1981

The Last Year We Had A Membership Gain In Our Order

Number of Elks Then: 1.6 Million Number of Elks Now: 869,091 (2010/2011) Total Lost 730,909

2010/2011

Began the year with 892,959 Members

Ended the year with 869,091 Members

Membership loss of 23,868 Members

OR 2.7% of our Members

“This Is Bad For Business”

Area 4 (IN,MI,OH,WV,KY)2010/2011

Began The Year With 104,175 Members

Ended The Year With 101,326 Members

Membership Loss Of 2,849 Members

OR 2.7% Of Our Members

Which Is The National Average

Michigan 2011-2012

Began the Year with 25,174 MembersEnded the Year with 23,803 MembersMembership loss of 1,371 Members Or 5.4%

(2 % National Average)

Note: you initiated 1,251 and had 406Reinstatements, but you dropped 2,224 for non-payment of dues plus you had 499 deaths

Area 4 (2011-2012)253/253 Lodges Reporting

Began the year with 101,254 MembersAdded 8,382 MembersDropped Non-Pay. 7,978 MembersExpelled 40 MembersTransfer Dimits 738 MembersAbsolute Dimits 1,019 MembersDeaths 1,944 MembersTotal Loss 3,331 Members or 3.3%

Membership as of 5/19/12 97,923 Members

Nationally as of 4/28/12

20121 of 2035 lodges reported

Gains 76,357 MembersLosses 95,576 MembersTotal Losses 19,219 Members or 2.2%

Again, this is without 14 lodges reporting

In comparison, Area 4 is losing 3.3% of itsmembers.

Membership Revitalization & Retention Program By Edmonds Associates, A Media

Consulting Firm Conducted Telephone Interviews with 6 Past

Grand Exalted Rulers Mailed Surveys to all Lodge ER’S and

Secretaries Telephone Survey of a Representative sample of

300 Each: Lapsed Members

Current Members (> 5 Years) New Members (< 5 Years)

National Telephone Survey of 1,200 Adults

ER and Secretary Survey

97% Said Decline in Membership is A

“Major Problem”

Only 2% Said Membership Wasn’t A Problem At All

Lapsed Member Survey

When asked was there a particular reason they joined the Elks? 22% responded no/don’t know 36% Friends/Family 17% Social Activities 5% To be part of an Organization 4% Charity Work 2% Legacy/Tradition 2% Good Organization

Current Members Join For Giving Purposes

When current members were asked about their own experience and share why they Have remained a member? 22% Community Service/Charity/ Volunteerism/Benevolence 18% Socializing/Social Activities/Fellowship 9% Family Tradition/Family Legacy 7% Asked To Join By Member 5% Like/Support Elks/Principles/What Elks Do 23% Left Blank

“Bowling Alone”By Robert Putnam

Copyright 2000

Social collapse in America since the late 1970’S. Declines in:

Political Participation Civic Participation Religious Participation Informal Social Participation

It’s just not the Elks losing Members

It’s all other Fraternal Organizations

And

It’s Bridge Clubs and Block Parties

It’s Bowling leagues

It’s PTA’S and PTO’S

It’s High School Athletic teams and bands

It’s even our Family Outings and Reunions

Some CausesFor Civic Disengagement.

Pressure of Time and Money

Mobility and Sprawl

Technology and Mass Media

WHY?

“ Kids Today Just Aren’t Joiners.”

Business Globalization…. The Wal-Mart'sreplacing the Corner Store.

Can do all my Social Activities on Facebookor By Texting.

TV.

More Government Social Programs

Robert Greenleaf

“GOOD LEADERSMust First Become

Good Servants.”

RULE NUMBER ONE

For Creating a Service Culture is This:

It Starts At The Top. It starts in the head and the heart of the Exalted Ruler and is passed on from one member to the next.

There Is No Other Way It Can Happen

RULE NUMBER TWO

EXALTED RULERS

Your Lodge Activities

Must Come

Second

It’s Like The Chicken Or The Egg Question?

Exalted Rulers,

Who Comes First If You Want To Achieve Success- Your Community Or Your

Membership?

RULE NUMBER THREE

Engage The Hearts

And Minds

Of Your Members

CELEBRATE SUCCESS

There is no argument that Elks Know how tohave fun. Fill your walls with framed photos of memorabilia

and thank you letters. It’s imperative you get your local media on board

in support of your programs. Most important, recognize your lodge members

with certificates and plaques. Think about informal awards like a free lunch or a gift certificate.

REINFORCE, REINFORCE, REINFORCEASK YOURSELF:

How Do I Keep It Simple? How Can I Make It Memorable? How Many Times Can I Communicate it?

Every lodge meeting, lodge bulletins or bulletin boards , phone calls.

Show Enthusiasm And Optimism to All

Internal and External Communication

MEMBERSHIP

THE KEY TO A GOOD MEMBERSHIP IS:

1) Providing Ownership To Your Members2) Don’t Settle For Unproductive Members as with the vast number

of our Grand Lodge and Local Community Programs, There Has To Be One That Will Get Their Attention. Start this with new members during their Indoctrination Program. Make them commit to participate in one Lodge Activity.

3) Get a commitment from new members during their Indoctrination.4) Lastly, Lead By Example…. Let Your Positive Influence Become

Contagious5) Get it to the boiling point and good things will happen in your

Lodge.

Web Sites

• www.elks.orgUnder Members only Section view the “Successful

Lodge Panel.”

http://www.virginiaelks.org/whats_new/Ron_Hicks_Indoctrination_Letter_4-19-12.pdf 

or if the link doesn't work, go to www.virginiaelks.org and at the top click on WHAT’S NEW and then the Ron Hicks Indoctrination letter.