Retention How To Keep Your Members Happy & Healthy

Overview Be An Observer Advocate Change Be Responsive & Proactive Provide Open Communication Provide the Foundation Have Fun! Promote Awards & Recognition

Be An Observer The key to success for getting your club back on track is taking the time to examine the state of your club and make positive changes! Is your club open, warm and friendly towards new members or guests? Do you encourage current members to voice their opinions? Does your club have a goal? Do all your members know about the club’s goal? Has attendance dropped or is there low project participation? This is a small list to gauge the health of your club. Please refer to the Healthy Club Tool Kit for samples. You can locate this kit in the Member Centre> Member Development> Club Operations Resources.

Advocate Change How to cope with change? Change can be threatening to some people but it also means growth. As the leader of the club, be the champion for change and embrace change management. You can manage change in an effective manner – the next slide outline how!

Advocate Change Create a sense of urgency! Examine the potential threat the club may face and will it survive if the threat is not addressed Examine the opportunities the club may experience and will it flourish if the opportunities are addressed Create a vision for change! Enlist the benefits for change Get the entire club involved when developing a summary that includes the club’s vision Create a strategy to execute the club’s vision

Be Responsive & Proactive The club needs to work as a unit in order to succeed. Some clubs will find this an easy task, as they share a common goal. In some cases, clubs may find this a challenge. Whichever scenario your club is experiencing, there are solutions. Please refer to the Healthy Club Tool Kit for suggestions!

Be Responsive & Proactive Here’s some tips about being responsive & proactive and working as one unit: Create a comfortable environment where members can share his/her concerns or feelings – should be a safe place to share! Offer a solution and determine what outcome is best for the members - instead of dwelling on what’s wrong, find out what or how to make it right! Mentorship – leadership opportunity for the seasoned members; learning and growing opportunities for new members.

Provide Open Communication Create a comfortable environment for seasoned and new members to share their opinions, thoughts, suggestions and ideas. Encourage input from members when you’re creating bulletins and newsletters. Keeping them engaged and informed is a good step towards retention. Some ideas to keep communication open include: –Suggestion box –Brainstorming sessions –Evaluation or debriefing (post-project) –Encourage inter club visits

Provide the Foundation Members will respond if they feel they play a vital role in the club and are part of a team! –Team building experience to foster relationship building –Mentorship: opportunity for seasoned members to mentor and guide new members –Co-chair projects or other shadowing opportunities –Post meeting socials –Socials to keep members engaged all year long

Have Fun! The healthiest and most successful clubs in the Association are the ones who are active and engaged within the Zone, District and National level. Kin promotes fellowship in all aspect of the Association. Here are the list of events where members can attend to grow, learn, have fun and make friends: –Club – Service projects, Fundraising events, Club Training seminars & Club socials –Zone – Spring Conference, Club Executive Seminar, President’s Mid Term & Interclub events –District – District Convention & Fall Leadership Conference –National – Annual General Meeting

Have Fun! Other suggestions to inject FUN & fellowship into your Club: –Include a social after business or executive meetings –Add fun theme nights to your meetings –Include some fun awards where members can strive to win at each meeting – best dressed, most improved speaker, best shoes or tie etc. –Talk to your members; get to know them on a personal level

Have Fun! More suggestions to inject FUN & fellowship into your Club: –Create projects and events that are fun and meaningful to the members; ask for their input –Praise everyone for their hard work and efforts –Include games where everyone can participate –Include members’ family into the mix, such as social outings or special meetings or events –Always be respectful!

Promote Awards & Recognition The Kin Awards & Recognition Program is designed to promote and encourage personal and leadership development. The Program is available on the Kin Canada Website> Member Centre> Committees>Awards: National Award & Recognition Program The following awards are interactive and foster fun and fellowship: Maple Leaf Award of Distinction –to help new members become more aware and knowledgeable about Kin Founder’s Award of Achievement – to help members to build on their leadership skills but also help them to expand their kin knowledge Diane Rogers Kin Pride Award – to help member locate various Kin history and facts. Allows season and new members to communicate and research and learn about our glorious past