Pilot International Membership and Mentoring Opportunities - Texas District Fall Council

1. MEMBERSHIP AND MENTORING TEXAS DISTRICT FALL COUNCIL BRENDA STEELMAN, TEXAS DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR brendasteelman@Hotmail.com Bsteelman@newfirst.com 979-541-6524

2. Pilot International was founded by Elizabeth Leonard in Macon, Georgia in 1921, and in three short years, Pilot will be celebrating 100 years of "Friendship and Service.” The mission of Pilot International is: to influence positive change in communities throughout the world. Pilots come together in friendship and give people an outlet for service. MEMBERSHIP growth and development are key challenges every year. Clubs must Recruit, Retain, and Reclaim members so Pilots can continue to “Do More, Care More and Be More” for many years into the future!

3. RECRUITING MEMBERSHIP • Keep an open mind when seeking prospective recruits. Don’t make assumptions about whether or not someone would consider membership, because you won’t know unless you ask them! • A few sources for prospective members are: • Your Family and Friends • Local Retail Businesses • Financial Institutions and Investment Firms • Medical Offices, Hospitals and Clinics • Churches • Schools and Colleges • Professional Service Providers, i.e. Accounting Firms, Law Firms, Realtor Offices, Title Companies

4. RECRUITING MEMBERSHIP (CONT’D) • Ideas for Recruiting Pilot membership: • Celebrate Founders Day in October. • Host a “Share Pilot” event. • Ask for assistance with a “feel good” or Signature project. • Invite to fundraiser – distribute club information. • Invite to a special program with a guest speaker. • Have a social and have a few members share why they LOVE Pilot. • Honor the Club Ambassador and invite guests. • Wear Pilot pin and be prepared to praise favorite club projects. • Purchase club shirts and always wear them to projects and events. • Invite guests to your holiday party so they can feel the friendship. • Purchase a large check facsimile for presentations and use as photo opportunity for marketing club projects. • Encourage organizations the club assists to include club information in their newsletter. • Welcome new members in marketing opportunities and include a contact number and email address.

5. RETAINING MEMBERSHIP Retaining membership is just as important as recruiting membership. Experience of seasoned Pilots is essential to mentoring and developing new members. R – Recognize hard work and contributions of your members E – Encourage participation and input T – Teamwork to promote friendship A – Active members, not idle members I – Interesting programs and projects N – Now is the time to keep members engaged and fulfilled

6. RETAINING MEMBERSHIP (CONT’D) Time is valuable! Make meetings efficient, well prepared and timely. Encourage attendance at Fall Council, District and International meetings to give members opportunities to experience and learn more about PILOT. Friendships formed and rekindled with other Pilots prove to be rewarding, inspiring and meaningful. This will contribute to membership retention. Keep members informed. Communication is key to a successful club.

7. RECLAIMING MEMBERSHIP Clubs will lose members for various reasons. However, depending on circumstances, there are chances to reclaim some members. • Call members when they miss a meeting to let them know they are missed. • Send a letter acknowledging the member’s service to the club with an invitation to rejoin, if circumstances change. • Invite former members to special meetings, fundraising events and other activities. • Give resigning member contact information for a club that may be located near his/her new location. • Provide “Pick Me Up”, if appropriate. • Evaluate Club policies and procedures to eliminate causes for member resignations.

8. MARKETING YOUR CLUB • Project enthusiasm and excitement whenever you talk about club activities. Members of your community will want to be a part of your organization when they see your members are having fun with projects, fundraising, and special events. • Use Social Media to publicize meeting activities, fundraisers and projects. Encourage members to share with their friends and your club will realize volumes of publicity very rapidly! • Set up a club website to facilitate online search for anyone seeking more information about your club. This can also assist members with quick and easy access to club information. • Use local media to publicize your club’s activities. Although it is the age of technology, everyone in the community may not be on board, and you want to reach them as well. • Prepare a brochure featuring your club’s projects and activities and distribute at community events.

9. The following resources are available to assist with membership development: • Pilot International New Member Orientation and Mentoring Made Easy – a guide for training and developing new members https://www.pilotinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/NEW-MEMBER-ORIENTATION-MENTORING-MADE-EASY-Writeable.pdf • Annual Club Checkup – a tool to assist in analyzing the status of your club that can help you identify challenges which may require attention and action. https://www.pilotinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Annual-Club-Checkup.pdf

10. 2018-2019 Presidential Challenge International President, Karen Cupit, challenges every club to increase their membership by 15% by May 31, 2019, and, she further challenges districts to increase the number of clubs in their districts by 1 club by May 31, 2019. Pilot International Club Building Manual is available to assist with establishing a new club.

11. 2018 Fall Membership Drive September 4th – November 9th $40 Under 40 New male and female members under age 40 pay only $40 PI Dues their first year! Each new member and their sponsor is entered into a drawing for three prizes:

12. $150 Pilot Store Credit $100 Pilot Store Credit $50 Pilot Store Credit (Yes, if you sponsor 5 new members, you are entered 5 times!) All sponsors of newly chartered clubs – Pilot/Compass/Anchor – are entered into a drawing for a (nontransferable) 2019 Chicago Convention registration! All new member submissions must be postmarked by November 9th to be eligible for incentives. For any questions please contact buffi@pilothq.org

13. The Fall Membership Drive is A great incentive to seek younger members at this time to help perpetuate this great organization for years to come to “Do More, Care More and Be More”! As the District Membership Coordinator, I encourage every club to step up to the International membership increase challenge. After all, everything in Texas is bigger and greater, so let’s have an exciting and blossoming year, with bragging rights for MEMBERSHIP growth by May 31, 2019! I stand ready to serve you in anyway I can with your membership recruitment efforts. BRENDA STEELMAN, TEXAS DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR