The Great Membership Recruitment Challenge
by Brian Pitman, March 2013
The membership of ICGA is filled with a diverse group of people. We have businessmen, accountants, attorneys, teachers, and salespeople, along with retirees, auctioneers, architects and so many more. This diverse group comes from all sorts of economic backgrounds (we have everything from hourly wage earners to millionaires among our membership.) The fact that we are all so different (yet maintain a common thread with our love of carnival glass) is not common among the association world. And we should continue to embrace those differences and use them to our advantage.
One of the best facets of our memberships is that common thread. Carnival glass appreciation is a very visual thing. While we all enjoy different aspects of the visual beauty of carnival glass (some are “pattern people” while others enjoy a different color or iridescent effect), nearly all of us had that moment when we saw a piece and made the quick decision to buy our first piece of glass, which pushed us down the path of becoming a true collector. That moment of “oh wow!” is a key point to remember in offering membership in ICGA to others.
Membership recruitment is a primary focus of ICGA in 2013. I have discussed in previous columns the many societal reasons for people not being as willing to belong to an organization. We have to accept that people generally don’t want to belong when they have access to free information online and through various books, as well as the abundance of outlets for buying and selling carnival glass. In the past, you almost needed a club to successfully collect, but now you don’t. Not at all.
So, I have a challenge for each of you. We are looking for more members. We have our secret weapon, which is you. You have a great personality, you know people who may collect (or may have just started collect) and aren’t members of ICGA. You just need to have some motivation to help you pop the question to them. So, as the President, let me give you motivation.
At the end of 2013, we will add up all the referrals to membership. And the person who referred the most new or returning members to ICGA is going to receive a new iPad Mini from the President of ICGA, as a thank you for going out there and showing people that ICGA is the best carnival glass association to join. Society may be against us, but we are going to show that joining a carnival glass club is a rewarding experience that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their background.
And while you’re at it, show them the convention information in this issue of the Pump and invite them to that as well!
Brian