Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Contact Me Program

Last year we introduced a program to let web site visitors who are interested in becoming members request that a squadron contact them. The initial deployment was largely a manual process initiated by an email message. The process has now been automated. When the visitor requests to be contacted, their zip code is used to find the closest squadron where one of the following (Public Contact, Membership Chair, or Commander) have an email address. A message with the contact information is sent to the squadron as well as a link to a page to report whether contact was made. A welcome message is sent to the visitor. If not results are reported, a reminder message is sent to the squadron on day 5 and day 9. After 15 days with no result recorded (Contact or No Contact) the opportunity is declared “Lost”. With the automation we have also begun recording the results. Thus far, 83 squadrons have had requests for contact. Some 60% of these opportunities were “Lost” while 34% made contact and 6% were unable to make contact. There are a several possible explanations for losing an opportunity to enlighten an interested party in USPS membership.

1) The squadron never got the three messages which were sent. This can be caused by a bad email address. Make sure your email address is correct!

2) The squadron got the messages, made contact and failed to report it. Reporting takes two click of the mouse. Hard to make it simpler.

3) The squadron contact’s SPAM filter is blocking messages from ContactMe@hq.usps.org . We have moved the management of the program to headquarters Customer Service and this is a new email address. Let your SPAM filter know that messages from this address are OK.

4) The squadron got the messages but ignored them. I seriously doubt that any of our squadrons are not interested in contacting potential members.

Please help us improve these statistics.

Dave Hinders

National Secretary

Squadron

Total Requests

Contact

Lost

No Contact

Absecon Island

1

1

Anderson

1

1

Asheville

1

1

Atlanta

1

1

Balboa

3

3

Baton Rouge

1

1

Berea

2

2

Birmingham

3

1

2

Boca Ciega

1

1

Carquinez

1

1

Charleston

1

1

Chicago

1

1

Cincinnati

1

1

Cleveland

1

1

Coastal Bend

1

1

Colonial

1

1

Dallas

1

1

Delhigh

2

1

1

Diablo

1

1

Dundalk

1

1

DuPage

1

1

Elizabeth River

1

1

Flint

1

1

Ft. Myers

1

1

Ft. Worth

2

2

Gainesville

1

1

Golden Isles

1

1

Great Blue Hill

2

2

Great South Bay

2

1

1

Greensboro

1

1

Hempstead Bay

1

1

Hilton Head

1

1

Illiana

2

2

Jacksonville

2

2

Kalamazoo

1

1

Lake Hopatcong

2

2

Lake Murray

1

1

Lake Norman

2

2

Lake Pontchartrain

2

1

1

Las Vegas

1

1

Liberty Harbor

2

2

Mid-Hudson

1

1

Mid-Potomac

1

1

Minnetonka

5

5

Mosquito Lake

1

1

Muscogee

1

1

Muskegon

1

1

New Haven

1

1

New Orleans

1

1

Newport

2

2

None

6

4

2

North River

3

1

1

1

Ocean City

1

1

Orange

1

1

Pequossette

1

1

Pompano Beach

2

2

Port Clinton

1

1

Portsmouth

1

1

Poverty Bay

1

1

Rocky River

1

1

Rowayton

1

1

Salisbury

1

1

San Carlos Bay

1

1

San Diego

1

1

Savannah River

1

1

Saybrook

1

1

Singing River

1

1

Skagit Bay

1

1

Somerset

1

1

South Bend

2

2

St. Andrew Bay

1

1

Staten Island

2

2

Storm King

1

1

Toledo

1

1

Trenton Falls

2

1

1

Tres Rios

1

1

Ventura

1

1

Vero Beach

2

1

1

Virginia Beach

1

1

Vulcan

1

1

Wilmington

1

1

Winooski Valley

1

1

York

1

1

Youngstown

2

1

1

TOTAL

117

40

70

7

Posted by at
Labels:

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Membership Committee Update

REMINDER:  Poster Contest

 

Now is the time to get any and all kids involved in the 2008-2009 youth poster contest. A squadron can take this poster contest to the schools and use it as a recruiting tool or make it a squadron family affair - get the kids involved and before you know it you may get some active parents. 

 

There were some great posters at the national meeting in Detroit last year - let's see if we can't outdo what was done last year! Please encourage all your members with kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews to have the kids participate.  What a way for the kids to learn about USPS® and how it helps us all become and remain safe boaters.  The theme this year is “Boating is Fun”.  I am sure that most kids will agree with that!  Please encourage those that participated last year to participate again this year.  And don’t forget there are monetary prizes for the top winners at National.

 

The rules and entry form plus ideas from the past poster contest can be found at - http://www.usps.org/national/membership/youth/pictures/12thYPContest.pdf.  Please make copies and distribute at your upcoming general meetings.  Vote for your district’s winners at an upcoming spring conference or a summer rendezvous – one winner for each of the 3 age groups.

 

 

 

Stf/C Linda LaLonde, P

National Membership Committee

Recruiting/Retention

lalondel@us.ibm.com

 

REMINDER:  MIRA COMPETITION

 

Don’t forget to enter the P/C/C WILLIAM D. SELDEN, IV, SN, MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT RETENTION AWARD better known as MIRA 2009.   This competition is for all squadrons and Districts to enter and there are monetary awards for the squadrons as well as trophies for all winners.  Dollar amounts for the squadrons is decided by P/D/C Wm. Selden, V who also provides the marble trophies.

Any squadron or District may enter by describing a program that has devised and utilized a plan to increase Member Involvement/Retention, and that has produced measurable results. Don’t forget to include an accounting of how your program impacts retention.   So, whether you refined a plan that has worked before or designed a new plan, please submit your entries

A Squadron or District Membership Committee, via their Involvement Chair, submits an entry prior to the deadline of 15 May 2009 to the District Membership Committee who in turn submits these entries to the National Award Chair.

The winning entries will be presented at the USPS® Fall 2009 Governing Board in Kansas City..

Don’t forget to use the form found at ; http://www.usps.org/national/membership/meminv/MIRA_2009/MIRA2009A-fill-in.pdf

For more information, contact membership@usps.org

 

Posted by at

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Membership Committee Update

Keep DB2000 Member Data Current

Please insure that all information for officers in your squadron DB2000 file is current and accurate.  Online web hits from potential new members can only be accurately forwarded if your contact data is current.

 

Absorb Unattached Members

Please make every effort to absorb unattached members into your squadron should a neighboring squadron be dissolved. Invite them to your events and call them regularly. This is a growing number and squadrons need to work in harmony to promote the USPS agenda, share learning experiences and boating activities.  A dues paying member is an asset not to be ignored!

 

What’s new? – Look for “*Learn from the Best*” - the new recruiting brochure that highlights educational opportunities focused on enhancing skills while having fun. Available at the Annual Meeting

 

New Member Involvement Retention Award (MIRA) Deadline

Deadline is 15 May 2009.  Download the application and submit to P/R/C Priscilla Clarke, AP.  Award is funded by the Selden Family and winning squadrons are awarded $$$ for outstanding programs.

 

Roberta L. Dougherty, AP

R/C Membership Committee

United States Powers Squadrons

 

Posted by at

Monday, November 3, 2008

Secretary's Manual Update

On 11/01/08, the updated and reformatted Secretary's Manual was published on the Operations Manual website ( www.usps.org/national/om ). It is included both as Chapter 15 of the Operations Manual and as a stand-alone document (http://www.usps.org/national/om/pdfs/secman.pdf ). Please consult the What's Changed document on the Operations Manual website for a more detailed listing of all changes to the manual.

Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)