Membership Comfort Levels

by Bill Roberge

Are you the one? Have you brought in one new member this last year?…or are YOU the new member? Our goal for 2024 is to continue to increase membership and I need your help to do it.

Any member old or new, will not stay with an organization or group unless they are comfortable inside that group. To feel comfortable, you need to feel you are part of the group. So how does that happen? It’s something every member of ABATE of Wisconsin can help newer members with. Some people call it mentoring and here are some of the basics.

Start out simply by introducing the new member to other members. The more people within the organization the member knows, the more likely they will feel they are a part of it. The other members that they are introduced to will help with the mentoring process every time they strike up a conversation and they will introduce the new members to other members. A snow balling effect.

Get to know the new member. Asking a few questions will go a long way towards giving you more tools in your toolbox to make them feel more comfortable. If you know what they like, you have a heads-up about where to lead them in ABATE activities. Easy questions like, do you like to ride in small groups, larger ones, or by yourself will break the ice.

Point out what’s going on. This organization can be confusing to a new person. We only have one mission: “To protect the rights and safety of motorcyclists” But we use many different angles and approaches that could be confusing to grasp all at once. Show them a newsletter and point out the calendar of events. Offer to attend a neighboring event or take them along to your next meeting to break the ice. . Ask them to bring something simple to the next fundraiser – potato chips? If they forget a bag of chips the event will still be able to take place. As the new members become more familiar with things their responsibilities might grow too.

Our goal is also to retain members that may have let their dues lapse. It is up to each one of us to reach out and encourage them to renew and become active again. The lapsed member does not have to be a current motorcycle rider but they still might want to preserve their rights. Remind them that we are fighting for a lot of things that may cross over to other aspects of their lives.….fuel choice….black box information ownership, right to choose, going all electric, etc.

We aren’t all cut from the same mold. Some people are more politically active than others that might be more socially based. Remember that we are a diversified group, with many talents to share. Our job is to bring everyone together to keep our organization strong while still having some fun along the way.

Don’t forget it’s ABATE of Wisconsin’s election year. Don’t be afraid to throw your hat in the ring and lead us into the future.

Bill