Linda Compton
2016-2017 National Chief of Staff/Extension
Chief of Staff: Resources in the Auxiliary Toolkit
Auxiliaries are always looking for ways to improve attendance at meetings and getting everyone involved. There are tools in your Auxiliary Toolkit to help. All of the tools listed below are on the Resources page of the National Organization’s website behind Member Login.
- Auxiliary Member Questionnaire
Completion of this questionnaire by your members helps the Auxiliary know what members like, what they dislike, and allows them to express their ideas in order to attract greater attendance. - Auxiliary Sample Meeting Agenda
Our ritual provides agenda outline for conducting meetings. The President can check with the Secretary and Treasurer and draw up an agenda about unfinished business, projects to be discussed, motions to be voted on and any other business. This helps keep meeting on track and ready to move to “new business.” - Communication Phone/Text Tree
This tree shows how to set up the phone/text communication network to remind members about upcoming meetings or Auxiliary events. This is a great way for officers, chairmen, and members to get comfortable with open lines of communication. - 5 Essentials of an Auxiliary Card
The card lists the five requirements every Auxiliary must meet in order to prevent suspension. You can print them off and be sure your officers, chairmen, and members have it. A great tool to help keep the Auxiliary happy and healthy. - Mentoring Guide
The Mentoring Guide provides a great step-by-step approach to communication between the Auxiliary and new members. It lets the new member know that he/she is important to our great work and their membership with the Auxiliary is valuable. - Good Job Award and Healthy Auxiliary Certificates
These are great ways to recognize the outstanding support of a member and/or the Auxiliary. Everyone likes to be thanked for their time and service.
While the Auxiliary Toolkit serves as a guideline to increase meeting attendance, let’s think outside the box for some other suggestions. When looking within ourselves, we need to ask if our meetings can be improved. To engage every member, we must ask – Are you…
- Informed and dedicated?
- Creative and enthusiastic?
- Flexible and willing to adapt?
These are just a few ideas to show you are open-minded and receptive if change is required. We all know change can be difficult to accept, but we must move forward and use all avenues of communication. Think about what your members want to get from their association with the Auxiliary. The answers could generate ways to energize our meeting rooms and motivate our members to work even harder on the programs and projects that help ALL of our veterans.
Don’t be afraid to try something new! Remember the saying, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!
Be positive and remember that kindness is best when it is shared.
