DECA’s membership campaign is back! DECA Inc. announced the new incentives for the membership campaign earlier this summer. Chapters able to recruit two of the following three categories will receive a pennant, plaque, DECA flag and three allocations to attend the all-new THRIVE Academy at ICDC 2013: recruit 20 new members, 20 alumni, and 20 professional members. Those able to attain one of the three categories, for example recruiting 20 new members, will earn a pennant and certificate.
In order to help your chapter in the membership campaigns, California DECA has outlined tips for membership recruitment for alumni members & professional members. Alumni members are individuals who have graduated and wish to remain involved with the program by paying the appropriate DECA Inc. and association dues. Alumni members receive a pin, one-year subscription to DECA Direct and the value of supporting an organization that has impacted them and additional emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. Recruit your chapter alumni members by offering incentives! Perhaps for those who pay the dues required by DECA, there will be an alumni breakfast or a chance for them to be honored at a meeting! Another way to recruit alumni members is to include a chapter t-shirt in the fee charged or even have a contest to see which class can recruit the most alumni. Always remember to keep your alumni involved by asking them to come back and speak to students!
Professional members are individuals from the community (i.e., business leaders, judges, internship sponsors, counselors, parents, community leaders, administrators) who are active with the chapter. They must pay the appropriate DECA Inc. and association dues. Professional members receive a pin, one-year subscription to DECA Direct (if a current address is provided) and the value of supporting an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to be college and career ready. Recruiting professional members has tremendous benefits. One benefit is having a network of professionals to help you prepare for competitions by asking them to evaluate your practice role-plays or written plans. Members in your chapter who have parents in the workforce qualify as professional members. Ask the parents of your chapter members to get more involved in DECA by becoming a professional member of an organization that has given so much to their child.
Remember that professional members aren’t just great assets for membership, but also because of their vast bank of knowledge. This knowledge can contribute to making your chapter thrive. Ask local business owners if they would be interested in being apart of an organization that focuses on shaping the leaders of tomorrow.
We at California DECA hope that you can rally up alumni and professional members and accomplish the membership campaign!