How to Find New Members

On Sunday at the TorBrant all Candidates meeting, one of the topics that was discussed at length was the need to attract new members. As Lady Brennit pointed out, all of the candidates have expressed some desire to increase membership. However she wanted some concrete ideas about how to actually go about attracting new members. These are some of our ideas:

-Put up posters in public places advertising practices or events that a new person could attend. Libraries, sewing shops, game shops, community centers, and even the grocery store are good places to reach potential members. It is simple and it works.
-Hand out an easy to update flyer, like the one Wilhelm wrote and has shared with a number of SCA groups. It makes use of current popular references to the things we do and contains local information about where and when we meet. For example, describe our activities as being similar to those found in a recent movie, or popular book.
-Make media contact regularly before events and demos. A press release kit could help chatelaines and/or event stewards know what to say and who to send it to.
-Continued and increased participation in public demos at gathering and festivals where our potential members are likely to be found. Always do something active, let the on lookers give it a try, and have them write down their contact information so some one can follow up with an invite to an SCA activity soon after the demo.
-Invite clubs and groups with overlapping interests to attend an activity or event relevant to their existing interests. Local historical or fantasy fiction clubs, craft guilds, marshal arts schools, folk dance clubs, and sewing schools are all full of people just itching to find a new place to expand their interests. They don't have to leave the group we found them in to also enjoy and enrich the SCA. Many current members participate in multiple organizations.
-Use our web pages as advertising to potential members not just to deliver info to current members. Re-orienting our existing web pages to put the non-member first, with quick directions to contact a real person could have a big impact.
-Develop an integration plan for new members, so we don't loose that connection before we even know it. I'm sure you will hear more about what we mean by this suggestion in a future post.

Of course some of these ideas are already being used successfully by some people, in some Cantons. Harrowgate Heath has had local reporters visit many of their demos and events. Greyfells has been participating in a spring demo with multiple clubs for a number of years running. Judith Quiet Seeker helped organize a television appearance for some of our fighters last spring before the Osgood Township Festival. Sperry, and his team of Archers, spent three days shooting and chatting up the crowds at the Upper Canada Medieval Festival. All of this activity was in addition to the many people who have made one on one contact with friends, co-workers, or complete strangers who just happened to strike up a conversation. Each contact with the public makes a difference.

Our "Renaissance Baby" was a big hit
at the NAC Demo

Last spring and summer was a flurry of demonstration activity. However, since we didn't quite have a complete package in place we did not turn many of those first contacts into active members. All the parts of a great recruitment campaign take a lot of work. However it is work that Wilhelm and I enjoy and are dedicated to. When we all share our resources and techniques we can lessen the work load for each volunteer and improve our collective chances of success. There are a number of exciting opportunities for demo's on the horizon, if we are ready to make the most of them. By working together to raise public awareness of SCA activity across the region; we can find new members living in each of the four Cantons. Who knows we might even be able to inspire the growth of new Cantons in currently "unpopulated" lands.

We understand that this job is a big one. We intend to make our contribution to the effort. As Baron and Baroness we hope to be in a position to help co-ordinate a long term plan that includes the goals of all the Cantons. We also promise to attend demos and new member gatherings and to help make them a success. If this is the kind of leadership you would like to see from your Baron and Baroness please make us your number one choice on polling day.