As your national commander, it is my goal and responsibility to continue encouraging you to help the membership thermometer rise to 100,000 new members for 2016-2017.
Out of the 55 American Legion departments, 51 exceeded the 55 percent membership target date on Oct. 12. That’s fantastic! I hope those numbers continue to rise as we approach the 65 percent membership target date (Nov. 16) and beyond.
As your national commander, it is my goal and responsibility to continue encouraging you to help the membership thermometer rise to 100,000 new members for 2016-2017. Because we must turn membership around.
We currently have more than 21,000 new members, and click here to see a list of who will be receiving a commander's pin for recruiting.
When membership was at a high of nearly three million members 27 years ago, it was because World War I and II veterans had a mission to make sure that no veteran was left behind; that no veteran lacked the medical care that he or she needed. They didn’t care about the cost of membership; all they cared about was the price that was paid to be eligible for membership.
To support the Legion’s five-year strategic plan, and encourage growth, I have three membership incentives. They include a commander’s "Carry the Legacy Forward" pin to any Legion member who obtains three new members for 2017; an honor ribbon for any Legion Family that achieves 100 percent membership by May 30; and a monetary award for the department with the largest percentage increase of new members from Jan. 1 to May 31.
We cannot experience a culture of growth if we do not convince our existing members that renewal in our organization is in their own personal interest, as well as the interest of their fellow veterans and community members. We need to carry the Legion legacy forward; we need Legionnaires in order to keep that legacy alive. And it’s a great legacy that The American Legion has built.
But remember, while membership incentives are a few of the perks to recruiting, it’s not always about earning rewards. It’s about making sure that every veteran has a place to go to find the people who understand what their experience has meant. It’s ensuring that we have enough resources to provide for every veteran, spouse and child so they can all enjoy the American dream that they themselves helped pay for.
- Dispatch