Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver, the other is gold.
A circle is round, it has no end.
That’s how long, I will be your friend.
- Author unknown
Phew!! Has another year really gone by already? The tree is down, the gifts are put away, the New Year’s resolutions have been made…and oh yes, P.E.O. dues are “due.” In addition to writing a check to the chapter, it’s a time to renew our allegiance to the Sisterhood. Alas, not everyone will renew that commitment: it’s a fact that each year a certain number of our members will choose inactive status.
It’s a safe bet that every professional or social association struggles with the issue of member retention. Successful organizations know they have to do more than just document membership figures; they need to be aware of trends and focus on the reason why members take a hiatus—even if it’s just a temporary one.
At the P.E.O. Executive Office, the staff and executive board pay careful attention to initiation rates as well as to the number of members who elect inactive status each year. Surveys are administered in order to poll both active and inactive sisters, and time is devoted to talking about overall membership trends. Likewise, each chapter is encouraged to take a look at its own trends: Is your chapter shrinking or growing? When a member decides to go inactive, what is the reason why?
There will always be “natural” reasons why members opt to go on inactive status. Very often the demands of career and family make taking a break from extra activities—including P.E.O.— a necessity. But other times the loss of a member could be avoided, and those are the gaps we seek to fill.
The heart and soul of a healthy organization is assimilation and involvement. Chapters that embrace and engage new initiates are the most successful at keeping them around for a long time. Here are three principles to help you assimilate— and ultimately retain—your chapter’s members.
Share expectations. Articulate to new—and notso- new—sisters exactly what you expect of them. P.E.O. membership is more than just having a name appear in a chapter yearbook. Clearly outlining the value of participation on its many levels can help a sister evaluate for herself if she is in fact “stepping up to the plate.” While membership should not feel like a burden, there are certainly obligations that come with P.E.O. membership and we need to be clear about what those are.
Chapter involvement. If a sister does not become truly involved in the chapter—either as an officer, active committee member or in some other valued capacity––the likelihood of her disengaging is increased dramatically. New members should be invited to get involved as soon as possible after initiation. Meanwhile, established members who may be showing signs of drifting away could be “re-recruited” to provide leadership and expertise to the group.
Foster relationships. Odds are good that new initiates have established friends in the chapter already, and long-standing members probably have their own developed “circle” of close contacts. But the chapter is intended to be one family, and sometimes it’s necessary to help integrate various sub-groups. By holding formal programs specifically designed to break the ice, we can help individual members progress from stranger to sister.
Leaving the Chapter By Dimit
Nonresident Members
Not every sister “leaves” a chapter because she is going on inactive status. Sisters who relocate to an area far from their P.E.O. chapters may be unaffiliates for a time before they dimit to a new chapter. When a member moves too far away to conveniently attend chapter meetings, her name should be put on the nonresident roster. This will allow her to be added to the unaffiliate lists in the area where she is now living. Certainly the bonds of friendship between the original chapter and the relocating sister will remain, even after she has assimilated into a new chapter of our sisterhood! If you—or a member of your chapter—are moving too far away to continue to participate in chapter meetings, please know we want you to stay a member of the Sisterhood. Therefore, it would be helpful if you would:
- Request a copy of our brochure, A Guide for an Unaffiliate. Visit chapters and try to dimit as soon as possible.
- Ensure that your chapter sends Form FL and includes a note of introduction on your behalf.
- Remember to pay your dues to your current chapter, so your general P.E.O. membership remains active.
As much as we hope that the membership committee of each chapter will maintain a current list of all unaffiliates within the proximity of their chapters, the reality is that sometimes it may be a while before a P.E.O. sister who has moved to a new locale is contacted. Please don’t allow yourself to become discouraged, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to the chapters in your new area. Many relocated P.E.O.s have done just that and found themselves a new chapter home that much more quickly!
Lateral Dimits
The lateral dimit provides a solution for the member who finds herself unable to attend regular meetings of her chapter. A lateral dimit makes it possible for a P.E.O. to join another chapter in the same city or area with a more convenient meeting time or location. Please don’t be hesitant to explore this alternative! The new FC Form was introduced last biennium to help facilitate lateral dimits; ask about it!
It is important to remember that each P.E.O. became a member of the Sisterhood at large and our loyalty is to fulfilling our vows of participating membership.
Members who have not paid their annual dues by March 1 are considered inactive. It is important for a chapter to maintain contact with those sisters who have chosen inactive status. Because P.E.O.s are never erased from the membership rolls, we say “Once a P.E.O., always a P.E.O.” Our hope is always that an inactive member will consider reinstatement.
