There is no disputing that serving as a volunteer member of the membership committee is different today than it was 20 years ago.
Historically, the primary role of this committee has been administrative, performing such duties as approving/rejecting applications and formalizing admission policies. Today, this role may include creating and designing membership incentive programs, serving as ambassadors or hosts for prospective members, proposing modifications to existing membership category structures or even designing club promotional materials.
All Clubs can benefit from an active membership committee. And in regard to the complexities involved in membership recruitment and retention, it does require a more structured process and increased involvement by members of the committee. With this in mind, what role or roles should the membership committee assume? Obviously, the answer to this question may vary from club to club depending on the management structure in place and whether or not the club has a dedicated membership marketing/services individual on staff will also influence how the membership committees’ role should be defined.
Ideally, membership committees should be highly active advocates for their club, and be supportive of various strategies, regardless of whose ideas and strategies they are promoting. The endorsement of the membership committee can make or break the success of a club’s membership growth efforts.
The involvement of an active membership committee will have a greater positive effect on the overall membership recruitment and retention efforts because the message is being conveyed by a group of peers. There is no doubt that a peer group that is actively involved in this process will have a greater chance of attaining ultimate success with regard to achieving desired goals.
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