Attendees: Ray White, Alan Cornblatt, Maxwell Colon, Michael Menschel, Steve Zeitz, Monte Mayer, Jerry Farris, Michael Weiss, Bill Farber, Mike Berman, Joe Kraut, Warren Dolny, Norman Rosenshein, Mrs. Bailor, Don Feldman, Jerry Berns, Herb Mendelstein, Joe Fleischmann, Nelson Mellitz, Irwin Gerechoff, Bob Zweiman, Sanford Silver
Staff: DOO Larry Richardson, Nikki Salzman, Greg Byrne
Subject:Membership Retention
- Commanders need to talk about important subjects
- We need to address the problems of the new generation
- Need to show them that we’re veterans helping veterans – not all from one era
- Need to show the young guys that JWV is there to get these young guys what they need
- We need to have interesting programming – invite important people to come in and discuss issues important to veterans
- Things that are important:
- Good salesmanship
- Commander leadership
- Membership involvement at meetings
- Clarity in communications
- Send out information to members
- Use Jewish local papers
- Synagogue newsletters
- Email
- Social media
- Put out meeting notices months in advance so people have time to plan
- Appropriate attire – you should look like a leader
- Friendly atmosphere
- Make new people welcome when they come to a meeting – some Posts are very clicky
- Treat everyone as an equal
- Get new Post Commanders/group leadership
- Instill the importance of organization leadership in our members
- Put new members to work immediately
- Get your Junior Officers the message that there’s an opportunity to move up
- Institute a mentoring program for Junior Officers – getting them the skills they need to move up
- Posts are not the end all – they can get into the Department and then move up in the ranks to National
- Follow member suggestions, this encourages people to get involved
- Need to show our members that we’re their voice in Washington, with the VA, we’re able to help them get the services/benefits that they need
- Need to make sure that dues are paid
- New project of calling past due members in order to get their dues – they’re getting a good response – it’s leading to people paying their dues
- Good programming is important
- Hospital visits, etc
- Keep members busy and occupied
- Good breakfast event
- 4 times a year they have vets come down from the VA center to a restaurant – JWV pays the tab
- Just had a picnic with recent vets and their families
- Interesting speakers
- Make meetings more transparent
- Talk to vets on a one-on-one basis
- Provide an incentive to new members – ex: Post sponsors new member’s dues for the first year
