Adding Value to MORS Membership

Membership Committee

Spring, 2008

Value of Membership• If we want people to pay for membership, it has to

have value to them– Avoid denigrating non-members that attend meetings

• The member survey may be summarized as they want: 1) Knowledge of techniques 2) Professional development3) Networking

• Board may want some policies to distinguish between members and other individuals that attend many MORS meetings

– Committees may implement their aspects of incentives

Alternatively, perhaps MORS should only strive for larger meeting attendances and not worry about having members! Does being a society imply having a rooster of members? Does size of membership translate to prestige?

Areas for Potential Benefits

• Meetings

• Professional Development

• Publications

• Networking

• Web-Services

• Merchandise/Memorabilia

• Conclusions

Meetings Benefits for Members• Receive announcements and invitations

– Not providing announcements to non-members may reduce attendance• Pay discounted fees

– Registration– Socials

• Recognition of members at meetings– Different color badges– Front row seats at plenary session (avoid slighting non-member attendees)– Extra donuts and funny hats to wear

• Reciprocal discount rates for “sister” organization events• Better networking with meeting room or other meeting privileges• Awards only to members (Barchi, Rist, Junior Analyst)

– Alternatively add a years worth of membership as award/prize benefits• Preference on presenting briefing

– Government are less likely to pay for membership, but government briefings obtain higher attendance

• Discounts or preference on tutorials– Currently tutorials are free; non-members could have to pay

Professional Development Benefits for Members

• Opportunities for management and leadership positions (limit the following to members?)– Working/composite group chairs and co-chairs– Regular members on committee– Board members– Question: do we want to limit volunteers to members?

The alternative is let non-members plan and run MORS activities!

• Participation in the mentoring program

Publications Benefits for Members

• Subscription to Phalanx (current)

• Discount (perhaps to zero) on Journal

• Discount on other publications and books

Networking Benefits for Members

• Make no registration fees for Fellows, General Officers, Flag Officers, and SESs so there are more important people to network with at meetings

• Announcement of new members in Phalanx or at symposium

• Access and inclusion in membership contact lists• Discount on social activities• Members-only activities• Perhaps references provided for problems

Web-Services Benefits for Members

• Access to member's section on web– Expand unclassified web services– Initiate secret web MORS presence

• Allow participation in Communities of Practice– May limit individuals that we desire to get involved in

MORS– May institute free 6 month trial periods for non-

members

• Conduct virtual meetings

Merchandise Benefits for Members

• Discount on all purchases• Token gift (lapel pin, cup, t-shirt, gift certificate or

coupon)– On becoming a paid member– Annually

• Polo-shirts for members• Negotiate rental car discounts for members• Arrange MORS vanity credit card with MORS kick-backs

• Goals in any gift– Not significant cost to MORS– Not give impression that MORS is wasting money– Maintain member’s right to use or refuse gift

Conclusion

• We can and should have many incentives to membership along the following criteria– Make members feel appreciated and valuable– Respect members choices to use or refuse benefit– Avoid non-members attending meetings feeling slighted– Result in revenue neutral or minimal costs to MORS

• Avoid impression of wasting money

• This briefing is intended to simulate ideas– Ideally we would post this on a web-page for directors to blog

comments and thoughts well prior to June

• The board does need to consider implementing some member policy to distinguish– Committees should implement their respective aspects