Chapter Leadership
Motivate Chapter Members through Enhanced Membership Programs
Do you feel like there are many potentially active members who only occasionally come to chapter meetings? Does your chapter have a full calendar for the year and not enough committee volunteers? Inevitably, at this time of year, some chapter officers are feeling the pressure of getting new members involved in Phi Theta Kappa programs. If you answered yes to either of the above questions, you may be one of them.
How can you ensure that new members keep coming back? Give them incentives to participate through an Enhanced Membership Program - a schedule of rewards, increasing in value, earned by measurable chapter service.
The Enhanced Membership Program came about as a way for chapters to provide rewards to active members, without withholding membership or penalizing those members who cannot participate. Chapters cannot take away those benefits guaranteed by Phi Theta Kappa International Headquarters to all members because of lack of participation. However, a chapter can offer additional benefits to those who do participate – and that is an Enhanced Membership Program.
Each chapter creates their own unique Enhanced Membership Program, completely tailored to suit their individual needs. An Enhanced Membership Program can be as simple as “go to four Phi Theta Kappa meetings or events and receive an Honors Stole and Tassel for Graduation.” Some chapters offer Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of participation, and others allow members to choose from five “Star” levels.
Your chapter may allow members to fill out their own participation records on the honor system. Create a committee or appoint an officer to keep track of the records and coordinate the recognitions earned by enhanced members.
When developing a program for your chapter, remember to incorporate flexibility and variety. Offer members choices of activities in which to participate, and include activities related to the Hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship.
For questions about the Enhanced Membership Program, contact Chapter Officer Coordinator Brandi McNeil at 601.984.3580.
