CAUTION: OUR FRATERNAL BENEFIT SOCIETY IS NOT IRREPLACEABLE

While doing some on-line surfing I came across an article written by Matthew Swyers1 for Inc. Magazine, which talks about how indifference by business owners and employees push away our customers to our competitors. Mr. Swyers wanted to buy a cake but the store would not be open for another 10 minutes; although he saw employees behind the counter, not one would show him the courtesy to open the door and take care of him. He was in a hurry to get the cake; he was a customer that was recognized by the employee but the employee’s indifference drove him to another bakery with inferior products but one that served him when he needed a solution to his need.

Upon reading this article I could not help think about the continuous struggle of retaining our hard earned new members. Have we ever stopped to think how often:
· a rushed and un-prepared first degree ceremony,
· an unceremonious new member presentation,
· a joke of poor taste told in the middle of the Council meeting,
· a Grand Knight who allowed the meeting to go totally out of order,
· a sick brother who no one contacted after several months absence,
has driven away a potentially great member to make him an ex-member in less than a year? How painful it is to find this ex-member only to hear how he lost all interest in the Knights of Columbus and how not even his sponsor reached out to find out what happened.

Successful Councils use a simple but very effective tool: they keep their members interested, enthusiastic and active. To achieve this every member must be invited and asked to be personally involved in the life of the Council.

The Supreme Council representatives have seen the problem of retention not only in every Jurisdiction of the United States, but in every jurisdiction that the Order is or has been active in for any length of time. That is why they developed an effective retention strategy and program which include a number of well defined action steps that start at the new member’s first degree such as:

· Take the newly initiated member and his family under your wing. See that he learns council procedures (such as meeting times, committee assignments, etc.) and meets other council members.
· Telephone members and remind them of meetings.
· Offer to provide transportation to members who would like to attend council functions, but don't have the means to get there.
· Answer questions. Members will ask why council activities are done in a certain way and if things can be changed. Provide them with sufficient information.
· Inquire about the particular interests of the members through membership surveys.
· Help new members make new friends in the council by introducing them to all fellow Knights.
· Be aware of personality conflicts and try to avoid them as much as possible.
· Do all you can to help members feel important to the Council.
· Get members' names in the council's newsletter, both when they join and as they begin to take an active role.
· Be sure members' names are always spelled correctly, whether in the membership directory, on a name tag at a meeting or in a news story.
· Accompany your recruit to his Second and Third degree exemplifications and stay with him throughout the day or evening.
· Introduce him and his family at council events. Encourage him to involve his family in council-sponsored activities.
· Always make it a point to contact the new member before each council meeting and bring him to a meeting if necessary.
· If the new member becomes inactive in council activities, try to find out why. Call and ask to visit with him. Explain your concern about his absence and offer support or assistance.
· If the Knight becomes in danger of being suspended, his proposer should work with the retention committee to find out the reasons for his lapsed interest and to work to conserve his membership. With a little personal effort you can help guarantee that your recruit becomes not only an active member of the Knights of Columbus, but a member for life.

In the multi-cultural area, these problems are magnified because of language and cultural differences, lack of knowledge between the relationship of the Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. For example, the Order has had a presence in Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The members we have recruited in Florida come from Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Haiti, Jamaica, Lebanon and Syria just to name a few.

It is unreasonable to expect that new Council can work independently without the dedicated and continued guidance of a knowledgeable and cooperative Knight. In the English speaking Councils it should be achieved with the transfer in of some experienced Knights. With more than 30 Spanish speaking Councils in Florida we now have some experience Knights who can guide new Councils. The Creole and Arabic speaking Councils are bringing English speaking “brothers” who are helping them through the early development.

The community service organizations such as Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary have learned this lesson well: they assign a “Guiding” member for a period of up to four years to make sure they don’t lose the Club to indifference.

When a member becomes disinterested and unattended, he like Matthew Swyers, will find the one alternative activity or organization that keeps him interested and gives the satisfaction to replace the Knights of Columbus.

Retention, just like new member growth, is everybody’s business! As we approach the anniversary of the founding of our Order, let’s make the decision and commitment that we will do whatever is possible to retain those members that we brought to our honored Order, the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.

Lorenzo A. Rodriguez
Director
Spanish and Multicultural Membership Development

1. Matthew Swyers is the founder of The Trademark Company, a web-based law firm specializing in protecting the trademark rights of small to medium-sized businesses.