Onboarding Your New Members

by Bob Siebold, 32°, MSA, Commander in Chief, Valley of The Hudson

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 to consider when putting an onboarding program together.

NEW MEMBER EXPERIENCE

Get everyone involved: officers, emerging Valley leaders, and your legacy members. Everyone can play a role and has something to offer.

Assign a chairman for the project—I suggest one of your Lieutenants from the Consistory. Have them form a committee to assist in the endeavor.

Pick a central location that is good for everyone. Our Valley meets in four different places, so we used the lodge where the Consistory meets. It was convenient and served our purposes perfectly.

Wrap the event around a meal. In our live format, we ran a breakfast. That got everyone to the lodge early for a hot meal and some brotherhood. Everyone loves food and great conversation.

Designate specific key leaders from your Valley, COD, or other groups to act as guest presenters that will deliver focused messages to the audience.

Market the event strongly through social media, email, and telephone calls. Make sure to tell your new members that this program has 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 Scottish Rite members, legacy Valley members can enjoy it as well. What we stressed to our legacy men was that their presence was desired and needed as they could add a phenomenal dimension to the dialogue. It was also a great way to meet the new Brothers.

Create a PowerPoint deck that shows each speaker and their topic. Have a projector, screen, speakers (if a video is being shown), PC, and a podium with a microphone. I suggest using a larger lodge room or dining hall to hold the event with the focal point being the presenters and projection screen.

In the Valley of The Hudson, we ran the event on a Saturday and designated the dress code as business casual. Lose the hats, jewels, and all the bling. Keep the atmosphere loose and welcoming.

Print a set of PowerPoint slides for each member including speakers’ notes and also supply pens. This will encourage questions throughout and stimulate participation.

TOPICS

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.

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.