The Journey
A newsletter for chapter advisors, chapter officers, and
regional officers.
February/
March 2001
Issue
Membership
Recruitment: from Start to Finish
What You’ll Need
- List of Eligible Students
- Sample Invitation Letter
- Membership Benefit Brochures
- Membership Applications
- Meeting Room for Orientation
- A Few Volunteers
- Loads of Enthusiasm
Calling All Members
Planning to recruit new members this spring? Try implementing some of these tips to make the most of your recruitment efforts.
* Create an invitation letter with ease by downloading the Invitation Letter Template at www.ptk.org/advisor/forms/invletter.htm on the Society’s web site. Prepare this letter for all students eligible for membership and ask your college president to sign the letter. The president’s signature can be just the endorsement that potential members are looking for.
* Include the Member Benefits Brochure with each letter. This brochure, available free of charge from Headquarters, explains in detail the many benefits and honors associated with membership in Phi Theta Kappa. For the first time, Benefit Brochures were automatically mailed in January to chapters who requested brochures last spring. If your chapter has not been using the Benefit Brochure in your invitations, we strongly encourage you to do so. Brochures may be obtained at no charge from the Recognition Services Department, recognition.services@ptk.org or 800.946.9996.
* When planning your orientation, double your fun. Offer more than one option for orientation dates and times. By doing so, your chapter maximizes your opportunities to reach potential members. Consider offering one orientation in the day and one in the evening. For some chapters, a weekend orientation may even work.
* In your invitation letter and at the orientation, make sure potential members know whom they can contact with questions. Provide potential members with your chapter’s office phone number or the phone number and/or e-mail address of your membership officer or chapter advisor.
* Speaking of calling, after invitation letters are mailed, try giving your potential members a call. With the call, officers and members can encourage potential recruits to attend the orientation and answer any questions they may have.
* Visibility is an essential component to the recruitment process. A strong visual presence can give your chapter recruitment efforts an added boost. After membership invitations are mailed, institute a Phi Theta Kappa T-shirt Day and encourage all members to bedeck themselves in Phi Theta Kappa attire. Potential members will be able to easily identify members and ask questions. Posters and announcements by faculty in their classrooms are other ways to build visibility.
* When your orientation day arrives, be sure to keep things short and informative. The best new member orientations allow plenty of time for questions. Be sure to encourage your new recruits to speak up and fellowship!
* Testimonials by members and alumni are great for potential members to witness firsthand the benefits of membership. Identify members and alumni who have had wonderful experiences with the Society and invite them to share their stories at your orientation.
* If you feed them, they will come. Try offering a light snack at your next orientation and watch your attendance soar. Who can resist cookies and punch?
Financing Fees
Does your chapter have students who are eligible for membership but are faced with missing out on membership due to financial constraints? When the chapter at Seattle Central Community College in Seattle, Washington, faced such a dilemma, they worked with their student government and a private foundation to find funds. In addition to receiving funds from these two sources, the chapter also receives funding from Rotary Clubs in the Seattle area.
“This funding means that membership is accessible to students who do not have resources to join. At our urban campus, such funding means the difference in membership to about half of our members who receive full or partial assistance with membership fees,” says Dr. Laurie Cohen, chapter advisor.
Consider investigating sources in your area to fund your chapter’s own membership fees assistance program. You may be surprised at how willing people are to fund such an important program.
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