'Membership is more than just a number'

Members of The American Legion’s National Membership & Post Activities (M&PA) Committee met last Friday to review each tactic of the organization’s strategic membership plan and to discuss progress with membership recruitment and retention. The Legion’s 100 percent membership goal is only a few months away, which puts the challenge on all 55 departments to meet their assigned membership goal or exceed it.

“Once we meet the 100 percent membership target date (May 31), everybody thinks the membership year is over. But we need to continue on working membership; let’s not stop. Make it 110 percent,” said National Commander Charles E. Schmidt. “A lot of departments look at membership as another number to achieve. But membership is more than just a number – membership gives us people to implement and execute our American Legion programs. And membership strengthens our voice, our voice on Capitol Hill.”

To keep membership momentum strong for the last stretch, the committee was reminded of the commander’s membership incentives.

Upon taking office last September for the 2016-2017 membership year, Schmidt encouraged membership growth by announcing the award of his commander’s pin to any Legion member who recruited three new members, as well as a certificate to those who recruited one new member. To date, nearly 33,000 new members have been recruited into the Legion. And his new department membership award is now in effect, which provides a monetary award to the departments with the largest percentage increase of new members from Jan. 1 to May 31.

“I asked every Legionnaire to sign up just one new member, just one,” he said. “It is our responsibility to leave our footprints on this organization and membership is one way that each and every one of us can do that.

“In the coming months, let’s continue to work membership because we have a legacy to carry forward. It’s not about my remaining months as your national commander. It’s about the sustainability and continuation of this organization, especially as we come up on our 100th anniversary.”