Welcoming New Members
Purpose
Help new members feel welcomed and connected early.
Guiding Principle
First impressions shape long-term engagement.
Welcoming new members is one of the most important responsibilities in the Membership Officer role. The goal is simple: help members feel seen, informed, and connected from the very beginning of their membership experience.
New Members Wiki (external/internal link placeholder)
Philosophy
- First impressions matter
- Personal contact is strongly preferred over automated communication
- All members matter — including those who may never attend events
- Welcoming is a shared responsibility, not a single-officer task
Success is measured by whether new members feel acknowledged, informed, and invited — not by how many events they attend.
What This Means In Practice
A successful welcoming process means:
- New members receive timely contact
- Members understand how to engage locally if they wish
- Members feel included regardless of participation level
- Multiple forms of contact are used thoughtfully and appropriately
Key Actions
Welcoming Contact (Overview)
New members should ideally be contacted within a few weeks of joining, reinstating, relocating into the area, or being assigned due to boundary changes.
Information is typically obtained through month-end reports available on the National website.
Hold New Member Events
Dedicated New Member Events
Best Practices
It Takes a Team
Welcoming new members is not solely the responsibility of the Membership Officer.
Best practices include:
- Involving all officers in greetings
- Using name badges for everyone
- Coordinating with mentors or experienced members
- Ensuring new members are not isolated at events
Encouraging Attendance
Many new members may feel nervous attending their first event.
Effective approaches include:
- Personal invitations to specific events
- Offering to meet them and walk in together
- Introducing them to others at the event
- Reducing “walking into a room of strangers” barrier
Best practice: Ensure every new attendee has at least one familiar contact at their first event.
Mentor Programs
Mentorship programs help connect new members with experienced members.
Key Elements
- Matching based on interests or profiles
- Volunteer mentor recruitment (often from life members)
- Optional questionnaire for pairing
- Designated mentor coordinator role (as program grows)
Caution
Not all members are suited to mentoring. Careful matching is important to avoid negative experiences.