Minutes – April 3, 2023

Notes*

District Membership Meeting  April 3, 2023

*Mary Knight is on vacation, and no one wanted to take her place because her notes are impeccable.  By default, these are Donna Raycraft’s notes.  She asks that members correct any information that is incorrect because sometimes Donna gets caught up in a conversation and forgets she is supposed to be writing it down.

1. This month’s discussion was centered on ideas to draw prospective new members to attend a meeting.  We were to bring ideas that we have used or ideas that we plan on doing.  And if we had none, we were to come to listen to ideas we could appropriate.
2. Diane (Concord NH) talked about the club’s plan to have their usual presence at Market Days selling used books but also having a table with a whiteboard listing not only all of our accomplishments but also the current members.  We talked about the lure of that being that if someone recognizes the name of a current member, the more inviting it would be to come to a meeting.  For most people, it’s hard to join a group if you don’t know someone in it.  She also said that the club had ordered pins saying “Ask me what Zonta is” that all the book sellers and the tabling people will wear.  The question was asked wondering where to buy the pins.  Donna said she’d find out and mail the info out to people.
3. Seren (Northampton)noted that her club has members, especially older ones, who do not show up for meetings. She thought about what would make old members, as well as prospective members, attend.  She came up with the idea of having very interesting, motivating, and well-known speakers.  She added that older members don’t attend for a variety of reasons, and it’s up to us to reach out to them.  We all agreed that our mission as membership chairs was not only to recruit new members but also to retain current members.
4. Joan (Chelsea and North Shore) said her club gives out gift cards to 5 high schools in their area for families who are experiencing food insecurity. It was pointed out to them that a lot of organizations help out around the Christmas season, but they forget that they are food insecure all the time and that there are spring holidays (Easter, Ramadan, Passover) when people need help.  So the club decided to double their giving…$300 worth at Christmas and another $300 to each school in $50 increments in the spring.  The school administrator was so impressed that she joined the club on the spot.
5. Maida (Halifax) explained that they used to do a very large awards banquet that cost a lot of money to put on that they recouped by charging admission. However, with dwindling numbers, it became a cost to the club instead of revenue.  They give awards to community college students so now give a smaller banquet on the college campus.  School administrators and all college students are invited, as are all potential new members.  She also said they have recently learned that tabling is inexpensive, productive, and needs few people to staff.  They plan one for either June or in the fall to take place in a busy mall.
6. We talked about the universal fact that our clubs are aging which impacts the likelihood of younger members joining. Maida (Halifax) mentioned that one of their scholarship awardees joined the club, and her boyfriend does the technical aspects of the hybrid meetings. Joan (Chelsea North Shore) described her club’s new approach, which all the rest of us marveled at the reverse decade chain.  Joan explained that they have members in their 70s who know people in their 60s who they could bring in.  Those new members in their 60s probably know people in their 50s who they could recruit.  And the new members in their 50s could bring in people they know who are in their 40s.  We all agreed that with intentionality this could be a great campaign. Seren (Northampton) noted that our aging membership is not inviting to younger people.  And also that they see retirees as “professional”.  We agreed that it was a good thing that ZI omits that word from our description because all women are professionals whether they know it or not.

7. Donna (Concord Club/Lt. Gov/District membership chair) suggests that membership chairs pull in the publicity committee to get the word “Zonta” in the paper as much as possible: announce the availability of a scholarship, then the announcement of the winner, an announcement of events.  Joan mentioned that they have a contact at one of their newspapers who willingly put in everything they offer.  Donna suggested that because newspapers are dying and have fewer and fewer reporters on staff, often if community members write an article themselves, the paper will print it.  She suggested an article about the history of Zonta.  Joan said they wrote something a number of years ago that is very long but could be edited down.  Jayma (Northampton) suggested that it could be broken down into three separate articles.  Seren (Northampton) asked if after Joan writes it would she share it with all the membership chairs, and Joan agreed.

8. It was agreed all around that club’s regular fundraising events are ways to introduce club membership to already supporters. Donna shared that they often invite one of the recipients of our community college scholarship to tell her story at their well-attended holiday auction.  It’s always a compelling story and invites donations…why not couple that with an invitation to join.  Jayma said that the lure is always in the story.

9. It was mentioned several times that these monthly meetings are interesting and helpful.

The meeting ended at 7:05.  As Donna was writing these notes, Janice Severance, who ordered the Ask Me About Zonta pins answered her text.  Her answer:  www.stickermule.com.