2. Bou Gazley, State Membership Director

3. What is the most important part of the Knights of Columbus?
Our service to our parish, community, and world!

4. Are these needs increasing or decreasing?

5. How can we decrease in numbers and still be able to assist these increasing needs?
That’s why this discussion
is so important!

6. Recruitment Drives

7. Types of Recruitment Drives
Name some ways that your council can do a recruitment drive
Can we name six or more?

8. Traditional Method Pulpit Announcement
Men at doors and soliciting interest
Information Table in the back of church
Open House
Followed by a First Degree

9. Fourth Degree This is along the same lines as the Traditional Method
Invite the Fourth Degree in regalia/uniform to hold doors open for parishioners
Have a pulpit announcement
Have Fourth Degree walk around and talk to people after Mass

10. Holy Cards
Put together Holy Cards and Fraternal Benefits brochure, maybe council brochure
Hand out to every adult, man and women coming into church
Say something like “Please accept this give on behalf of the Knights!”

11. Father Wants You!
As Father for a list of men who he thinks would be good Knights
Membership team call them
Let them know Father recommended them to an information meeting

12. Team Approach Create a couple of teams of 2-3 Knights
Have them go out and personally recruit
Maybe make it a friendly competition to see which team can get the most prospects or new members

13. Prospect List
Have each member of the council write down a name or two of prospective Knights
Use this list to do targeted recruiting
Recommendations are helpful!

14. Bulletin Insert Ask parish if you can do an insert into the bulletin
It could be council brochure, letter from Father, letter from Bishop, or many other options
Then also have an information table to answer questions the following week

15. There are many options! Traditional Method Fourth Degree Holy Cards
Father Wants You!
Team Approach
Prospect List
Bulletin Insert
Many More! Be Creative!

16. Membership Best Practices

17. Membership Recruitment Best Practices “Tool Kit”
Recruiting is everyone’s responsibility
Create a “culture of recruiting” in each council
Every event is a recruiting opportunity
Leverage the strengths of every team member in working events
Maximize visibility at Masses
Wear name badges, logo shirts, Mass greeters, bulletin announcements, pulpit announcements

18. Membership Recruitment Best Practices “Tool Kit”
Utilize your priests and pastors to aid your recruiting efforts ("Father Wants You” initiative
Train council members on getting the “talk track” right on “why join KofC?”
Find out what men are looking for in joining – then give them every opportunity to achieve it
Stress our many programs
Emphasize the spiritual benefits of membership

19. Membership Recruitment Best Practices “Tool Kit”
What do we do?
We help people
We change lives and
We save lives
How do we do it?
Through our many programs!
What’s In It For Me?
Fraternal and spiritual enrichment
Opportunity to give back – help people and support your parish
Opportunity to change my life!

20. Younger Members

21. Appealing to Younger Members
Who are these people?
Highly influenced by latest technology
Tend to be strong achievers & career-focused
Are both extroverted and introverted
Desire to make a difference
First, review graph. Then, review bullets.
These two generations represent 50% of the population! If 50% of your council doesn’t include these age groups, then you’re not alone. But understand, this is a major untapped resource that is waiting for us!
Chart source: CNN.com

22. Young Member Recruitment Committee
Survey sent out to 1200 Knights in Minnesota age 30 and under
Received 44 responses back (only about a 3% response rate)
Low response, but good data to examine
Results are listed in order of response frequency
Thanks to the committee members:
Bou Gazley, Chair
Fr. Gabriel Walz
Matthew Vogel

23. Why Join? Family members asked them (Dad, Uncle, etc)
Service to others/Charity (tied with family)
Insurance
Why to grow in their faith
Brotherhood
Learn to be a leader

24. What do they like? Charity Fraternity Faith Insurance/Financial
Culture of Life
Active
Food

25. How can we improve? Meetings are boring (just arguing about money)
More active activities (sporting events, physical activities, cookouts, town festivals, etc)
More Faith based programing/activities
Grow the Man! (how to be a Catholic man, personal discipleship, etc)

26. How to attract young members?
Active Activities (by far the most popular answer)
Inform youth about the Knights while in High School (younger exposure)
A youth director stated that he looks for ways to incorporate his confirmation guys to stay active in church
Family
Faith
Better recruitment

27. Tips on recruitment based on responses
Testimonials from young men who are in council
Get young members to lead recruitment
Social media content/advertisements
Short videos after mass showing what we do
Youth officer role
Host informational sessions regularly
Personal invitations/personal experiences
Point out time commitment is not great!

28. Appealing to Younger Members
All right, now how do we do it?
Family-focused social events
Lectures, seminars, athletic events
Welcome new ideas
Emphasize interactive charity
Create a young adult committee,
roundtable, or form a “Young Adult Chapter”
Consider adjusting meeting and event times
Meeting/event times:
Typical meeting times are M-F from 6-8pm. Families with infants and toddlers: 6-9pm is bath time. Families with school age children: 5-9pm is homework, school plays, performances and sports practices. These also happen on weekends. Now more than ever, both parents work. And this can include odd hours/shift work. We just need to be aware of this when we schedule certain programs.
Family events: Have a membership night. But also include the wife and kids! Hold a nearby event for them, as well. If his wife sees his time with Knights events as making him a better husband/father, then it’s easier for him to commit the time.
Lectures, etc. If you have kids in college, try asking them for a copy of their school’s events calendar.
New Ideas: Self-explanatory
Interactive charity: Young adults are interested in actively participating in charitable events where they engage directly with the recipient of the charity.
Young Adult Chapter: Link in Resource Widget

29. Appealing to Younger Members
And when should we do this?
Recruit the wife… and the kids!
Offer leadership positions to young members who demonstrate interest & ability
Appoint young members to recruitment committee
Engage priests involved in young adult ministry
kofc.org/youngadult
Aline your programs so that they will attract young members and their families
At informational meetings invite the wife and children, allow them to hear and understand the organization that their husband/father will be involved with
Allow new young members to take new leadership roles, assure that our seasoned members encourage this and step aside but provide assistance and mentoring
Assign younger members as your council’s Family Director and recruitment committee. The hope is that they will recruit their friends and peers and provide encouragement.
Engage the priest involvement with the parishes young adult ministries. The pastor can provide a list of members who would make good candidates. He can also suggest other ministries where to seek candidates.

30. Shining Armor Award GOAL Supplies (FREE!) Shining Armor Requirements
Be involved in (3) council service programs
Attend (3) council business meetings
Receive their Formation and Knighthood degrees
Meet with your council’s insurance representative
Recruit at least one member
GOAL
Get your new members involved
They invite their friends
Recognize them for their actions
Supplies (FREE!)
Qualification Cards (#4292)
Certificate of Recognition (#4293)
Shining Armor Award lapel pins (#1700)

31. Summary 10 Keys to Membership Recruiting Success (#10233)
Talk about positive experiences as a member and share your enthusiasm for your council
Make a good impression with the right attitude and body language
Talk to prospective member and his wife about the ways membership can benefit his family
Show unity when conducting a charitable service project

32. Ask men to join your council
Approach recruiting in a different way
What to say when the answer is “I don’t have time”
Promote your council’s spirituality
Involve young people
Follow-up with all prospective members in timely manner

33. You Can Do It! Make membership a “team effort”!
Remember - it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that really counts!

34. MINNESOTA INCENTIVES

35. Plus One Incentive
If you recruit one additional man this year than you recruited last year, you will increase our order and also win a cool prize!
If you recruit 1 additional member, you get a KC Hat!
If you recruit 2 additional members, you get a KC Polo Shirt!

36. Plus One Incentive, continued
If you recruit 3 additional members, you get a KC Polo Shirt and a $20 gift card!
If you recruit 4-9 additional members, you get a KC Polo Shirt and a $20 gift card with an additional $5 per member over 3!
If you recruit 10 additional members, you get a KC Polo Shirt and a $100 gift card, plus an additional $10 for each member over 10!

37. Plus One Incentive, continued
The number of members is based upon what Supreme reports to the MN State Council
Write your name and member number clearly on the proposer line of the Form 100
Keep a list of those members you have recruited in case one does not get credited properly
Retroactive to July 1, 2017
Form 100 must be received and processed by June 30, 2018

38. Questions? What questions do you have?
Let me know if there is any way that I can assist you with any of your membership needs!
Bou Gazley
State Membership Director
(preferred)
(507)