Membership: In the green
American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett was happy to announce to members of the Legion’s National Membership & Post Activities Committee on Jan. 8 that 36 Legion departments are either at or above the 80 percent membership target date for January. For the past two years, less than 10 departments had met the January membership goal.
“I’m smiling right now, and hope I continue to smile – there’s more green (membership) numbers than red numbers,” Barnett said. “Now we need to focus on finishing the game. We have to be close to that 100 percent (by May) if we are going to grow the organization.”
The dues increase and revitalization efforts are two reasons Barnett believes membership is in the green.
“A dues increase doesn’t usually represent growth,” he said, “but with it being implemented in the middle of the membership year it created a focus for the membership team that there was a reason to get out there early and work membership.
“And with revitalization, I’ve seen the fruits of those efforts. Not every department has implemented a revitalization effort while others have implemented it extremely well. Where we’ve done revitalization efforts is where we are seeing membership growth.”
The committee members gathered in Indianapolis to review progress toward the Legion’s five-year membership strategic plan, and to discuss ways to grow membership. Young Army Iraq/Afghanistan veteran Edgar Morales of Bryan, Texas, said he joined the Legion when he was introduced and encouraged to participate in Legion programs at the local level.
“We need to promote our programs,” said Morales, a member of Post 159. “If we do our programs and serve our community, we are going to end up serving veterans and those veterans are going to find out who we are and what we stand for. And that’s going to bring in our membership.”
Post 159 is very active in the local community by sponsoring a Junior Shooting Sports club and Boy Scout troop, sending high school rising seniors to Boys State and Girls State, hosting an Oratorical contest, and having an active Legion Riders chapter and honor guard. The post also serves coffee every Thursday morning for all veterans, not just members.
“Are we looking to just increase membership or are we looking for actual service?” Morales asked the committee members. “The new generation of veterans want to continue to serve. They want to find somewhere where they can reunite with the community and serve as a veteran for their community.”
Morales said that when recruiting new members he is often asked by veterans what the Legion can do for them. “I think we need to change that message to, ‘Let me tell you what you can do as a Legionnaire,’” he said.
Committee Chairman Ken Orrock added that “sometimes you need to tell (veterans) what the Legion has already done for them. Did you go to school on the GI Bill? Did you use the GI Bill to buy a home? Do you use the services of VA? All of those things exist because of this organization.
“Now let’s talk about what you can do as a member.”
Barnett reminded the committee members that one way to discuss what the Legion has done for them and how they can get involved to serve their country once again is through Walk for Veterans events. Since taking office as national commander last September, Barnett has participated in 16 walks during his travels to departments.
“No two (awareness walks) have been alike, but there is one commonality − they all have been successful because we got The American Legion out of the post home and out into the community, visible in the community,” he said. “I want people in the community to ask what we are doing and for us to tell why we are a member of the American Legion family. That is something we have lost in this organization; we don’t tell our story.
“I want to be able to say that The American Legion is growing when we go into our 100th year. We can grow; it’s got to be a team effort.”