Written By: Sophia Slavov, Membership Growth & Retention Chair
Adding members to your club’s roster can be an intimidating task. Membership growth calls for dedication, creativity, and enthusiasm. However, most importantly, it entails a plan. Accordingly, clubs should establish two membership drives, a fall and spring drive, during the Key Club year. Initiating these drives will strengthen your club in the summer, allowing your club to complete service over the course of summer in addition to maintaining an enthusiastic membership base when school begins. Various methods may be used when approaching prospective members by means of inviting interested students to attend an informational meeting through posters, intercom announcements, and displays at freshman orientation meetings. Hanging banners and posters in spaces where students congregate is also very important.
To help spread the word about Key Club, a project or large fundraiser should be planned at your school. Once students can envision the joy of volunteering and bettering their community, they will likely join. An example of a project that may institute such change is Club Buddies. Since the start of the school year is the greatest time to bring new recruits to the Key Club family, it is also an opportunity to showcase your club’s experienced members to the student body. At the start of each year, match upperclassmen Key Club members with freshmen, new students and potential Key Clubbers. Simply saying a few words each day may help new faces feel included and at home at Key Club, and will do wonders for your club’s growth.