PARTICIPATION PROBLEMS?

 

Motivating the members to participate in DECA activities outside of competition such as community service, regular meetings, and DECA month events can be extremely difficult.  It is often referred to as a problem that has plagued mankind for centuries.  Okay maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but I think you get the point. 

Here are some helpful (I hope) tips/ideas for reducing this issue within your chapter:

·       Bribe them with food.  It doesn’t matter if you are a part of a chapter of 30 members or 600 members, we’re all high school students and we all love food.  It doesn’t have to be a three-course meal but just a slice of pizza or some candy can help bring in a few extra members to an event.

·       Entertain them don’t bore them.  Make the events fun and interesting so that they want to come and more importantly, come back.  Play some games, offer some prizes, and always keep your target market in mind with everything you do.

·       Have a point system.  This is a way to get members to continuously participate throughout the year.  Offer students a certain number of “points” for each event that they attend.  Give them a log to record the points and at the end of the quarter or the year, you can have a raffle or just award prizes for the students with the most points.  Make sure that the prize is good though if you want to see student participate for the entire year.

As always, let me know if you need help with member motivation or anything DECA related.  Have a nice start to the New Year and good luck getting adjusted back to school!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @zackschaja

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