This past month, Team 74 had the pleasure of attending the Emerging Leaders Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. While there, the team was lucky to visit the Grand Ole Opry, connect with other State Officers, and most importantly: Learn how to be better leaders! Led by Mr. Ryan Underwood, one of the most memorable tools taught was the 3×3 membership system. Past, present and future officers can use this system in order to build membership, the foundational stone towards seeing more success in their DECA chapter and on the competition stage.

The 3×3 matrix is composed of the following columns: Activate, Promote, and Recruit. 

Activate 3 current members of your chapter who are a part of DECA, but don’t participate as much as they should. This step is often overlooked when thinking about growing chapters, as we often only see people who aren’t a part of DECA as new recruits. However, many chapters will have 50-200 members who are registered, but only have 25-75% actually compete and be active. By reaching out to those who have already taken the step to join and convincing them to participate, it can be a lot simpler to grow membership.

Promote your DECA club to 3 classrooms on your school campus—the largest gains are made from the largest audiences. Although just giving presentations in classrooms won’t be the most convincing for students to join DECA, it will serve as a seed. It will help to plant the idea of participation in members minds and create participation to come.

Recruit 3 new members to DECA by personally asking them to; during ELS, Team 74 was able to witness firsthand this recruitment, when a friend of a Massachusetts State Officer was asked to join in front of all 250+ attendees. This can be one of the most effective ways to grow membership. Whether asking your friends, classmates, or relatives, utilizing the personal bond that has already been fostered makes your asking much more meaningful, and in turn, persuading. 

When utilizing this strategy, use it as an opportunity for each member of the team to practice their communication and persuasion skills. As one of the first things you can do in the year, it is a great way for each member to take on a challenge and to focus on building membership. 

Best of luck in pursuing these new members, and if you ever have questions or need assistance with planning, don’t shy away from reaching out to Team 74. Whether through our personal calendlys or through the shared one, we are just a Zoom away! 

If you are interested in learning more about what ELS had to offer for us this year, read below for each of the officers favorite parts of the trip!

Diya: At ELS this year, I loved meeting officers from across the country and working with them during workshops, activities, and more! I enjoyed learning from TEAMTRI’s leadership trainers and connecting with our Executive Officer Team as well! ELS was packed with fun activities, from an exciting luncheon to a special Night at the Grand Ole Opry, and I can’t wait to connect with everyone once again at WRLC and ICDC 2025!

AJ: My favorite part of the trip was being able to connect with the other state officers. After meeting with so many during the Virtual training back in June, being able to see them face to face was so rewarding, and going through the trainings with my “band’ was exciting, as so many of them I had met before.

Bhavya: My favorite part of ELS was most definitely getting to know and learn more about other states and their officers. I enjoyed getting to know them better through icebreakers and games, getting the chance to professionally and personally talk to them and making connections that’ll last for a long time! 

Ella: My favorite part of the trip was meeting officers from other states and getting to know them. The leadership activities were very engaging and the icebreakers allowed me to meet so many new people around the room!

Rayyan: My favorite part of ELS was by far the people. The conference was stuffed with impressive people, and I felt like I could learn from everyone I met. It’s really an amazing group of leaders, from the State Officers to the trainers and state coaches. Team TRI did an incredible job, but I can’t wait to reconnect with everyone at WRLC and hopefully Power Trip!
Aum: My favorite experience at ELS was getting to hear the experienced trainers and leaders share their knowledge and expertise. The suggestions and tools they taught us are some that I am excited to bring back to California DECA!