Recruitment by VP Marina

What a more perfect time to start planning membership recruitment! With our current seniors graduating, we need to begin brainstorming future events and promotional campaigns to attract new members, and reach an unprecedented growth. As a part of the Thrive campaign, it is mandatory for each chapter to increase their membership by twenty members. To achieve this feat, chapter DECA officers need to coordinate their efforts ahead of time.
While it is important to recruit upperclassmen, underclassmen are the most important, as they are the “future” of the organization. Not only will they be a member for four years, but they will have those years to train for officer positions, in which they’ll be prepared for. By introducing DECA to freshmen, membership will inevitably increase along with involvement.
So how do we increase membership? From the first day of school, membership campaigning should begin. You can start off with posters! Fill the hallways with funny and eye grabbing DECA posters. In addition to posters, creating a recruitment video really helps. Whether is its a slideshow of a past ICDC or a song parody, recruitment videos should be short and entertaining, so that they can be displayed in every classroom.
On the posters and recruitment video, a back-to-school social can be advertised. Hosting a social during lunch or after school makes getting to know prospective members much easier. During this activity, advisers would discuss the overall gist of the organization. Members and officers would then give their “”DECA stories.”

After visiting every business-related classroom and those with mostly freshmen, chapter officers can set up a booth at their courtyard/cafeteria to promote the organization. To capture students attention at the booths, it helps to pass out candy. While you have their attention, make sure to mention the activities your chapter has done, and its future plans!
My last tactic is specifically aimed at freshmen. To raise buzz about DECA, chapters can make invitations addressed to every freshmen, welcoming them to the family. On the invitation, include the date of an upcoming social/meeting and where they can pick up their applications.