Mentorship, involvement key to retaining members

Tom Vildibill, past distinguished governor of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District, knows something about recruiting and retaining Kiwanis members. In 25 years as a Kiwanian, Tom has sponsored more than 300 members. His method: Identifying potential members who match the Kiwanis ideals.

“I make sure our members know the Objects of Kiwanis,” he explains. “The first object, for example, is ‘To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than the material values of life.’ I really believe it is more important to give than take. I impart this to our new members, get them excited about service, and the rest follows.”

Tom is not alone in the district in reaping rewards for cultivating members.

•  With a focus on quality over quantity, the Kiwanis Club of Northridge, California, welcomed seven new members this past year using a program it calls the “Leadership Council.” The council’s job is to mentor new members—immediately—asking each one to plan and lead one new community-service project for the club.

“It’s kind of a club within a club,” president Ron Smith told Cal-Nev-Ha Magazine. “We meet and discuss what Kiwanis is all about. And we get input from each new member. It gets them involved and instills a feeling of ownership.”

•  Blessed with more than 120 members 10 years ago, the East Fresno, California, Kiwanis club saw its numbers dwindle to fewer than 75 a couple years ago. The solution: The club organized Special Guest Day, sending out more than 180 invitations and signing up 25 new members. The club then conducted orientation sessions so the new members would get involved right away. The result: Club membership now totals 101.