JulyAug_2012

Building An Educational Tool Box
by Teresa Gretton
Director of Membership
gretton@verizon.net
Your Board of Directors
has been busy working on
many ideas and suggestions
to build an even greater
organization for the best
members in the world. The
building blocks are based on
the three Rs (recruitment,
renewal, and retention).
Since education is a huge
part of COAI’s mission,
it stands to reason that
clown classes should be the
catalyst for enticing new
members to join. If YOU or
your alley offer instruction
regularly or once in a great
while or are contemplating
it for the first time, you will
definitely be interested in
the opportunities that will
be forthcoming.
A new membership drive
is in effect until December
31, 2012. Every member
has a great opportunity to
extend their membership by
two months when they sign
up a new FULL Member.
Family members registering
as a Family Membership
($17) are not eligible.
Family members registering
as Full Members do qualify.
If you sign up six new Full
Members, you would have
extended your membership
by a whole year. Don’t
forget to take advantage of
the gifting.
With the start of a new
board, inventive ideas are
already flowing as to what
COAI can offer you or your
alley with your teaching
needs. Tools are essential.
One of the most effective
toolboxes COAI has to offer
is the “Clowning Basics”
book. It is packed with the
best tools to guarantee a
successful clown creation.
What could be better
than the “Clowning Basics”
book? How about excellent
package offerings to help
with recruitment of not
only students, but new
COAI recruits? Imagine
even more tools tucked
into these packages—if
you will, a “school in a
box.” Perhaps, the box
could contain giveaways,
additional incentives,
COAI certificates, forms,
discounts, invitations, and
more. What tools do you
use in your classroom? Are
you willing to share them
with the membership? If
so, please contact me at:
gretton@verizon.net or
(301-843-8212). You can
also drop me a note at my
address on page 4.
Consider International
Clown Week, August
1 – 7 as a great time to
recruit new alley members
through alley participation
in many public awareness
appearances. What a great
opportunity to bring new
people into the clown
world through classes
that you or your alley can
conduct. Your COAI alley
could benefit greatly. Keep
in mind that every new
member you instruct can
be a new addition to your
COAI alley. It can and has
been done in Florida where
an instructor recently taught
clown students and created
a new COAI alley from
these students. Have you or
your alley thought about
teaching new clowns? No
time like the present to
get started.
If every member
of your alley were
to bring in one new
member, think just
how much stronger
your alley and
COAI would be.
l l l
Clownstuff
We have the best prices for all
your Facepainting needs.
12 Color Professional Case
Paula “Stickers” Biggio
P.O. Box 1023
Park Ridge, Illinois 60068
847 698 3378 Fax 847 384 1822
www.clownstuff.com
July/August 2012 Page 11