2015: New Member Training Program
The Junior League of Yakima’s New Member Training Program, which originated from its participation in the Action Learning process, had three objectives:
- Increase new membership
- Prepare new members to serve their communities immediately
- Retain new members
They took a comprehensive approach. They lined up leading outside experts to train new members. They infiltrated the Membership Committee with members of the Nominating and Placement Committee and vice versa and installed liaisons who floated between new members and the Nominating and Placement Committee, keeping the lines of leadership-oriented communication open. They established a mentoring program for new members that relied on the experience of more seasoned members, and they tasked new members with not only the selection of a focus area but also with a project all their own.
The results of these efforts show nothing less than success. Forty-two new members joined the roster in the 2013/2014 year and 17 in the 2012/2013 year, constituting a 50 percent increase in membership in just one year and an expansion of the League’s impact on the community. In addition, various new members have already served in leadership positions within the League and retention rates have improved.