AMA Nationwide Membership Drive 2009

Goal: To utilize/involve the Academy’s largest outreach component—the membership—to recruit new members for the AMA so more people can participate in the fun of flying model airplanes.

Time Frame: April 1-September 14, 2009.

Methodology: Train, equip, and challenge the Academy’s leadership with the knowledge and materials that will encourage and empower the average AMA member to recruit new members.

Relationships to other AMA membership-development programs: The Bringing Modelers Together Challenge replaces no current AMA membership-development program. All prizes and awards that are currently in effect will be honored in addition to the new incentives developed for this effort.

Membership Drive: This effort will center on a competition between the following groups to sign up the highest number of new members*. Awards/ recognition will be given to the highest producer in each division.

Club to Club: The highest number of new members* gained through the efforts of the club. Does not require that new members join the local club, but it is greatly encouraged. Calculations are based on new membership applications* with a club-orientation designation noted from April 1 through September 15, 2009.

There are five subdivisions for clubs in this competition: Small, membership of 5-10; Medium, membership of 11-24; Large, membership of 25-49; X Large, membership of 50-99; XX Large, membership of 100 or more.

Awards:

1. Recognition in MA/Park Pilot and all Web sites as the top-producing club in each respective category.
2. Brick in AMA “Walk of Fame” in new club-recognition section denoting club winner for 2009.
3. AMA banner and plaque proclaiming that “TBA club signed up the largest number of AMA members in 2009.”
4. Waived recharter fees for 2010.
5. Cash award of $500 to club.

District vice presidents are encouraged to develop a corresponding intradistrict “Bringing Modelers Together Challenge” program, with recognition and awards within their respective districts, to encourage participation.

The AMA will develop support materials that can be used by AMA vice presidents, AMA associate vice presidents, AMA Leader Members, and AMA’s general membership to recruit new members from April 1-October 2, 2009.

Materials/Actions Needs:

1. Program-announcement materials and communications to AMA leadership and members.
2. AMA application forms.
3. FAQs sheet on membership recruitment.
4. Poster suitable for club bulletin board, announcing the “Bringing Modelers Together Challenge.”
5. Online registration to allow a sponsor/referring member or club to be recorded/tracked.

Time Line:

1. ASAP: Presentation to Executive Council, using a teleconference call, of concept and components.
2. Early February: Program-announcement materials and communications to AMA leadership and members developed.
3. MA/Park Pilot and all Web site announcements developed and placed in April, May, June, July, August, and September issues.
4. Monthly: Reports of membership challenge progress by all divisions reported in MA/Park Pilot and all Web sites in April, May, June, July, August, and September issues.
5. March: Mail materials to all clubs.
6. March: Push e-mail to all members.
7. March: Push e-mail to all associate vice presidents.
8. April, May, June, July, August, and September: Reminder push e-mail to all members and associate vice presidents with status-report information.
9. October: Calculate and notify winners in each division. Announcement made at October Executive Council meeting.
10. January 2010: Recognition of winners at January Executive Council meeting.
11. January 2010: Begin planning for the 2010 membership drive.

Note: The Membership Department supervisor has the final say if there are questions about whether or not a particular application counts toward this promotion.

* AMA $1 Youth Memberships are ineligible for this promotion.

Approved by Executive Council telephone meeting February 9, 2009. Q