Increasing Chapter Membership

The below entry was meant to be posted on October 13, but due to Capitol Leadership activities it is being posted following the conference. This post was contributed by Cathe Felz, National Consultant Team and Chapter Adviser from Montana.

Increasing membership and competing with the wide variety of extra-curricular activities, after school jobs, and social activities is a challenge all advisers have in common. How do you encourage students to get involved, hold their interest, and maintain a quality program which provides opportunities for a wide range of students? There is no right or wrong answer to this question. In small schools the same students are involved in everything from sports to speech and drama, in large schools the number of activities available decrease the number of members who want to join any particular organization. Some kids will not or cannot participate in extracurricular activities because of finances, lack of motivation, or transportation issues.

Two things must happen for membership recruitment to be successful: first students must see membership in any group as a place they could belong and second they must see the benefits of belonging. For example, student athletes may have letter jackets or team shirts that identify them as part of the group and receive recognition from the community for their membership on the team. Not everyone can be a successful athlete but everyone likes to feel that they are part of a group who accepts and appreciates them. Young people will join FCCLA they know what the organization is and how it can benefit them personally. Likewise, parents who see FCCLA as an opportunity for their student to develop a résumé, receive a scholarship, or gain positive recognition will encourage their child to participate.

In some cases the key may be to make FCCLA available during school hours. Students who cannot participate because of transportation issues can participate if the activities are integrated into the classroom.  Once the student has had the opportunity to participate in a class project they may decide being a member of FCCLA is something they would really like to do. Many projects can be completed as class assignments and graded for everyone in the class. Students who are members of FCCLA may be able to refine their class projects for participation at the district, state, or national level. Integrating FCCLA into the classroom will also benefit advisers freeing more of your after school time for your family, hobbies, or to work on extra-curricular FCCLA projects.