Multiple District Membership Program

It goes without saying that none of us want to see our membership continue to decline as it has in the last 10 years. The first issue to be addressed, therefore, is a recognition that our preferred choice of action is to rejuvenate our organisation. This can be achieved by each club going through a process of renewal. It is suggested that the following program of action can achieve that aim:-

(a) Have a Membership Drive on a regular basis, using the Multiple District " Club Growth " program, as well as constant recruiting by existing club members.
(b) Start active Retention Program using the Multiple District " Club Care " program.
(c) Review all facets of club procedures using the Multiple District " Club Care " program.
(d) Review community knowledge of your Club and set about raising profile.
(e) Assimilate new members as quickly as possible. Seek ideas from them about running of the club, and encourage them to volunteer suggestions for new projects.
(f) Bring the new members through as board members, at appropriate levels to begin with.
(g) Encourage a change of generational control of the club over a period of two or three years. This will involve long standing members relinguishing control and supporting the new board.

Over a two or three year period the above action should not only increase membership, and retain existing members, but rejuvenate the club so that it is exciting and satisfying for members to be involved in our organisation.

Strategy to implement process of renewal

We would all like to be able to recruit new members in great numbers and reduce the number of our good friends who leave Lions. Sometimes, however, we just don't know how to do this. To assist us, the Multiple District has introduced " Project Refresh ", a focus on club renewal. The program has two elements to it, a " Club Growth " program focusing on membership recruitment, and a " Club Care " program, concentrating on processes to rejuvenate the operations of clubs, which will have a positive impact on retention of existing members. Both programs are set out with practical step by step procedures so members will able to implement them and experience positive results.

The Club Growth program is a refinement of a proven recruitment program that has been used for many years by a number of Districts in Australia. At this point, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance given by Lion Ken Mulcahy of The Lions Club of Brisbane Macgregor, who has been implementing this program very successfully since the early 1980's, both to recruit new members and to form new clubs. His experiences have been made freely available to assist in drawing up this Multiple District program.

The Club Care program has been formulated after evaluation of International President J.Frank Moore III's LCI Retention program and the retention programs being used by various Districts throughout Australia. Lion Peter Jones has been of great assistance in this process and I gratefully acknowledge his contribution.

To achieve the best results, the Multiple District Development Group consisting of PCC Lindsay Marsden (Extension), PDG Greg Tutt (Leadership) and myself as Membership Chairman, encouraged and advised by International Representative PDG Bede Long, is co-ordinating its strategy. Our aims are as follows:-

• To recruit large numbers of new members ( using the Club Growth program )

• To inform those new members ( holding New Member information seminars )

• To retain our members ( using the Club Care program )

• To expand by forming new clubs ( using MD Extension program " Growth - Our Future " )

We believe we have the necessary programs in place to achieve our aims and, with your help, look forward to positive results.

If you have and queries please do not hesitate to contact the Development Team