Attract New Members

Ideas for Attracting New Garden Club Members

Ask everyone you know to join
Ask each member to bring a friend.
Have a membership contest and give a prize for the person who brings in the most new members.
Give out club or state brochures at a nursery, store or mall.
Ask a nursery for permission to set up a card table manned by garden club members. Go as a group during the busy time of the day. Talk to customers and invite to your garden club meeting.
Have a special program and invite the public to your meeting. Have members bring friends.
Assign a special hostess to any prospective member who may attend your club meeting.
Have a plant sale or flower show at a mall or shopping center. Be sure to have hostesses give out information and/or brochures.
Have a garden tour and invite the public. The publicity generated from a tour can help recruit new members. This event will also qualify your club for an award. (See theAwards Manual)
Make contact with city officials and get involved in civic beautification programs.

Attend city-planning sessions and offer to help with a project. Let city officials know that you exist.
Talk about your garden club with everyone. Post notices on grocery store bulletin boards.
Contact newcomer groups. Offer a gift such as a plant or consultation about their garden to new members of the community.

by Virginia Bennetts,
Former President

These are just a few ideas about ways to find new garden club members. Use your imagination. Have a brainstorming session with your garden club members. Ask them for inventive ways to reach out to your community.

The Riverview Garden Club in Diablo Foothills District has just installed a Blue Star Memorial Byway Marker in one of their city parks. Because of their close cooperation with the city of Antioch in planning this event, the garden club has enrolled three new members, all workers for the Parks Department, and the city of Antioch paid for their membership.

Modesto Garden Club has had tremendous cooperation and publicity from the city of Modesto because the club has been helping with downtown beautification. This is one of the reasons why they have a large and growing membership. Another reason is that they have fabulous garden tours, and one must be a member of the club to go on the tour.

Take a note from these two clubs. Working with cities or community organizations can help a great deal in recruiting new club members. New ideas and new ways of doing things can also generate new members, especially if done with enthusiasm. Remember, enthusiasm is catching, and excitement can be generated if everyone in your club approaches your membership project with positive expectations.