Membership From All Four Angles

By: Kaitlyn Smith

It seems that the "big deal" with membership is focusing on growing in student members. However, there are many other ways to increase your chapter's numbers. You can grow in student members as well as alumni and professional members using some of the great resources at your fingertips!

The Chapter Officer Team should get together to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Agreed Upon, Realistic, and Time-based) for the chapter and determine the best way to achieve those goals. Discuss the number of members you hope to achieve, how you will get their attention, and what will captivate your target audiences.

Find ways to engage and challenge members. One idea is to create a competition for who can recruit the most members, and have members submit ideas for parties and reward the best one. Creating more opportunities for members to practice leadership, will attract members who are looking for a club to invest in. For instance, social groups can be a great way for members to help officers with group activities and get involved.

Host a parent night which can also serve as a great opportunity for networking. It will inform parents about DECA and give you the opportunity to network with community leaders. By doing this, you can increase in professional membership.

Make yourself known to the faculty and counselors. Host a presentation for the school board about what DECA is and what it can do for students. It will give faculty and counselors insight as to why it would be a beneficial program for students looking to get involved.