This fall, when clubs and groups submitted 4-H Charter Applications, the 2nd most popular goal was to “Increase or Retain Membership.” Is your club one of the 266 groups that submitted this as a goal for 2022? Here are some ideas that you can use to reach your goal:

Ideas for Increasing Membership:
*Bring-a-friend gathering at meeting: at an upcoming meeting, ask each member to invite a friend to join in and see what 4-H is all about!
*Invite the news to your club’s fun event – or take a LOT of pictures and submit them to your local news after the event.
*Talk it up in school! Do a 4-H themed research project – share with classmates.
Ask a friend with a fun hobby to teach a skill at your club meeting. Write an article for your school newsletter about your favorite things your club has to offer.

Ideas for Retaining Membership:
*Have a moving survey for your club. Make placemats to represent the 4 essential elements of youth development: Belonging, Generosity, Independence and Mastery. Ask members to stand at the element that their club does really well. Ask them to stand where the club could improve.
*Bonus points – ask youth who would like to be on a subcommittee to make these improvements!
*Create a routine at club meetings to make “connection before content.” Find some silly icebreakers or a challenging team building activity.
*This could be another club leader position or subcommittee depending on the size of your club.

Here are some resources that might be helpful if you’re working towards this goal:
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/wi4hpublications/files/2015/10/Mentoring.pdf
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/wi4hpublications/files/2015/10/RecruitingforYourClubcc051.pdf