The Elly Report: State Committee

Building Committee Membership

Under Massachusetts Law, a maximum of 35 official voting members is permitted for a Town or Ward Committee. Additional members may participate, but only as Associate Members, with no official vote in Committee elections. Successful Committees have the full compliment of 35 members and another 10-20 associate members.

On committees with 35 members it is a good idea to elevate the newer, younger members to full voting status within a short timeframe as an incentive to attract and retain new members. In addition, members unable to fully participate in the committee's activities should be asked to move to associate status in order to make room for the next generation of Republican activists.

Recruiting New Members
Adding new Committee members is a key element to building the Republican Party in your community. In many areas, GOP Town Committee membership has dwindled because there is no recruitment program in place to regenerate the committee.

The Chairman should assign a reliable member to serve as Outreach Chairman. This individual will be in charge of recruiting new members to the Committee. The Outreach Chairman will encourage the entire Committee to seek out new members and provide them with instruction on how to identify and attract new recruits.

Town Committee members are motivated, first and foremost, by the conviction that the ideals and values of the Republican Party are the most effective means to implement government policy and make their communities, and their country, a better place to live. Other motivations for joining a Town Committee may include:

A desire to see the political process in action
Seeking the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to their community, state and country

When building your membership, the Committee should make a concerted effort to find younger members and get them involved in Committee activities. As your Committee grows, you will find that ideal members are:

Dedicated: All other characteristics are secondary when compared to the importance of dedication to the job.
Personable: Getting along with people is vitally important in political activity. You cannot afford anyone who doesn't get along with fellow members, volunteers, neighbors or potential voters.
Strong Leaders: People that have proven their capacity to lead either within the GOP or in the local community.

Potential membership sources that the Outreach Chairman should consider include:

Active members' family and friends.
Local organizations (religious, ethnic, veterans', fraternal, senior citizens, professional, PTA, youth, civic and social). These people have already demonstrated an interest in community involvement and would make great members.
Past and present Republican candidates and elected officials.
Active Republican primary election voters (mail them a postcard inviting them to attend a committee meeting).
Members of local GOP organizations (College Republicans, Women's Republican Clubs, etc.)
People who volunteered for a current or past Republican candidate.
People who supported a GOP point of view in a past letter to the editor to your local paper.

Engaging & Training Your Members
Far too often, Town Committees have fallen into disrepair because of an all-too-common cycle:

The Committee meets, but has no particular agenda or goals;
With no goals to work toward, there is no agenda;
With no agenda, the committee members focus on how bad things are;
With poor morale, committee meeting attendance begins to wane;
With no active members, there are no candidates, voter registration drives, or effort to turnout the GOP base in elections;
The Committee is officially dead.

This scenario must never happen again! An effective Chairman will be a dynamic individual who sets an aggressive agenda and encourages the members to participate in accomplishing important tasks. Stress the importance of the Committee's mission and getting the job done! Let precinct leaders know what is expected of them. Delegate specific duties to the members and coach them on how to accomplish their tasks. Encourage active participation in organizational affairs. Members must feel that their opinions and contributions are valued.

Keeping Your Members

Remember that your Committee members are volunteering their time. They are not paid and can get up and leave very easily. Remind them that they are integral parts of the team and recognize their contributions.
Committee members are a valuable resource: treat them as such.
Make your Committee meetings short, productive and fun.
Build a team spirit.
Be flexible. Be businesslike and have a good game plan, but be realistic. Instructions for your tasks should be in simple, concise language, both written and verbal.
Make a realistic plan and follow-up on directives to make certain assigned tasks are accomplished.
Have nametags at events. Party leaders need to know the volunteers and volunteers need to know each other.

Building our local committee membership is a critical first step towards our goal of rebuilding the party. The key is not only to actively recruit new members but also to make sure your committee is focused on a set of goals and has an agenda. Without goals and a plan to achieve them you will have a difficult time keeping members interested and recruiting new members. Meetings should become a place where members are reporting on their activities and chairmen are laying out future goals and activities.

Please contact your local State Committee members or myself if you have any questions about ways to build your membership or keep your members engaged.