"INVOLVEMENT"

INVOLVEMENT

1.      Involve as many of your members as possible.

2.      Call members you haven’t seen or heard from. You will feel better and so will they.

OPEN INSTALLATIONS—PREFERRED OVER CLOSED INSTALLATIONS

1.      Open Installations encourage others to participate.

2.      Send invitations with names of Officers, etc. People may come to see someone they haven’t seen in a long time, AND they usually come back.

3.      Invite non-members as well. This creates interest in who we are and what we are doing.

4.      Give invitations to your Officers to send or hand out to their families and friends.

5.      Try an Open House at the Worthy Matron’s home or someone else’s home for all Officers, friends, and family. This brings people together that may have had other commitments and could not attend Installation. Fellowship and Friendship brings people together!

MEETINGS

1.      Make meetings fun! Don’t be afraid to add some decorations. (I changed mine every meeting; it created an element of surprise. Keep them guessing what they will see next time.)

2.      Put a smile on their faces when you open and close your meeting. They will remember smiling or laughing but not necessarily a poem.

SMILE

1.      Greet each person with a smile, a handshake or hug. Maybe both? This is an excellent way to meet new people you haven’t met before.

2.      Dress up a little more often. Too casual takes away from our meetings being some place special to go. As we all know, necessary business can be very boring; therefore, we need to lighten the evening.

3.      Plan entertainment. Use the Internet for information to create a program, such as Trivial Pursuit for St. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. Christmas Potluck with decorations, games, etc. (I had an additional potluck at my home for all the Past Matrons and Patrons—there were 40 people there. NO JOKE!) We have started this again and are trying to have one every year at someone’s home.

4.      Check around. Some of the high schools have choral groups that will perform for a small donation.

5.      Let the Chapters in your district know what you are doing—invite them!

DINING ROOM

1.      Most Chapters serve some type of refreshments after the meeting. A small decoration on each table, perhaps a placemat, etc. brightens the dining room.

2.      DON’T sit next to the people you came with. You can talk to them on the way home. MOVE around! Talk to people. Let them know you are glad they came. Invite them back!

CARDS

1.      Get Well cards, Sympathy cards, and Thinking of You cards are good for someone that is going through a rough time.

2.      Congratulations cards for a new baby, job or home.

3.      Thank You cards to the refreshment committee or anyone that helped in any way.  All these little things make people feel appreciated.  THEY WILL BE THERE FOR YOU NEXT TIME!  Simple things, YES! 

      It is called, we care!!!

The greatest compliment we received on our Farewell Night from one of our members was, “We have had more fun this year. If anyone didn’t enjoy themselves, it was their fault. Thank you so very much.” With that, we were hugged.