Membership & Leadership: Spring is the Season for Growth

Spring is the Season for Growth

Spring in the VFW Auxiliary is a signal that the Program Year is coming to a close and programs are winding down. However, that is NOT the case with Membership! Just as your flowers and gardens start to grow, we need the VFW Auxiliary to grow. We need to present a bouquet of new members to help our Departments reach 100% plus. It’s time to spring up and bring new members into our organization. Everyone has worked so hard this year on Membership – let’s make sure we finish strong!

Congratulations to the following Departments that have reached 100% plus*:

• Alabama
• Delaware
• Rhode Island

Congratulations to the following Departments have reached 95% plus*:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Florida
• Idaho
• Indiana
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Virginia
• Vermont

Every year we work very hard recruiting new members, and that’s great! However, we also need to work just as hard retaining current members.

• Be kind – Be nice to all members and be happy to see them. Say positive things to them and make them feel welcome.
• Mentor – Teach them about our organization and all the great things we do for veterans.
• Involve – Find out their interests and incorporate them into events and activities.
• Listen – Be open to new ideas and trying new activities.

We hope you have been working on your list of unpaid continuous members through phone calls, emails and text messages to get them current on their dues. Please make sure they understand that as of July 1, 2018, they will be dropped from our membership rolls and will have to re-apply to be a member of this great organization. All of these unpaid members will lose their continuous years as a member and will have to wait a full year after their rejoin date to be eligible for a cancer grant.

I challenge everyone, especially our newer members, to get out and bring in a new member. Each of you has at least one friend or family member that is eligible to join the VFW Auxiliary. Every member understands the benefits we bring to the VFW and our veterans. If we build our teams/Auxiliaries at the local level, we can do more for our veterans everywhere!

Don’t forget to send in your award form for the “Catch 5” Pin after you sign up five (5) new  and/or rejoined members. If you have recruited five (5) and have not sent in your form, there’s still time to get your Pin. There is also an award for recruiting 20 new members – the National Achievement Award.  This is an awesome accomplishment,  so please make sure you send the award form in to receive your award at National Convention!

Remember it all starts with each of us recruiting “Just One!”

*As of April 2, 2018