Annual Report 2011: FY July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011
Membership Recruitment
Current Reality
Total membership through June 30, 2011 stands at 37,532, which equates to approximately 5 percent increase over last fiscal year. On July 1, 2011 membership will be 34,930 as the result of non-paying members being dropped from the rolls for non-payment. Currently losing between 500–700 active members each year. Most new members are students but the dropout rate is very high for these members. Average number of years with the society is 36 years with the average age of a member 68 years old.
Although membership levels now stand at the highest in 10 years, recruiting and retention challenges will continue. With the demographic peak of members retiring over the coming decade young geoscientists will fill their place but will expect to join via a streamlined application process and enhanced benefits. Fully engaged and active members will be key to society sustainability and recalibration of membership categories will need to be addressed.
Goals
- Retain student, section and region members.
- Recruit students and new professional members
- Prompt the society’s events as value added to recruit new members
- Prompt and clarify benefits of graduated dues
- Increase participation within Leadership in AAPG (lead by example). Each person in position of leadership to recruit one member by 6/30/2009.
Action Items
Continue to publicize the benefits of membership through articles, advertisements, emails, newsletters, section and regional events, and personal contact and endorsement.
- Convene focused Membership Recruitment workshops at annual ACE (Section Presidents) & ICE (Region Presidents) meetings.
- Global effort to recruit the recruiters.
- Individual champions to be recognized
- Publish up-to-date statistics on membership demographics in the Explorer on a monthly basis.
- Assess why graduated dues is not utilized by more members especially in Regions. Is the issue awareness, not needed or is $22/year still “too much” for some? Over 50 percent of members taking advantage of these dues are U.S. based reflecting the l arge number of retired member demographics.
- Recognition that Regions differ from Sections in fundamental ways and different approaches are required to recruit and retain members.
- Priorities: what do members truly want from their membership? Bulletin, Explorer, Conferences, workshops.
- Unify professional membership category and simplify the membership process.
- Discuss recommendation to convert all degreed Associate members to Active and narrow definition of Associate. Make formal recommendation to House of Delegates.
- Place 1/4 page ad in Explorer October issue (scheduled).
- New benefits for members – what will be the drivers over the coming decade?
- Application will be included in Bookstore catalog as well as future Education catalogs (currently being done).
Financial Considerations
The costs associated with this and previous programs are very low at this time and mainly consists of staff's time (implementing the program) and mailing cost for promotional items that already exist. Some printing cost is incurred (brochures and postcards). No recruiting rewards have been claimed as of this date.
Expense for 2011–2012 fiscal year will potentially increase to assist Section and Region Presidents to actively recruit new members and seek out, and reinstate, dropped members. Also, greater expense is anticipated to increase advertising, promotion and other incentive campaigns, and for shipping hard copies of membership applications, brochures and other assorted items internationally.
Dave Blanchard, Chair
Committee members:
Adekunle A. Adesida, David C. Blanchard (chair), Donald Dean Clarke, Bonnie L. Milne-Andrews, and Edward Beauregard Picou Jr.