Last Thursday, I wrote a blog post about the value of membership. I specifically took the perspective of a young man and how he would sell DeMolay to his friends, using a discussion of the actual benefits a person would gain out of joining DeMolay. However, there is another kind of "member" that we need to think about recruiting; members of our Advisory Councils are just as hard, if not harder, to come by than active DeMolays.
What tangible benefits are there to being an Advisor for a DeMolay Chapter? One of the most commonly cited would be involvement of a parent with their own child in the program. However, not every Advisor is working with a young man who is related to them. So, I'd rather take a look at this from the angle that the person we are trying to recruit has no relation to the Chapter through its membership. I also know that many DeMolays come back and give something to the program as adults. For them, the value is built in because they want to help a program that gave them something. Therefore, I won't be taking that view either. Rather, my question is, how do we recruit a person into the role of an Advisor without those two connections.
Now, you may be thinking, if I'm not targeting parents and Senior DeMolays for this sales pitch, I'm missing a huge market. You're right, I am ignoring that part of the market, simply because the have different benefits from involvement that others will not have. On the other hand, the list I'm going to propose below will apply to everyone, including parents, Senior DeMolays, and everyone else. I'm trying to offer a generic list that you can build on in your Chapter.
With all that being said, what tangible benefits would an adult receive by signing on to be an Advisor?
- Subsidized costs from the Chapter for refreshments and travel (only with some Chapters though.)
- A chance to network with other leaders in the community.
- The opportunity to meet Master Masons from other Lodges (if they are involved in the Fraternity.)
- Recognition for service via awards and honors.
- The chance be a mentor and to help a young man learn and grow as a person.
You'll see that the list is much smaller than the one for active DeMolays. But, it's the final bullet point that really matters and that is oftentimes the hardest to explain. I don't know of one DeMolay Advisor who wouldn't cite that last bullet point as a huge selling point for their involvement with our organization. The ability to have an impact on a young man is really what keeps many of our Advisors coming back. Helping young men grow into leaders and members of society with integrity and character is a benefit beyond compare. Unfortunately, that's a tough thing to articulate into words, but I firmly believe it's the key to any Advisor recruitment program. If you can explain the value they will derive out of being a positive influence on a member, you'll find it's much easier to get them to join your Advisory Council.
So - how do you explain the value of being a DeMolay Advisor? Leave your answers in the comments section!
Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony
