Membership Messenger 
 
Georgia PTA Membership Newsletter November 20, 2009

 Track Our Progress!

A Note from the 
Georgia PTA Membership Chair 
 
I'm so excited about the first edition of our membership newsletter, entitled the “Membership Messenger.” Thanks to each of you for making membership a priority.  It is evident that we are all working hard to accomplish our goal of increasing membership in 2009-2010 by 2%.  Our new membership theme, “Let’s Go Green,” (as seen in the above header) was chosen to inspire us to grow membership like we grow green grass and spread membership-mania throughout the state. Membership is a basic key element necessary to having a successful PTA and aligns with our 2009-2011 state theme, “Back to the Basics: A Road Map for PTA Success” which depicts key PTA initiatives displayed on a series of colorful road signs.  We would like to thank FedEx/Office and Atlanta West Carpets for donating two beautiful new theme banners to Georgia PTA.  These donations were secured through the efforts of the Georgia PTA Resource Development Committee. 

I have really enjoyed presenting membership information at the various council and district meetings (Atlanta Council Membership Pep Rally, Fall District Conferences for the 8th, 10th and 13th Districts, South Cobb Council General Meeting, Carver HS PTSA and others) over the past few months. During these visits, I have been enlightened about some of the major membership challenges that are facing many PTA leaders across the state.  One thing that will help you is to continue emphasizing the VALUE of PTA. Remember, PTA is for everyone because it benefits everyone. In all of my visits with various leaders, I have learned that there are many LU leaders that were not aware of the fact that not only students in middle and high school, but also students in elementary school, can become members of PTA or PTSA.   In the very spirit of our PTA tag-line "everychild.onevoice.", let us continue to accelerate our efforts to secure better representation in PTA from the very young ones w hose interests we have elected to serve.  We cannot wait for you to see the two beautiful banners with our new 2009-2011 membership theme, "Let's Go Green" and “Back to the Basics:  A Road Map for PTA Success.”  We are looking forward to displaying our banners during future visits. The Georgia PTA Membership and Resource Development Committees are developing additional membership incentives.  You will be filled with exhilaration when these creative new membership incentives expressly designed to attract more MALE, BUSINESS and STUDENT memberships are unveiled.   See IDEAS TO PROMOTE MEMBERSHIP section for a sneak preview.
 
After carefully scrutinizing the membership statistical data over the last few years, it is apparent there is very little upward movement in membership numbers from November through the end of the school year.  However, membership efforts must be a ‘work in progress’ and cannot end in October or November.  Yes, there are still many miles ahead on this journey to PTA success, but I am confident that we are on the right road.  Let us all continually ‘challenge, inspire, enable and encourage’ others to ‘grow membership beyond measure.’
 
Rita Erves, Membership Chair
Georgia PTA 
(404) 314-3583
"Success is not a destination, it is a journey."

 

Visionary Award Winners 

 

Congratulations to the 181 PTAs across the state that earned the prestigious Visionary Pin and Certificate by reporting 400 or more members to Georgia PTA by last business day of August.  This new pin is absolutely beautiful, and the emerald green color (one of my favorites) is aligned with our new membership theme, “Let’s Go Green.” These awards have been given to District Directors, and they will coordinate distribution to councils.  Georgia PTA Board of Directors sincerely appreciate and applaud the following council/district Visionary Award recipients:   
 
DISTRICT 9:
  • East Cobb Council        26
  • Jessye Coleman             1  
  • Marietta City                     1  
  • Paulding                            2       
  • South Cobb Council        5  
  • Tom Mathis                    17  

DISTRICT 10:

  • Atlanta                               1
  • North Fulton                    40  

DISTRICT 11:

  • DeKalb                             16   

DISTRICT 12:

  • Area 1-Gwinnett             12  
  • Area 2-Gwinnett             19
  • Area 3-Gwinnett             12

DISTRICT 13:

  • Cherokee                      20           
  • Forsyth                            7

(Visit www.georgiapta.org for a full list of PTAs)  

 
Other Membership Awards: 
  1. Gold Membership Certificate:   Target Membership achieved and dues sent to the state PTA office no later than the last business day in October. 
  2. Community Partnership Award Form:  Awarded to Local Units with 30 or more community partner members may apply for this award.  The form must be postmarked by the last business day of OCTOBER.
  3. Oak Tree Award:  100% school staff membership (staff includes principal, administrative staff, clerical staff, custodians, social workers, counselors, cafeteria staff, i.e., and personnel assigned or based at the school.)  Form must be postmarked by the last business day of October.
 
Year-to-Date
Membership Results! 

 
2009-2010  
YTD  
2008-2009  
YTD  
April
3679  

 
1504  

 

May
1848  
5527  
2831  
4335  
June
1145  
6672  
378  
4713  
July
1832  
8504  
1346  
6059  
August  
156720  
165224  
156257  
162316  
September
71234  
236458  
81524  
243840  
October
34268  
270726  
27187  
271027  
November

 
270726  
12889  
283916  
December

 
270726  
7516  
291432  
January

 
270726  
8063  
299495  
February

 
270726  
4733  
304228  
March

 
270726  
4898  
309126

 
270726  
 
 
 
309126
 
 

Share Your Membership
Success Stories!
 
If your local unit has achieved success in effectively increasing membership at your school, we want to hear about it!  Please email us at membership@georgiapta.org with any unique ideas or strategies you have used to significantly enhance PTA memberships at your school and you may be featured in an upcoming issue of the Georgia PTA Membership Messenger newsletter!  Just write a brief paragraph describing what you did including the number of new PTA memberships you earned and up to one photograph demonstrating your efforts.  We look forward to hearing about your success on behalf of Georgia's children!
 
      
10 Power Plays for an 
MVP PTA Membership Team
  1. Local Unit leaders should launch aggressive effort to pursue student membership like it has never been done before. For example, in a school with student enrollment of 700 students, if 350 students + 350 parents join PTA, you would have 700 members.  Students, parents, teachers, and people in the community should all see PTA membership as an investment in the success of the student and the school.  It is a win-wi n for all when a PTA reaches out first to the students located right within the school.
  2. Make good use of school events (various games played at school, dances, family events, i.e., donuts for dad; muffins for mom; grandparent luncheons, etc. honor assemblies, etc.) to enroll student members.   These are all perfect occasions to ask people to join PTA.  Seek permission from school administrators to set up membership tables in area of bus stops (on designated days).  Ex. I received a recent report from one of schools that had never before been focused on student membership that now has 102 student members.  Because ‘we cannot manage what we cannot measure, their membership chair conscientiously tracks their student membership.  This particular PTSA is also one of the schools that implemented the idea of enrolling student members in the bus stop area.
  3. In high schools, PTSA can try making direct request to ALL coaches, (i.e., football basketball, golf, cheerleader, volleyball, baseball, etc.), as well as band, chorus and orchestra directors for their support in encouraging their students to join PTSA.  Perhaps athletic director OR even PTSA could provide some type incentive for the first team that is able to get entire team, including coaches themselves, to join PTSA.  < span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt;">Some type of incentive would of course, also be offered to band, chorus & orchestra.
  4. Membership Tables – Designate certain individuals to ‘work the area’ in close proximity of membership tables.  Emphasize that their efforts will yield more results if volunteers do not just remain seated at tables.  They must reach out to the people walking in the vicinity of the tables.  Be mindful too of not setting tables up in concealed area – position tables in highly visible areas.
  5. Vigorously accelerate efforts to embrace new ideas & methods to increase membership during the months of November, December and January.  It is during these months (particularly December) that many children are out of school for an extended period of time.  During this time, many of us visit or interact with a host of relatives, (i.e., grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.)  L ocal Units should plan NOW to continue their membership campaign and ask their members to ask relatives that have never before been ASKED to join PTA. We have learned that many grandparents do not know that they too can join PTA.  Perhaps, students can be encouraged to ASK grandparents to join PTA (either directly or by letter-writing campaign) in November and December.  Councils may offer incentive to the LU most successful in securing membership by grandparents.  
  6. Ensure that all people whom you come into contact with (regardless of whether they have children) are ASKED to join PTA. Few examples of people who should be invited to join PTA are: neighbors, co-workers, hair stylists, nail technicians, mechanics, restaurant employees, misc. vendors* utilized by PTA.  (DJs for dances; food vendors/caterers for various PTA events; fund-raising representatives; spirit wear providers; speakers for PTA events, etc., etc.)
  7. In schools with heavy population of Hispanic students, make concerted effort to reach out to parents and students.   Ensure that membership forms are in English and Spanish, and try to secure bilingual parents and students to volunteer at membership tables.
  8. Strongly encourage local units to adopt a new membership mindset. Some units are inclined to think that if their numbers are already the same OR close to the same as they were in previous year[s], no further membership efforts are needed for the year.  This thought process will not serve the interests of our association with regard to engaging more PTA members.  We should always be quick to praise & applaud P TAs for their membership efforts.  However, when one goal has been accomplished, we should challenge ourselves and set the expectation higher.  It is essential that we are ‘motivated to grow beyond measure.’  Perhaps the time has come to focus more attention on securing student membership; or maybe even on targeting relatives; or just launching a ‘reach out and ask’ campaign to those individuals who have never before been asked to join PTA. 
  9. Council leaders (inclusive of all council board members) should make concerted efforts to secure five (5) new members each month for the duration of this school year.   Leadership by example will always yield the best results. Challenge all of your LU leaders (including their board members) to secure five (5) new members each month for the duration of this school year.  Example of what is attainable, along with the remarkable membership increase that can result:  If 5 board members from just 15 councils secure 5 new members in the months of Nov.-Apr., that would result in an increase of 2,250 new members.  
  10. PTA leaders may want to visit their neighborhood fire stations and ask station employees to join PTA.    A formal presentation on membership was given at district fall conference a few weeks ago, at which time one of their PTA leaders shared their success with securing membership from all employees of neighboring fire station.  Just think about the membership increase that would result if only 350 of our local units across the state were successful with implementation of this idea.

 

Ideas to Promote Membership...

  

 
MALE Membership  
Between November 18 and December 2 local units can increase male membership, encourage men to be engaged in a Family Day event and earn income for the PTA.  Georgia PTA is sponsoring Family Day with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, December 27, 2009.  Each PTA can sell tickets to its members for $35 each.  The tickets are discounted for PTA members and the PTA can earn up to $5.00 for each sold ticket. Use this opportunity to enroll new male members so they can purchase Falcons tickets.  Visit the Georgia PTA website at www.georgiapta.org for additional information and order forms rega rding this exciting male membership initiative.  We are also looking for ways to provide incentives for the PTA with the highest number of tickets sold, the highest number of new male members, and the highest increase in male membership! 
   

 Membership Mindset Mania (MMM) Contest 
Councils will have an opportunity to win a prize for increasing membership during December 2009-January 2010. This is to keep membership alive every month and to encourage local units to keep looking for members every month and not to stop after October as most usually have done.    Please stay tuned for details in the upcoming weeks!   
  

Business Boost  

We are discussing a campaign that will promote membership for businesses in the month of January 2010.  More information to follow... 
 
 

Student Membership  

Additional incentives will be offered to promote student membership in February and March 2010. We are looking to find a sponsor(s) for new IPODs as well as other great prizes that can be awarded to students through monthly drawings.

Remember to: 

ATTENTION:
PTA President/Co-Presidents,
please FORWARD this newsletter to your Membership Chairs and Board members
IMMEDIATELY!
 
Thanks for your dedication to servicing the needs of
Georgia's children! 
Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved. Georgia PTA.
 


This message was sent from GA PTA Membership Chair to pamgapta@bellsouth.net. It was sent from: Georgia PTA, 114 Baker Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.

Email Marketing by
iContact - Try It Free!

Manage your subscription