Lions Clubs District 105SE
Starter Pack for Recruitment

Planning for a membership event is always worthwhile as it provides the opportunity to identify and highlight any problems that can arise, so that they can be addressed accordingly prior to the event.

It is generally advisable to ensure that your club is supportive of the event proposed so that there is sufficient support to resource it. While it isn’t possible to guarantee that any particular activity will definitely result in increased membership on every occasion, it does provide an opportunity to raise the profile of your club within the community and increase awareness of the service you provide. Attracting new members to your Club will give the opportunity to share the workload of your Lions and bring fresh ideas into your meetings and activities.

Deciding what sort of event you wish to hold:

The type of activity that may be suitable will vary from club to club and will need to be appropriate for your club’s particular circumstances. Examples of activities which might be considered include:

• Attendance with a PR/recruitment feature at an outside event in your local area either organised by your club or in which your club is invited to participate.

• Holding an outside event in association with other clubs in your zone in an area of the Zone that is not in your local club area.

• A membership event at your club meeting location or a social event to which you can invite interested people who may become members.

• Arrange a membership stall at the local shopping centre or shopping arcade. Have a display or posters and literature about your club activities and show how your club is involved in helping your local community and having fun doing your work.

  Preparing for the event:

  In any of these situations you should;

• Consider if the event provides a suitable opportunity for the District Membership Gazebo to be used. If so, don’t forget to book the gazebo early, to ensure that it is available for the event date. This can be done by contacting District Club Support Officer Lion Paul Dedman by email at [email protected]

• Remember to arrange for supplies of your club PR literature to be available with a contact name and how to get in touch. This should include examples of the club’s activities for fundraising, service to the community and social.

• Ensure that you have a facility for recording contact details of any prospective members, in order for contact to be made after the event.

• Ensure that the members working on the stall are willing and able to be proactive, are comfortable talking with members of the public and are sufficiently aware of the club’s activities to be able to promote membership positively and encourage prospective new members.

• Prepare and practice the opening remarks that your canvassers will use to attract the attention of members of the public. You might use a particular club service activity as this “hook”.

• There are two useful tri-fold membership leaflets available for clubs use for recruitment activities. These can be obtained from Multiple District Headquarters (HQ) in Birmingham at £10 for one hundred leaflets and have a space on the back for your club contact details. It is useful to have a stamp made to fill in the details on the back of the leaflet. Details of these and other items available from HQ are attached.

• If your club has limited members to run events, ask your Zone Chairman to arrange for District representatives and members of other clubs in the zone to attend the event to help.

• In these circumstances you should aim to allocate at least one member of your club to work with the individuals from outside the club and provide a briefing note of your club events, activities and contact details, so the Lions from other clubs can explain to the public how your club is involved within your community.

  During the event:

  Each event will be slightly different, so flexibility is required. However:

• Make sure that those working on the stall are proactive in talking with members of the public face to face, and that they are positioned in front of the desk or table on which the leaflets, interest list, etc. are placed.

• The main aim at this point is to get people to commit to being contacted again later, so get as many as possible to give you their contact details.

• If you can use a laptop for entering contact details (name, email address and telephone number), it makes subsequent contact easier.

  After the event:

  The success of any recruitment event is not achieved without effective follow-up:

• Contact all those who gave their details within a couple of days of the event to see if they are interested to attend a social event of the club or a meeting to talk with the members about what your club activities include and how you help your local community. If this is not done, interest will quickly wain.

• Hold a debrief to assess the success (or otherwise) of the exercise and plan for the next one.

  Other recruitment activities:

• You can also arrange for leaflets or handout information on your club to be made available via community areas such as local libraries, community centres, cafes, doctor’s surgeries etc. Always ensure that the information provides up to date and relevant contact information relating to the club. This can include the club website and email address and contact telephone number.

• In addition to the membership gazebo, a range of District equipment is available for use by clubs for recruitment activities. Details the equipment and materials available for use by clubs can be obtained by contacting the District Equipment Coordinator Lion Pete Dilloway at [email protected]. A list of District equipment and supplies available is attached.

• The proactive use of a club’s website and social media sites (facebook, twitter, Instagram etc) is another valuable way to promote the club’s activities and support within the community and attract potential new members and supporters. However, it is essential that the material on these sites is kept current and is varied and positive. This can be used to advertise forthcoming events, demonstrate the range of activities undertaken by the club and promote the support provided. This can also be used specifically to encourage and attract potential new members through the use of recruitment materials.

Finally, remember not to be discouraged if there has been limited success, as a result of a particular recruitment approach previously undertaken by the club. Circumstances change all the time, and a previously unsuccessful recruitment approach could be relevant with a more positive outcome on another occasion.

The District Membership Team is available to help and support clubs that need assistance and can be contacted via Zone Chairmen and Regional Club Liaisons.