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Essentials in
Chapter business
Chapter Management Guide 2004
The magnum opus on all facets of chapter operations.
Updated: 11/11/2003 3:43:00 PM
3 Membership: Recruiting and Retention
3.1 How and why to grow
New member recruitment and current member retention should be a year-round chapter activity. You need new members to replace those who move away, pass away, or walk away to become involved in some other activity. Chapters that don't obtain new members will become progressively older and smaller. A recent survey revealed an average age of 61 for Society members.
In the past seven years, Society membership has declined despite the overall improvement in singing and performance. The membership decline is not from an increase in non-renewals, it’s because chapters are not enrolling enough new members.
New members are important. But a chapter also needs to keep current members happy and interested. Survey or talk with your members. Find out what the members want, then provide it. Your members are your customers!
3.1.1 How big should a chapter be?
A chapter should determine how many members it can realistically accommodate relative to its financial and administrative resources. Currently, chapters range in size from 12 to 200+ men with an average size of 41.
What's a reasonable size for your chapter? The Society has defined membership plateaus that allow a chapter of any size to establish membership goals. For example, the Society encourages a chapter of 25 to 29 men to establish a membership plateau goal of 30 to 39 members. For a chapter with a membership of 30 to 39 the goal is 40 to 49. This growth pattern permits a chapter to assimilate new members and to continue a varied program of activity for its current members.
Keep in mind that a chapter should be large enough to:
- Be musically satisfying. The average attendance at chapter meetings is about 60 percent. Therefore, a membership goal of 50 is reasonable, if 30 men is your target attendance goal.
- Provide quartet opportunities. Every new member represents an opportunity for more men to form a quartet.
- Become known in the community. Don't confuse quantity with quality. Many smaller chapters are recognized and respected in their communities, as a quality musical organization.
- Provide good leadership. Sometimes, smaller chapter leaders suffer from burnout because they are forced to accept ongoing leadership responsibilities. Larger chapters have a larger pool of energy, talent and ideas and a larger base from which to select leaders.
3.1.2 What membership discounts exist?
The Society has special categories and criteria for:
- Senior members. A senior member receives a 50 percent reduction in Society and some district dues, provided he has completed ten years of membership and is 70 years of age or more. The discount is automatic. A former member may apply through his chapter secretary (Application Form, stock no. 3017) to receive this reduced rate if he is reinstating after being out of the Society for a while, provided he has 10 years of prior service and is at least 70 years old.
- Student members. Members, under 23 years of age and enrolled as full-time students, may receive a 50 percent reduction in Society and some district dues. The discount is not automatic. A member must apply through his chapter secretary (Application Form, stock no. 3017) to receive this reduced rate.
3.1.3 Multi-year memberships
Multi-year Society memberships, for all classifications, are available for periods of three, five, or eight years. A member electing a multi-year membership plan, pays discounted Society dues (rounded to the nearest whole dollar) in an amount equal to the current applicable annual Society dues for the member's classification (regular, student or senior) multiplied by the number of years in the period elected. The following discounts are applied as of the commencement date of the multi-year membership:
- Three (3) year plan—five percent (5 percent)
- Five (5) year plan—ten percent (10 percent)
- Eight (8) year plan—fifteen percent (15 percent)
RESOURCES
- Chapter Secretary Manual ( stock no.4076 and on-line)
3.1.4 Whom should you pursue?
“Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.” A chapter needs to think about its recruiting efforts and whom to target. This requires an honest appraisal of the chapter's goals, abilities, and it’s mission statement. There are three levels of prospective members:
- Anyone who walks in off the street
- Trainable singers
- Trained singers
The quality of a chapter's musical program determines the quality of singer a chapter can attract and retain:
- If the chapter recruits trained singers, there should be a good music program in place and the men should be singing quite well.
- If the chapter recruits trainable singers, it will need a program that gives men the opportunity to quickly learn the barbershop style and become a member of the chorus.
- If a chapter does not have a good musical program, the leadership team should focus its energies on improving the product or be content to accept anyone who walks in off the street.
Keep in mind that having a good musical product has always been the most important membership development tool. While an individual chapter member or a committee may have the task of recruiting and retention, remember that membership begins with ME. That means that every member is responsible for recruiting—family, friends, co-workers, church members, schools, neighbors and, most important, people we have never met.
3.1.5 How does a potential member apply?
After meeting the chapter's attendance requirements and successfully passing the vocal audition, your prospect should be encouraged to complete an application. Transfers from other chapters require clearance from their former chapter before joining your chapter.
Dual members must complete a membership application form and be voted into the chapter the same as a new member. Dual members do not pay additional Society dues or district dues (If both chapters are in the same district), but may be required to pay a pro-rated portion of chapter dues.
Every new member is sent a new-member kit that includes a Harmony Marketplace catalog, a booklet welcoming him to the Society, the Barberpole Cat booklet and various offers for materials in the Harmony Marketplace, plus a coupon for a free international convention registration when he buys one. Dues include a subscription to The Harmonizer, the Society's official publication, and fees to finance chapter, district and Society operations. The new member's lapel pin and membership certificate are sent to the chapter secretary for presentation in front of the entire chapter.
RESOURCES
- Chapter Secretary Manual ( stock no. 4076 and on-line)
3.2 Membership—Basic Level Activities
3.2.1 Orient new members
Society statistics show there are three primary reasons why men leave the Society:
- Poor chapter programming.
- A music director who is incompetent or difficult.
- Poor new-member orientation.
Get new members off to a good start with proper training and meaningful ongoing orientation sessions. Explain the role of the Society, the district and the chapter. Let them know exactly what is expected of them in terms of time and money. Provide them with the chapter repertoire, learning tapes and uniforms. Voice-place them properly in the chorus and tell them about performances, the annual show and competition requirements. Give them a new member kit of materials pertinent to the chapter in addition to the one they receive from the Society.
Along with a well-structured membership team orientation, the music team can aid the new member in becoming a vital part of the performing chorus. A quality evaluation process, followed by careful tracking of the new member and an assistance program that teaches the fundamentals of the barbershop style, gives the chapter a much better chance of retaining the man.
RESOURCES
- New Member Kit
- The Music Leadership Team Manual ( stock no. 4042) 4.1 What we owe prospective members; 4.2 Guest night/open house ideas; 4.3 Voice placement/Initial Interview; 4.4 The Vocal Evaluation; 4.5 Tracking New Members; 4.6 New Member Instructional Aids; 4.7 Acceptance into the Performing Chorus; 11.4 Policy for Prospective Members; 11.6 Vocal Analysis and Audition
3.2.2 Provide Barbershoppers with new-member material from the Society
There is a variety of information available to new members, from printed material to audio- and videotapes. You Are Now a Barbershopper is sent to all new members on enrollment. The book outlines barbershop history and provides information on everything from contests and conventions to educational opportunities and Young Men In Harmony programs.
RESOURCES
- You Are Now a Barbershopper ( stock no. 4205)
- Singing is Life—DVD ( stock no. 4015) or video ( stock no. 4014)
3.2.3 Spread the word—who do you know?
Think back to your first experience with barbershop harmony, or the first time you attended a chapter meeting. Someone reached out to you, whether it was a friend who talked about his harmonizing hobby and invited you to a meeting, or you came on your own and were greeted at the door or at a break. If you want to attract new members, you have to reach out. The “If we build it, they will come” approach will not fill positions on the risers.
So, spread the word: Talk, talk, talk, talk! Too often we confine our personal recruiting efforts to a specific, pre-selected group of men we think fit the image of Barbershoppers, and never think to mention the hobby to anyone else. You and your chapter members probably know dozens of good candidates for membership.
Start with people you know. Then, move on to those you don't know. Every man you meet in the course of the day is a potential member. You meet dozens of people every day. Talk to your co-workers, suppliers, and customers. Talk to the people at the store, the ball game or your children's school. Widen your horizons and ask your chapter members to widen theirs as well.
Make your own chapter personalized business cards complete with meeting place, time, contact name and phone number, e-mail address and Web site information and pass them out. Use the “Come Join Us In A Song” cards available from Harmony Marketplace. You can also use the An Invitation To Join Us In Song brochure that features a brief description about barbershopping.
Recruiting is personal:
- 54 percent of all SPEBSQSA members joined as a result of personal contact; someone asked them.
- 34 percent saw or heard a barbershop performance.
And that means...
- 88 percent of all new members had a personal experience with barbershop harmony. Keep in mind the Six M's of Recruiting: Find 'em, bring 'em, thrill 'em, sign 'em, train 'em and keep 'em.
RESOURCES
- A handshake (provided by the chapter member at no charge)
- A smile (provided by the chapter member at no charge)
- “Come Join Us In A Song!” cards ( stock no. 3019)
- An Invitation to Join Us in Song brochure, ( stock no. 4205)
3.2.4 Organize a guest night
Invite people you know, and people you don't know, to a guest night. Pick a night and plan the event.
Arrange for someone to:
- Call and remind guests about the event.
- Welcome and greet members and guests at the door and have the guests sign the register.
- Teach the entire chorus a new tag just before the mid-meeting break. Then, during the break, each singing guest will be able to sing the tag in a pick-up quartet or octet.
- Prepare name badges for members and guests.
- Recognize and introduce guests prior to the break so guests may mingle with members.
- Develop and maintain guest books complete with the current repertoire. Assign a number to each guest book and have a member sign out for the book. The member is responsible for returning the guest book at the end of the meeting and ensuring no chorus music leaves the meeting hall. Consider placing a “Property of” stamp in the guest book and a brief statement explaining the chapter's policy. Make sure that all chapter music is legal. Sing a lot! Strive for a maximum of singing and a minimum of talk. Keep chorus performances for guests at a minimum; when you allow guests to sing with the chorus, they will feel that they are already a part of the action.
RESOURCES
- The Music Leadership Team Manual ( stock no. 4042)
3.2.5 Operate your chapter to benefit the membership
Three main reasons why men leave their chapter and the Society:
- Not enough time
- Job conflicts
- No fun.
Many dropouts also indicated that an over-emphasis on competition was one of their greatest disappointments with the Society.
While a chapter has little control over a member’s job conflicts, it can make chapter meetings fun-filled to the extent that members will make time to attend. How? By embracing the barbershop lifeblood philosophy: “Every man, in his own way, experiencing the joy of hearing his voice contribute to the sound of barbershop harmony.”
3.2.6 Take attendance and follow up with members
Many chapters establish attendance policies. They can vary from required attendance at a percentage of meetings over the year (e.g. 70 percent), to merely a statement outlining the need for regular attendance. If a chapter creates a written attendance policy, it must be reasonable and fair with exceptions noted. Tracking attendance helps telephone follow up to missing members.
Chapters should take roll at each meeting:
- Use an attendance board. Members turn their tags over as they enter.
- Attendance within the section.
- Chapter roll taking.
- Chapter members sign a register book.
- Give all attendance information to the appropriate chapter leader. Have someone contact non-attending members to determine if there is some reason for absence other than illness.
3.2.7 Promote the EasyDues plan
All members receive an annual dues invoice from the Society office. All U.S. members and some Canadian chapter members remit their dues directly to the SPEBSQSA office in Kenosha; the rest of the Canadian members pay their dues through their chapter secretary. Members can also select from EasyDues Plans: two existing programs, plus two methods that make subsequent renewals easier than ever. Chapter dues collected by the Society office are paid to the chapter in the following month.
Direct payment and the EasyDues program reduce paperwork for chapter secretaries and treasurers and provide marketing flexibility for special promotional pricing, for membership drives. It simplifies making tax-deductible gifts to the Harmony Foundation general fund or endowment program.
RESOURCES
- Chapter Secretary Manual ( stock no. 4076 and on-line)
3.2.8 Create a chapter bulletin
A chapter bulletin is designed primarily for the benefit of chapter members. It serves to:
- Inform readers about coming events
- Record recent barbershop events
- Reflect the views of chapter officers and members on chapter activities
- Recognize the efforts and accomplishments of members and others
- Become a historical document for the chapter
- Educate members about chapter, district and Society history
- Promote barbershop harmony in general
- Encourage members to bring guests
- Stimulate pride and participation in the Society's activities
RESOURCES
(Available on the PROBE Web site: www.harmonize.com/probe
- Bulletin Editors Manual
- PROBE Style Manual
3.2.9 Program for retention
A barbershop chapter basically sells three products:
- An enjoyable musical experience
- Fellowship, camaraderie, opportunities for individual recognition
- Personal development
A chapter's “sales results,” or number of members, is determined by how well it continues to market and service the three products. A successful chapter meeting will serve all three products. Make sure a good meeting is provided each week.
3.2.10 Plan fun-filled and effective meetings
Organize chapter meetings so that all members enjoy the widest variety of activities. The types of activities you run will depend on your chapter's mission statement and goals.
3.3 Chapter Activities
- Share the singing with your son
- Take a mystery bus trip
- Swap shows
- Get a booth at the state or county fair
- Build your show patron list
- Sing as summer church choir replacements
- Organize a community holiday chorus
- Stage a dinner theater/cabaret show.
- Deliver Singing Valentines
- Distribute “Bonus Bucks”
- Teach tags to your guests on the sly
- Learn more about the Society
- Learn more about judging categories
- Watch videotapes
- Lights out and listen!
- Celebrate Harmony Month
- Hold a “white elephant” sale
- Trade gifts on gift night
- Hold a “strictly-NOT-barbershop-night”
- Thank your sponsors
- Honor the service clubs
- Honor the past presidents.
- Honor the Barbershopper of the month/year
- Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries
- Host an alumni night.
- Present a quartet appreciation night.
RESOURCES
- Music Leadership Team Manual ( stock no. 4042), chapter 7
- Men's Holiday Chorus ( stock no. 4202)
- Successful Singing Valentines ( stock no. 4058 and on-line)
3.4 Membership—Intermediate Level Activities
3.4.1 Develop a yearly membership and recruitment plan
At this level, a chapter may consider reaching out to various groups in more targeted ways:
- Students—to add vitality to a chapter
- The Baby Boomers—to attract this active segment of the population
- Service Clubs—to host joint-venture shows with these groups and to split the proceeds with them or their favorite charity.
- Seniors—to attract members and fans from this relatively easy-to-reach market
3.4.2 Publicize recruitment programs
Resources permitting, a chapter can take its recruiting efforts a step further by publicizing its recruitment programs. There are four ways to publicize your efforts:
- Electronic media (radio interviews, public service announcements—e.g., community calendar announcements, live remote broadcasts, television public service announcements)
- Print media (press releases, photos, paid advertising: classifieds, newsletter advertising, etc.)
- Direct mail and posters
- Performance notices. Let people know how they can get involved in chapter life. At the end of a chapter chorus or quartet performance, tell the audience about your next meeting or recruitment event. Have cards and publicity materials on hand near the performance area.
RESOURCES
- Music Leadership Team Manual ( stock no 4042) 11.3 Performing Chorus Membership Policy
- An Invitation to Join Us in Song ( stock no. 4205)
- Introducing SPEBSQSA ( stock no. 4204)
- “Come Join Us In A Song” wallet card ( stock no. 3019)
3.4.3 Set up a member follow-up system.
Contact absent, inactive and non-renewed members a number of times during the year to encourage their participation. Establish a phone-call system to check in with these Barbershoppers and find out what you can do to bring them back.
3.5 Membership—Advanced Level Activities
3.5.1 Plan for the future
Set goals and design strategies to achieve those goals, through short and long-term planning. Have an organizational meeting to discuss where the chapter is now and where you see it going in the future. Consider factors such as available talent, chapter size, community size and support, and financial resources. Invite your chapter counselor to help the chapter-set goals that are attainable and reasonable.
3.5.2 Design a membership drive
While a one-shot guest night may be all that a chapter can comfortably handle at a basic or intermediate level, an advanced level chapter should plan a comprehensive membership drive. Ideally, the drive should last from four to eight weeks lasting long enough so the chapter can have one or two guest nights, and/or perhaps a guest night and an open house.
RESOURCES
- Direct counseling by the district vice president of membership development, the chapter counselor or through district membership development seminars. Contact the Society Membership Development Department for more information.
3.5.3 Organize special invitation events
Create special guest nights that target specific audiences. Consider:
- Father-Son Night
- Advertisers’ Appreciation Night
- Service Club Night
- Personal Barber Night (Man or woman)
- School Night
- Alumni Night
- Past Presidents’ Night
- Charter Member Night
- Quartet Appreciation Night
3.5.4 Contact the Society office about training seminars and membership programs
Membership development department staff can provide you with information and ideas for your chapter. Programs include membership workshops, chapter programming and administration, new chapter formation and Chapter Operations Training Seminars (COTS). COTS offer training in many of the management skills necessary for successful chapter operation and are taught by certified Barbershoppers with expertise in specific areas.
RESOURCES
- Music Leadership Team Manual ( stock no. 4042), chapter 4.
3.5.5 Establish recognition programs
Barbershopper of the Month/Year. Set aside one of your meeting night's programs each month or at the end of the year to honor one man in the chapter who has contributed his time and talents to the chapter above and beyond what is expected.
3.5.6 Additional membership resources
Free items (Found on the Society’s Web site)
- What's in it for Me? (A one-page listing of benefits, features and services with SPEBSQSA)
- A Guide for Interviewers (A one-page guide for those who would interview you)
- Speak at a Community Event (A one-page effective public recruiting presentation)
- Personal Recruiting tips (A one-page list of things anyone can do to aid in recruiting)
- Using Yearbooks (A one-page list of ways to find members in old high school yearbooks)
- Take it to the Street (A one page zany way to get public attention for your recruiting effort)
- Keep America Singing (A one-page simple musical idea for recruiting during a performance)
- Play an Away Game (A one-page program for recruiting in a prospect's home)
Effective and practical items for small chapters:
- Sample Classified Ads (A one-page sample containing four examples of classified ads)
- Former member letter (A form letter designed to appeal to your former members)
- Church Choir letter (A form letter designed to appeal to church choir directors)
- Music Teacher letter (A form letter enlisting help from local music teachers in recruiting)
- Fair and Convention Booths (A one-page list of ideas for running a display booth)
- Turn Your Radio On (A one-page list of suggestions to utilize local radio stations)
- Storefront Displays (A one-page “how-to” concerning the display of chapter artifacts)
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