Recruit, Retain, and Grow Your Membership

2011-09-18

HEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOO COLLEGIATE DECA MEMBERS. Now that you are all awake, how has your first couple of weeks of school been? If your days have been anything like mine, it's early mornings and late nights. I'm sure there are only 18 hours in a day once school starts. I know Mother Nature thinks so. The sun now is up after me and to bed well before I am thinking of it. It kind of makes me jealous at times, especially when I still have three hours of homework before calling it quits for the night.

I enjoy the start of the school year though. Everyone is happy and helpful. You see old friends and are constantly making new ones. For the Collegiate DECA chapters, this is your time to shine as an organization. As new officers, you are eager to work on your POW's, set up your meetings, recruit new students and reacquiant the older students with what Collegiate DECA has to offer.

As you prepare for your general membership meetings, remember that your members want to be active in the community as well as learning how to be a better professional leader. Look for opportunities to help within your community. This can include charitable organizations, homeless shelters, Habit for Humanity, veteran homes or hospitals, and Boys and Girls clubs to name a few. This is a great chance to use our corporate sponsors as guest speakers during your meetings. Contact a couple in your area and tell them what area of professional development you would like them to speak about and for how long. This is also a great time to show your organization what your chapter has accomplished over the summer. This could be social events, community service, and your plans for the upcoming year.

Team 51 wants to help you accomplish your chapter goals this year. One way we are doing this is by asking all of you to submit your best fundraising experience. Let us know what it was, how you accomplished it, and what the money or merchandise was used for. Was it for chapter trips or community outreach? We will then take all of your great ideas and develop them into a packet that will be available as a resource to all chapters. Please send your ideas to askcollegiatedeca@deca.org.

Team 51 hopes all of you accomplish your goals this year. To help you reach those goals, try to attend your state Collegiate DECA functions as well as that national functions that are offered.

Sincerely,

Ronald Schoolcraft

Collegiate DECA Vice President 2011-2012

ronaldschoolcraftvp@gmail.org

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