Wisconsin showcases membership tools on MyLegion.org
Paul Brown, assistant director of The American Legion's Membership Division, works with Laurel Clewell, Department of Wisconsin vice commander, on membership resources available on MyLegion.org during the Department of Wisconsin's mid-winter conference.

Wisconsin showcases membership tools on MyLegion.org

The American Legion Department of Wisconsin provided its mid-winter conference attendees with a hands-on membership station that offered the necessary tools for recruiting and retaining members.

As attendees walked through the department’s membership resource center, tables housed membership resources such as DVDs, brochures and door hangers. And department leaders manned three computers to help Legionnaires log on to their MyLegion.org account to access members who are expired, new in their area or in a holding post. Once a membership list was generated, it was printed along with automated letters asking headquarters post members to transfer and mailing labels of expired members.

“It was a one-stop shop for Legion members to get all the necessary tools to recruit and retain members,” said David Kurtz, Department of Wisconsin adjutant. “When post Legionnaires come to the state convention or mid-winter conference, their enthusiasm is at a high – they come, they’re inspired, and their enthusiasm is at a high point when they return home. We wanted to capitalize on that and make sure they were going back with all the tools necessary to be successful.”

With transfer letters and membership renewal mailing labels in hand, Legionnaires ventured to another station to fold and place the letters in an envelope, and stick the labels on postcards. One Legionnaire printed 100 transfer letters and stuffed them in an envelope, ready for a stamp and mailing upon returning home.

“Members need hands-on resources. The biggest feedback I received was actually sitting down with somebody and having them show all the membership tools available on MyLegion.org and printing out those transfer letters,” said Darla Porter, Department of Wisconsin’s Membership Committee chairman. “And everybody liked the door hangers; they are something to easily leave at homes instead of brochures.”

The department had 5,000 Legion-branded door hangers available for members to take, customize with their post information, and use to recruit potential new members at home – even if they are not there. Attendees were also shown how to access membership reports on MyLegion, and an area with phones was available for Legionnaires to make membership recruiting and renewing calls from their printed contact lists. A telephone script was provided as a conversation starting point, “but you have to be able to pick up that phone and get personal,” said Laurel Clewell, a department vice commander. “You have information (military branch, war era, etc.) about that member or potential member so work with that information. Put someone on the phone that can relate with them; everybody is sold differently.”

Membership videos played continually as attendees walked through the membership resource center, and a session was held that provided one-on-one assistance for how to put all the membership tools together to create a successful revitalization in their post or district.

“We wanted members to see that there are so many things out there that they can actually use for their membership,” Clewell said.