Recruitment and Retention

There is good news on the Membership front as the District increased in size during the past year whereas last year, for the first time, I had to report a decrease. I thank you all for answering the plea I made at last year’s Annual Meeting. During the last year we brought into our District 16 new Brethren and lost only 11 in Resignations, Deaths or moves to Honorary Membership. I did ask Member’s to endeavour to bring one person each into our Order which would mean that we would be swamped with new Members and announced a reprint of our leaflet which explains the various Degrees of our Order and has the application form inside. This can be further supported by the use of our pop up Board which is on display here today.

I sincerely thank those Councils that recruited new Members, well done, and to say a big thank you I come to this Meeting bearing a gift for each Member of the District which I hope will assist you in your recruiting endeavours.

Let me explain further. Each Member here today has a napkin on his seat which displays the Surrey Logo of our Order, this can be buttoned onto your shirt to protect your clothing whist eating but more importantly it advertises the Order. Members not here today will receive them through their Councils and I ask that the Council Secretaries take them with them today and distribute them to Members at the next Meeting of their Council.

My challenge to you is to wear that napkin at the Festive Board of every Mark Meeting that you attend in the District (it pays to advertise!). Someone is bound to ask what it is about and once he is asking he is on the hook and then he just needs to be landed. No doubt a pamphlet from your pocket will follow this up. Please give it your best endeavour.

R.W.Bro. John French
District Grand Prefect