The
tide has turned...
by John Montgomery
Most Capital District Kiwanians are aware that our membership trends over the
past 20 years have been declining...
Well, you can forget it, because that's old news! With August and September reports yet to come, it appears that the Capital District will complete the 2006-07 administrative year with positive growth for the first time in 16 years - and the largest increase in two decades. At the end of July, our district membership stands at 6,952, +86 from the start of this year.
At the end of the 1988-89 year, our membership was slightly more than 10,100. Every year since (with the exception of 1990-91, when a net gain of 40 members was recorded), membership has receded. The average year (from '88-'89 through '05-'06) showed a decline of about 185 members. But starting with the establishment of the TAG team nearly three years ago, the district has taken an aggressive tact toward membership issues and results are beginning to show. Several new clubs have started this year - including the most recent, Toano, which chartered with 48 members on Aug. 25 - and work has been done to help revitalize clubs that have asked for assistance. We're doing a better job of bringing in new members who remain committed for the long-term, as well as retaining current members. Part of the success can be attributed to better training of Kiwanians who have been working on reversing the membership decline.
District Gov. Bob Cressy appointed Southwest Region Trustee Jack White as head of the newly named Growth Team in late spring, and Jack has been busy working with his three committees - New Club Building; Club Growth; and Communications, Public Relations and Marketing. The Growth Team held a weekend retreat in Williamsburg in June, which was attended by about 20 members, representing all three committees. More details about plans that were discussed at this retreat and during an ensuing teleconference in August will be covered in next month's e-Builder.
The Growth Team led six presentations at August's District Convention in Rockville, including the unveiling of a new video/live program that will be shown to all district clubs in the coming months. The video/live presentation is called Closing the Backdoor, and is aimed at membership retention. A key component to the membership turnaround has been cooperation among several Capital District Kiwanis governors and their support staffs. Gov. Warren Kane launched the district TAG team during the 2004-05 Kiwanis year, appointing Tom Ganse as chair. Tom, who will be governor in 2008-09, remains actively involved in membership activities. Warren's successors, Yvonne Holley, Bob Cressy and incoming Gov. Art Riley have all endorsed TAG and its offshoot, the Growth Team.
"Shout it from the rooftops!" Tom said recently. "We ARE succeeding!"
John Montgomery, a past-president of the Roanoke Kiwanis Club, is an active member of the Communications, Public Relations and Marketing Committee and of the new Capital District Growth Team.
