FMCA New Member Report

[Jim T.]

As a local chapter secretary, I asked for and receive a monthly New Member Report from FMCA headquarters. Since my chapter is in southeastern lower Alabama, I receive the listing of new members from Alabama, Florida & Mississippi. I select from this list to send an email to introduce our local chapter and invite those interested to join us for one of our local rallies, hoping that after meeting us, they will join our chapter. Since September of 2017, email addresses are no longer included on the New Member Report. After inquiring, I was told that the removal was done as a consequence of one new member complaint about being contacted by email. (As an aside, I don’t know if the complaining person was from my Alabama, Florida, or Mississippi area. I doubt it, though, since my email states that non-responders will not be recontacted.) EvIdently FMCA headquarters is concerned about a violation of spam regulations.

My chapter has recruited most of its members using this technique. My contention is that sending an email is by far less intrusive than sending a letter and certainly less costly and time consuming. Without a way to contact new FMCA members by email, local chapters will whither and eventually die.

I ask that chapter National Directors get on-board with this issue and force a timely resolution of this problem.

[NLOVNIT]

How many chapter National Directors are members of iRV2 where they'd see your post? Yes, iRV2 has thousands of members but once one gets out in the world, you realize just how many RV'rs have never heard of iRV2 or know of us.

Do you have access to their email addresses? If so, I'd try directly emailing them with your proposal. You'll probably stand a better chance of getting your message out to the demographic you need to reach.

Lori-

[Jim T.]

I’m just using iRV2 as another avenue to address the issue. Our Nat Director is aware of issue & will bring it up at their meeting in Perry at FMCA convention.

[Jim T.]

And No, email addresses were removed, wherein stands the issue!🧐

[CampFire Junkies]

I am a new member and would rather get an email than snail mail anytime! And I am looking for a chapter to join in the Kansas/Missouri area. Just waiting to get back home from Texas trip to see where local chapters are having rally’s this year.

[knightstorm]

The new FMCA web site has a chapter search function by state and region. If you find a chapter that interests you, you can contact that chapter for additional information.

[CampFire Junkies]

Originally Posted by knightstorm

The new FMCA web site has a chapter search function by state and region. If you find a chapter that interests you, you can contact that chapter for additional information.

[emoji106] thanks!

[Jim T.]

Originally Posted by knightstorm

The new FMCA web site has a chapter search function by state and region. If you find a chapter that interests you, you can contact that chapter for additional information.

That’s fine, except my local chapter wants to be proactive in recruitment of new members and not depend on inquiries. Our local chapter experiences a year-to-year turnover rate of +20% because of many factors, member aging & moving out of area being the most prevalent, so proactive recruitment works best for us.

[Jim T.]

Originally Posted by CampFire Junkies

I am a new member and would rather get an email than snail mail anytime! And I am looking for a chapter to join in the Kansas/Missouri area. Just waiting to get back home from Texas trip to see where local chapters are having rally’s this year.

Thank you for your response. My feelings exactly!

Good luck with your search for a local chapter to join. In our +35 years of RVing, being an active member of a local club has enhanced our lives with new experiences, new adventures & new friends!

[dons2346]

Jim, I hear you. I just got the report of new Country Coach owners in our area without the email addresses. With only one person complaining, it would be silly to condemn the entire system. We do get the snail mail address and can send an envelope but that costs chapter/area money which some cannot afford to spend. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by the area presidents so I suggest you contact them. I talked this over with my AVP this morning, they are having an executive meeting via phone as I write this

[Jim T.]

Originally Posted by dons2346

Jim, I hear you. I just got the report of new Country Coach owners in our area without the email addresses. With only one person complaining, it would be silly to condemn the entire system. We do get the snail mail address and can send an envelope but that costs chapter/area money which some cannot afford to spend. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by the area presidents so I suggest you contact them. I talked this over with my AVP this morning, they are having an executive meeting via phone as I write this

Already done that. My next step is having my National Director to bring up our concern at their Perry meeting.

Yes, snail mail costs local chapters’ treasury some money.

[dons2346]

The Perry meeting is fluff. Nothing of any importance goes on there,no policy made. The summer convention in Gillette is where things happen but this problem will not be addressed there, trust me.

This problem needs and should be brought up to the AVP. Get your AVP involved and her name is Betty Duncan. Her email address is bduncan@fmca.org

Most likely it was the Cincinnati staff that decided to stop supplying email addresses

[Indy Glenn]

Originally Posted by Jim T.

That’s fine, except my local chapter wants to be proactive in recruitment of new members and not depend on inquiries. Our local chapter experiences a year-to-year turnover rate of +20% because of many factors, member aging & moving out of area being the most prevalent, so proactive recruitment works best for us.

As a former Army recruiter, I totally understand being proactive with your recruiting efforts - - if you don't ask them to join they never will.

Just thinking about your problem and thinking out loud here...........How about asking FMCA to add to their membership application an additional opt in check box to receive emails from local chapters?

This way a new member has to physically check a box to get info and when FMCA runs a new membership report, these new member's emails is included.

Again - - thinking out loud.

Good luck with your recruiting efforts.

g

[knightstorm]

I don’t recall any recruiting or even promotion of local chapters when I joined FMCA last year.

The Newmar Kountry Klub seems to be better organized.