Minutes – February 6, 2023
District 1 Membership Committee
February 6, 2023 @ 6pm EST 7pm AST on Zoom
Attendees: Lt. Gov. Donna Raycraft, Mary Knight, Maida Follini, Diane Lestage, Jayma Hall, Joan Lanzillo-Hahesy
Membership Chairs Missing: Dana Fraser, Bonnie Haghkerdar, Rosanne Frieri, Nicole LaMattina, Regina Caines
Donna Raycraft called the meeting to order at 6:08. She reminded us that next to the Club Nomination Committee (responsible for succession planning), Membership is the most important role for a successful club. She thanked us for coming to share and learn.
New Materials – Mary shared a new District Membership Application and Brochure, that can be used by clubs as well – especially if your club does not currently have these materials. Please review and provide feedback on suggested edits and uses. Mary will get the price for printing the colorful trifold brochure.
Videos – Donna shared videos on Tabling and ‘Zonta – Then and Now’ – please review with your committee/club and discuss how they might be used. We will discuss it next month.
Recruiting – Attendees shared the current number of members and their recruiting goal for this biennium. Chelsea (17 to 20), Concord (33 to 38+), Halifax (9 to 15), Northampton (9 to 15), and Quaboag (17 to 22). Joan shared that the only successful outreach has been personal invitations; tabling, news releases, fundraising events, generous donations to good causes have been good for exposure, but have not attracted new members.
Retention – We all agreed that keeping current members engaged and feeling appreciated is critical. Jana shared that the Northampton President sends birthday cards to members from the club. Concord has tried ‘spotlighting’ a member (with a flashlight) and recognizing an accomplishment. Quaboag has highlighted members in their newsletter and may try that again.
Challenges – In-person meetings have gotten expensive (finding a suitable meeting space with food) and driving in the dark is an issue for some members. Joan’s club is trying lunch meetings. Other clubs are doing virtual or hybrid to accommodate members. Jayma raised the issue of getting new recruits involved right away. Mary suggested Mentoring tools and Onboarding Checklist on the www.membership.zontadistrict1.org site.
The next meeting is March 6 at 6pm EST, 7pm AST
We adjourned at about 7:00
Sincerely, Mary Knight, Notetaker
See also:
Membership Procedures (DRAFT)
OnBoarding Checklist (DRAFT)
How to be a Mentor – Leadership training
District Brochure
District Membership Application
