Question: What is the most important thing to do to attract new membership and increase member participation in club activities?
Answer: Publicity — showing members involved in club activities.
When we started the Council Courier’s new look two years ago, most clubs were eager to share what their members were doing and honors won. Newsletter editors passed along copies by email or snail mail, exhibition chairs passed along pictures and awards lists, and everyone benefitted by all of the positive publicity.
So. . . This is your newsletter. Let’s get back on track. We can only print what you share.
Also:
We need to replenish the Club brochures and fliers that we put out at club shows. These help recruit new members and advertise club activities.
Fellow Collectors: I would like to thank those in the Council who showed confidence in me by electing me President for the next two years. The Council has been well-run and successful in the ten years since my club joined. There are many to thank for this and I want to note a few:
Akthem Al-Manaseer of the San Jose club who preceded me as President
David McNamee of the East Bay club who was President before Akthem. has been Judges Coordinator, newsletter editor and a favorite when he has come to be a judge at our show SOPEX in April
Vesma Grinfelds of the San Francisco club who has been a go-to for Council information, has filled many roles including President of the Council and still fills many jobs for the Council and for her clubs
Kristin Patterson of the Sequoia club who is Speakers Coordinator for the Council and who saw a need for a map to show where the Council’s members clubs are. It was first shown at PENPEX in Redwood City in December and will next be at NOVAPEX in Redding in March
Barbara Herbert of the East Bay club who accepted the nomination to be Vice-president for the next two years. I also know she was on the floor at three different Council shows in 2015 doing tasks that needed to be done and that needed volunteers to do them
Nigel Moriarty of the East Bay club who is Treasurer, who exhibits and judges and whom I first met when he led a tour of the exhibits at WESTPEX
Robert Pope of the Sacramento club who has stepped in as Secretary and who exhibits and who was exhibit chair for SACAPEX
Ed Bierman of the Sequoia club who is Webmaster and who probably knows everything there is to know about the Cliff House. He presented an excellent analysis of the use of the website at the December meeting. Check out, if you haven’t yet, the new web site at http:// www.norcalstamps.org
Tim Burgess of the San Francisco club who has been Judges Coordinator and Webmaster in the past. The Council is always seeking ways to promote our member clubs, but there is something that you need to do to support your club. We need a half-page information sheet with current information [meeting place, day and time for each club, show or bourse sponsorship, officers and contact person and a promotional blub about the club].
These half-sheets will be at the Council table at WESTPEX and then carried to each show in the Council. Email a master to David McNamee, who will reproduce the fliers, or if you have pre-printed fancy fliers, you need to send or bring a quantity to WESTPEX.
Send these to me (PO Box 4395, Medford, OR 97501) or bring them to WESTPEX (please email me at [email protected] to let me know to expect them at the show). In addition, we need volunteers to be at the WESTPEX table (at the top of the escalator) during the show. To fill all two-hour time slots, about three volunteers per club are needed. Finally, I want to invite you to attend the next Council meeting, which is at WESTPEX, Sunday May 1 at 12:00.
I will see you there!
Larry Crain