire student body
is aware of it. Posters, flyers, table tents in the lunchroom, announcements,
school newsletters, bulletin boards, electronic bulletin boards, and personal
contact should all be used to get the word out about an upcoming Key Club
recruitment event.
Be organized. Planning an informational membership
event, regardless of whether or not it is a social or formal event, needs
to be thorough and done well in advance. Involve your club officers and
as many members as possible. Establish a timetable. Arrange for the facilities,
refreshments, and all outside assistance.
Get help from outside sources. The club can
contact the division’s lieutenant governor for ideas. Perhaps a district
officer would be available to speak at the meeting.
Arrange for transportation. This is probably
the most overlooked aspect of membership. Assign upperclassmen to a transportation
committee to provide transportation for those students who have difficulty
making meetings and projects outside of school hours.
Invite students to join . After the informational
aspects of your membership event are completed, present a membership application
to each prospect. Avoid high-pressured salesmanship, but make sure you
do ask all prospect to join the club. Follow up on all prospects and access
from their responses how successful your events/meetings have been in
recruitment.
Assign duties to new members. Students who
join the club should be formally inducted at an installation meeting.
They should be assigned specific duties within the club immediately. It
is important for new members to feel useful and needed. Don’t over do
it, though, as you don’t want your new members to experience burn-out.
The club structure. All members, new and old,
should know exactly how they fit into the club’s structure. All members
are important - all should be involved in committees and projects that
rely on their participation. The viability of the club depends on the
involvement of the total membership, and it’s best to start new members
out right.
Letter of Invitation
for Prospective Members
Key Club of <School Name> High School
Dear <Name>,
Key Club International is the world's largest
high school service organization with a membership of nearly 240,000 members
in 24 nations and geographic areas. Almost 5,000 campuses make Key
Club part of their school.
Although primarily a service organization,
Key Club strives to produce well-rounded students. Service to school and
community, and the enrichment of personal ideals are the basic goals of
this organization. However, athletics, social functions, banquets, conventions,
and rallies are part of the overall program. The Motto, "CARING -
OUR WAY OF LIFE," attest to the tradition and dedication to active
service Key Club has maintained since 1925.
Our Key Club is an excellent example of this
organization. We are involved in <insert club projects>.
Each September and March the Key Club holds
a membership drive and invites prospective members composed of the school’s
most outstanding, caring people. Your name was considered by the school
principal, school counselors and club members.
With this short background, it is with great
pleasure that I am informing you of your invitation to join the world’s
largest high school service organization. You are invited to the club’s
informational meeting on <date time>. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely yours,
President
Committee Chairman
Faculty Advisor
Agenda
for Meeting with Prospective Members
- Call to Order - President
- Pledge - Member
- Introduction of Guests and General Welcome - Membership Chairperson
- Key Club, A General Overview - President
- Key Club’s Relationship to Kiwanis - Kiwanis Advisor
- Key Club’s Relationship to School - Faculty Advisor
- Experiences Unique to Key Club - Member
- Service Projects Performed in The Past - Member
- Structure of Key Club International - Member
- District and International Conventions - Member (who has attended)
- What Key Club Means to Me - Member
- Show Video or PowerPoint- MEP video, club video of past projects,
Key Club marketing video or pictures of club/district projects.
- Adjournment for refreshments
- Invitation for prospective members to join or come back for additional
education on the Key Club program and induction into the club.
- Final Adjournment
Sample Application
Applications should be printed and passed out at the end of the first
informational meeting to all prospective members. Many different types
of applications can be used depending on what information you want to
know about your prospective members.
Membership Form
Key Club Of <School Name> High School
Name:
Address:
Grade:
Phone:
In answering the following questions, please
be sincere and honest with yourself and the membership of this club.
What are your interests?
What organizations do you now belong to or
have you belonged to? List any offices held.
List any honors or special achievements you
have received, explain:
What "out of school" activities
do you participate in?
Why do you want to join Key Club and what
can you contribute if you do join?
Do you have or would you need transportation
to projects or meetings?
Do you have a friend you would like to have
join the club with you?
If so, give his/her name
It is our aim to get to know you as well as
possible through this application. With this in mind, please list any
concerns, experiences, or anything else you would want us to know.
Applicant’s signature |
