Membership working ... for many reasons
For Post 630 in Elburn, Illl., a team approach to membership has helped hit 100 percent of the post's membership goal. (Photo by Steve B. Brooks)

Membership working ... for many reasons

The American Legion Department of Illinois’ 11th District is the largest in the state, totaling more than 9,200 members. And entering early May, the district was less than .4 percent of hitting 100 percent of its membership goal.

The reason? There are a lot of them, depending on who you ask.

Some say it’s having a tool like MyLegion.org, which provides membership information, reports and electronic membership tools such as data change forms for department and post leadership. Others say it’s a team approach that’s working.

Another post takes a different approach to renewing its members, and it’s worked – to the tune of being the second-largest post in the district.

And John B. Reece Jr., the district’s current senior vice commander and incoming district commander, said having strong mentors like 11th District Commander Gary Stieg, department senior vice commander Paul Gardner and Past National Commander Marty Conatser – now serving as department adjutant – has been critical.

“I think it’s because of leadership – the leadership above us and the leaders below us at the post level,” Reece said. “What Paul has taught, and Gary and some of the other people, I’ve tried to pass on other members of the post. Some of it catches fire. Some of the guys are getting reinvigorated. This is the highest the 11th District has been in membership in a long time.”

Stieg has been a strong proponent of MyLegion.org; one of his goals this year has been to promote the online tool at every post meeting he attended. Don Grillo – commander of the 11th District's Kane County, which has surpassed 103 percent in membership – has similar praise. “(MyLegion.org is) a great tool,” he said. “I use it all the time. I pull up (headquarters post) lists. I like that part. I’ve been pushing MyLegion at my post ever since I’ve been commander.”

Taking a team approach to membership at the district “is critical,” Stieg said. But that trickles down to the post level. John Nevenhoven, incoming commander for Post 630 in Elburn, said keeping the membership off one member is one of the reasons his post is at 105.1 percent membership.

“I would say it’s probably more effective doing it that way,” he said. “There are only so many people you run across in a given day who are going to be eligible for membership. If you’ve got 100 people looking, you expand that group of people who could possibly come in.”

Also critical to the district’s success has been the activity of its posts. Greg McKinney, commander of Post 342 commander in St. Charles, said his post’s image attracts veterans. “They see that we’re doing things in the community, and by being active within the community, you tend to draw veterans in the community into (the post),” he said. “ When you’re out there leading the parade, (or) the master of ceremonies (of a ceremony) is announced and every single time, these people are seeing The American Legion of St. Charles … you say that enough times, people are going to go, ‘Man, these people are really active. Maybe this is something I can try.’”

At 712 members, Post 57 in Elgin is the second largest in the district. And through early May, the post had achieved more than 95 percent of its membership goal. One way the post goes after renewals is by selling a $50 raffle ticket booklet. Members can buy the book, and when they return it with all of its tickets sold, that member’s dues are paid for the year. Returning a second book pays the dues of another member.

“We’ve been doing that since 1977,” said 60-year Legionnaire Don Sleeman, who serves as Post 57’s adjutant and has multiple offices at the post, county, district and department level. “ I’d say about two-thirds of our membership comes in that way. By October, we’ve probably got 450 paid (membership renewals).”

A second raffle conducted in the spring helps pay to conduct post programs. Conducting those programs is a key to keeping the post relevant in the community, said Post 57 finance officer, and past post, county and district commander Tricia Derringer.

“We believe in what our words say,” she said. “We are for community, state and nation. We’re always trying to keep ourselves in the pulse of the community. It helps us. It helps the community. I think as long as the word veteran is still a viable word, we have a mission to do. We need to take care of (veterans) and their families.”

That is the benefit of a healthy membership, Reece said. “It’s just not so we can have numbers, so we can look good,” he said. “The membership is important because that’s how we take care of The American Legion. That’s how we take care of veterans and support the programs. It’s through membership. That’s why it’s so vital for The American Legion to continue to get our membership numbers up.”

To read about the importance of transferring members into local posts, click here.

To read about how a revitalization effort helped spur membership growth in Illinois, click here.