This Active Life -- November 2002

News Briefs

Recruiting 200,000 Members--One at a Time

George Moore, one of the newest of NEA-Retired's 200,000 members, didn't wait long to make his mark. The Chester, South Carolina, retiree proved so energetic upon joining that he was tapped to become member-ship chair for his local retired organization.

Moore's is one of the success stories generated by a membership drive spearheaded by Janet Agnew, current president of South Carolina Education Association-Retired, and Catherine Dedmon, co-chair of the SCEA-Retired membership committee. The two secured a $600 grant from the SCEA to work on member recruiting in two local Associations that had become inactive. Then they rolled up their sleeves and hit the phones.

"With the grant, we bought a phone card and began calling," says Dedmon. Using rolls of teachers who had been active locally, they hit many dead ends, but when they found a teacher who showed enthusiasm and interest, they convinced him or her to serve as a contact person for a local meeting.

At the local meetings, Agnew and Dedmon discussed the important benefits of membership and highlighted how members could develop their Association. "We promoted that membership gives you a way to keep up with the issues that face education today, to renew old friendships and make new ones, and to still be involved with projects for improving the schools and helping school children," says Agnew. They also stressed member publications and NEA Member Benefits.

Moore was one of those who received an invitation from Agnew and Dedmon. The invitation actually was addressed to his elderly mother, a retired teacher, but Moore, who was caring for her, went in her place.

By the end of the meeting, he was so charged up about the retired program that he paid his dues and joined on the spot. Now he's calling on recent retirees in his area to share his enthusiasm for the program--including his brother and sister-in-law, who have been a hard sell. With Moore's enthusiasm, though, it's a good bet they'll come around.