Non Renewing Membership
It is September, and that means it is time to pay our dues. Some of your membership will renew, while others will not. Loosing members is disappointing for all clubs. So, the question we need to ask ourselves is why did we lose those Toastmasters members? Sometimes life circumstances occur, such as losing employment or moving. While clubs have no control over those personal situations, there are things a club can do to strengthen their club and keep their members renewing.
Retaining Membership
Have fun and exciting meetings. Some of clubs only go through the motions of holding a meeting, and you can tell the membership is not excited about attending. Get creative. Have a theme, and incorporate that theme in table topics.
Respect people’s time. In Toastmasters, we pride ourselves on holding a well-organized meeting and that includes starting the meeting on time. If meetings start late, then it will be no different than any other organizations.
Be prepared. It is important that clubs have an agenda prepared ahead of the meeting, and that all roles are filled. If the club struggles to fill meeting roles, this can create a lot of stress and confusion, and sometimes you are not able to start the meeting on time.
Go back to in-person meetings. Some clubs are still meeting virtually, and that can limit a member’s ability to grow as a speaker and leader. The virtual option can be helpful but some members want to speak in person and follow the in-person meeting procedures.
Retrospect
Every September, clubs should be asking themselves how can we keep our members coming back and what can we do to grow, thrive, and become distinguished club that we are meant to be. Doing the little things can make a big impact in your club growth.
Randy Casarez
Blog Editor & Media Coordinator
View other blogs: https://aztoastmasters.org/blog/
More Information about achieving a DTM: https://toastmasters.org/Magazine/Magazine%20Issues/2022/Nov/Path%20to%20DTM
