MEMBERSHIP
Onboarding Your New Members In business, we often say it costs more to lose a client than it does to gain one. The same can be said for any organization—its members are its most precious commodity. The care and feeding of members starts immediately after the individual joins the group. In the Scottish Rite, we need to be aware of this. In my local Valley, the Valley of The Hudson—located in New York, that process of shepherding our new members begins with a great onboarding program. When I became Commander in Chief, I made it a priority to structure a strong onboarding program. In 2020, the Valley ran this in a live format just before COVID and transitioned to a virtual
platform in 2021. We didn’t change the content; we just migrated to Zoom. To help you with this, I have made a punch list of things to think about along with topics
by Bob Siebold, 32°, MSA, Commander in Chief, Valley of The Hudson
to consider when putting an onboarding program together (see below). Now that you have the operational basics, let’s talk topics. We wanted our new members to walk away with a functional knowledge of how our Valley operated, AASR basics, and the value of being a member of the Rite. When doing this, the trick is to keep the segments crisp, clean, timely, and short (five minutes per speaker). After all, you are covering a lot of information in a relatively short period of time.
N E W M E M B E R E X PE R IE NCE Get everyone involved: officers, emerging Valley leaders, and your legacy members. Everyone can play a role and has something to offer.
been designed for them specifically. It adds a personal touch and will drive participation.
Invite your legacy members. While the event is primarily an “onboarding” event for new Assign a chairman for the project—I suggest Scottish Rite members, legacy Valley members one of your Lieutenants from the Consistory. can enjoy it as well. What we stressed to our Have them form a committee to assist in the legacy men was that their presence was desired endeavor. and needed as they could add a phenomenal dimension to the dialogue. It was also a great Pick a central location that is good for everyone. way to meet the new Brothers. Our Valley meets in four different places, so we used the lodge where the Consistory meets. Create a PowerPoint deck that shows each It was convenient and served our purposes speaker and their topic. Have a projector, perfectly. screen, speakers (if a video is being shown), PC, and a podium with a microphone. I suggest Wrap the event around a meal. In our live using a larger lodge room or dining hall to format, we ran a breakfast. That got everyone hold the event with the focal point being the to the lodge early for a hot meal and some presenters and projection screen. brotherhood. Everyone loves food and great conversation. In the Valley of The Hudson, we ran the event on a Saturday and designated the dress code Designate specific key leaders from your Valley, as business casual. Lose the hats, jewels, and COD, or other groups to act as guest presenters all the bling. Keep the atmosphere loose and that will deliver focused messages to the welcoming. audience. Print a set of PowerPoint slides for each Market the event strongly through social media, member including speakers’ notes and also email, and telephone calls. Make sure to tell supply pens. This will encourage questions your new members that this program has throughout and stimulate participation.
August 2021
TOPICS Functions of the Valley Secretary and Treasurer Valley Online Resources—Web Site, COD Website, NMJ Website Valley Degree Team— Live, Nite at the Rite, Scottish Rite Radio Honors, Awards, and Knights of the Double Eagle Valley Service— Knights of Saint Andrew Valley and AASR History—a look back to look forward Individual Body Presentations Overview of the NMJ and COD AASR Philanthropy
The topics above will give your program a comprehensive look at your Valley and demonstrate the robust programming the Scottish Rite offers. While you can approach this deliverable in a live or virtual offering, the content is what really makes the day a memorable first step in a lifelong journey for your new members. If you do this well, you will see increased participation and excitement—two important elements in the success of any Valley.
ScottishRiteNMJ.org
39
