Membership Development

Sustained membership growth forms the backbone of the Association. When AP was provided the opportunity to chair the DGE seminar at the Chicago convention in 2007, he realised that the incoming leaders in the districts required to be encouraged to formulate their annual membership plans. Thus, was born the concept of developing annual membership plans in every district based on the trends of the past with projections for the future. 

 

AP encouraged the group leaders to continue to work with the district governors through the year as the purpose of leadership training did not end with the sessions in the Seminar. That gave rise to the concept of Team 20 K, an innovative and ambitious initiative to grow membership by 20,000 members. The organization had faced annual declines for the past many years so many in the Association were apprehensive about the initiative.    But AP was confident that planning, monitoring, counselling, midcourse reviews and appropriate incentivising would give results. The move was successful and the association recorded a net growth in membership. 

 

In the subsequent year, the concept of Team 20 K was institutionalized with the initiation of the Global Membership Team (GMT).  AP served as the first vice-chairperson of the team, and in the following year, he was appointed  GMT International Coordinator. AP recommended responsibility for the bottom line for the leaders working with the GMT. Year after year, the association began to witness growth in membership of the Association. 

 

With each passing year, AP was learning more about the differences in each constitutional area, sometimes vast cultural differences even within the same constitutional area. The review sessions that were being organised clarified that different strategies would have to be developed and implemented in the various parts of the world, depending upon the local needs and cultural sensitivities. A P supported the incoming International Presidents at the DGE seminars at international conventions and at respective Area Forums to motivate the DGEs in various groups to achieve the goals they had set by discussing MD specific potential strategies to meet the ongoing challenges. 

 

AP was open to learning new ideas and methodologies and worked closely with the executive officers and LCI associates in evolving the structure of GMT. Membership growth was visible in a majority of the constitutional areas of LCI. AP has been a strong promoter for inclusive membership, encouraging local initiatives to make the association gender intelligent and youth-friendly. Those are areas that may hold the key to success in the future. He has also been a supporter of cyber clubs, which he believes will be reflected in the organic growth of LCI. 

 

AP thereafter served as the GMT CA leader for ISAME for 3 years and was again invited to serve as the International Coordinator of GMT for another term of 3 years. During this term, he was also invited to attend meetings of the international board of directors and assist the membership development committee.