in memoriam - Fleet Reserve Association

allows the FRA marketing team to reach more people at a lower cost. These efforts have been made possible by
cross-department teamwork and creativity from staff members eager to find a better solution.
The NHQ Staff cannot emphasize too strongly that it’s a NEW WORLD that we’re operating in and the
Sea Services are much different than when older Shipmates served and – no disrespect intended – there MUST be
awareness of this throughout the Association. Examples of this are the new level of professionalism and education
required in the senior enlisted communities, much less interest (sometimes distain) on alcohol consumption, and the
role of and number of women serving today has increased dramatically compared to years past and its important to
be mindful of offensive and sexist comments, e-mail, etc. And just assuming that females attending regional events
are members of the Ladies Auxiliary can be perceived as demeaning to these Shipmates.
There are also many potential Sea Service Reserve and veteran members in communities everywhere
and these are easily overlooked. Establishing support or other collaborative relationships with Reserve units can significantly
enhance awareness and lead to new members joining the FRA These are key outreach/awareness issues
and will be referenced in briefings at Branches and regional meetings by Bob Washington and others in the future.
A major motivator of younger Shipmates is involvement in community service and many want to know
what they can do to assist or participate in such projects which may be sponsored by individual Branches. The
VAVS program is an example of this. This is supported in studies released by The Center For Association Leadership
and more information on this will be released in coming issues of FRA Today.
Adapting Branch meetings to attract more attendees can have a positive impact on attendance and retention.
NHQ will work to communicate information on successful initiatives by some Branches – including Branch 99
in Virginia Beach, Virginia, that holds a raffle and drawing at each meeting and provides restaurant gift certificates
to attendees – and Branch 269 in Goose Creek, S.C., that does likewise and is the top membership recruiting Branch
in Membership Group 1 for the 2006-2007 membership year.
And Branch Secretaries must do a better job of communicating important information distributed
monthly from NHQ at meetings – and individuals reaching key longevity points and/or other achievements
must be recognized – something that can be a major motivator to attend meetings. Awards presentations are
also an opportunity for local publicity which can significantly enhance awareness.
Statistically, the average age of FRA active members is 67.8 years – a key statistic that’s very important
with regard to the future of the Association and integral to the importance of recruiting new younger members. In
addition, the average length of membership for Shipmates affiliated with Branches is 21.6 years – and for MALs the
average length of membership is 17.5 years. One issue that drives those averages down is the members who do not
renew after their first year, and we are examining ways to improve that statistic.
The number of members as a percentage of total membership who are affiliated with Branches is increasing
and totals about 62% of our total membership with the remainder being MALs. This reinforces the importance
of work at the Branch level (and hopefully this will put to rest the erroneous and ridiculous rumor that all NHQ
is interested in is recruiting MALs). Branches must be mindful of the negative result from constantly harassing
MALs to become affiliated with Branches and recognize that many choose to be members-at-large and do not wish
to affiliate. I’ve attended Branch meetings where MALs show up and rather than being welcomed are belittled. The
tone and manner of communicating with MALs is important and should not alienate them and thereby prompt them
to not renew their membership. Unfortunately, some Branches just focus on trying to bring MALs into the Branch
rather than pursue initiatives to recruit new members.
There was considerable discussion about the conduct of Branch meetings, how new members are welcomed
– or in instances reported to NHQ – put in their place if they offer ideas or recommendations not consistent
with long-standing, and often outdated views by long-time members. Meetings have been characterized as “bitch and
bark” sessions by new, younger Shipmates who subsequently depart with no intention of returning – and probably
will not subsequently renew their membership. Situations like this are extremely detrimental to the Association and
aggravate our membership decline since the work of recruiting and signing up a new member who then agrees to
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