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In This Issue
 
 
 
SURF'S UP!
Penny 
  ARE YOU READY TO RIDE THE TIDE?
 
My name is Penny Hock and I'm your Regional Membership Coordinator.
 
My committee and I are going to be working very hard this year to help each and every one of our chapters grow, but we have to learn to stand on the board before we can hang ten.
 
Therefore, I encourage all of you who are interested in getting involved in membership, to step in and join us.  If you have ideas about membership, if you have tried concepts that worked or haven't worked, if you are artistic, if you just feel like you want to belong to a committee that is dedicated to their members, then I want to talk to you!
 
My first goal was to create a membership newsletter that would provide helpful information for your chapter, share thoughts and ideas from our members, and updates about chapter growth. 
 
I will be sending this newsletter to all Directors, Team Managers, Presidents, and Membership Heads each month and would love your feedback about the letter and about membership issues in your chorus.  I encourage you to share this newsletter with your members and invite them to join the mailing list.
 
Together we can create some waves in our region and make us the organization to belong to.
 
Here's to a great year ahead of us.
 
Sincerely,
 
Penny Hock
Region 3 Membership Coordinator
 
Growth Update
 
The best way to see how we're doing is to follow our numbers.  Here you'll be able to view the overall growth in region three's membership.
 
Chorus name & number of members
 
Battle Creek                    26
Calumet Corner               34
Choral-Aires                   106 
Edge-O-Town                   29
Grand Rapids                   80
Great Lake Sounds           19
Melodeers                       139
Mid-Lakes                        47
Midwest Crossroad           60
Prairie Echoes                  37
River Bend                      22
Riverside                         17
Sauk Trail Sound              17
Spring Valley                   26
West Shore                      26
Western Lights                 34
   
Total Regional Growth
 
Prior Membership              -
Curent Membership        743*
Monthly % Growth            -  
% Growth To Date            -
Intl rank by number of     19 members                        
Total number of Regions   30
 
*Does not include CAL/MAL
 
We need your assistance to keep this up to date.  Please send all updates or corrections to:
 
Dear Members,
 
Let me first thank you for your continued dedication to this organization and your chorus.  It is because of you and members like you that I believe ours is the greatest region in the world!!
 
I hope you enjoy your monthly issue of "Waves" and encourage you to share it with any of your members who express an interest in membership.  Feel free to use the forward option at the bottom of this email or reply to this newsletter with the name and email of the member(s) who wish to be added.
 

What are the five biggest problems facing Non-Profit Associations today?

They are:

  1. Recruiting new members to your organization-how do you build a list of prospects? How do you persuade prospects to join your organisation? How do you follow through with prospective members?

  2. Retaining your members and building their loyalty-more members leave an organization within the first year of joining, than at any other time. What are you currently doing to retain your members?

  3. Renewing your members-a perennial and perpetual headache for membership managers and organizers. What value and benefits do you offer your members to keep them renewing year after year? How do you win back lost members?

  4. Revenue earning through your Members-How do you maximize revenue from fundraising, events, functions, merchandise, memorabilia, education, professional development and membership upgrades?

  5. How do you accomplish the above on a limited budget?

We want to know your answers to these questions.  What is your chorus trying that either is or is not working?  Chances are, if you're doing something that works, it may work for another chapter.  And something they are trying could work for you.  Give us your thoughts and ideas.

Giving Your Website Some Presence
 
Most of our chapters do have a website out there and it's our goal to ensure that all chapters have one.  But just how effective is your website?  Do you track your traffic? Do you get regular bookings or inquiries from your website? Do you have a password protected members area that provides useful information to your members?
 
If the answers to these questions are no, you may be in need of a Web lift.  Here is a list of Do's and Don'ts for your webpage.  Put yours to the challenge:
Do

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Short & Simple.

Make it as user friendly as possible.
Make it clean, neat and presentable.
Make it easy to navigate through
Make font large enough to read, but not too large to clutter the page.
Use useful content
Put your contact information on your home page

Don't

Have a ton of banners connected to the page so the user can never exit.
Tons of graphics. It takes longer to load.
Have pages upon pages of text
Lots of blinking/flashing text or banners.
Use text colors that are hard to read. Such as yellow font on a white background.
 
 
 
"At a time when so many regions are losing members, Region Three is demonstrating a new burst of energy, a spark, and an enthusiasm that is contagious and will certainly bring women of all ages together to share a common love of singing and performing.  I am proud to be a part of this Region and I applaud its efforts to grow and sustain it's membership."
 
- Judy Herrick-
International Faculty Member/Coach/Choreographer - Grand Rapids Chorus
 
 
 
Sweet Adelines International
P.O. Box 470168
Tulsa, OK  74147-0168