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Viewpoint

Flores (2014) also mentioned that younger members of organizations do not
want to attend a meeting to hear a speaker because they can find information
online. These younger generations want to volunteer and serve in a community
event such as Read to Succeed (2014), where volunteers spend an hour per
week in classrooms assisting children with literacy skills, or Food Finders Food
Bank’s BackPack Program (https://www.food-finders.org/program/backpack-
program/, 2022), where volunteers prepare food for children to take home on
Friday for the weekend.
The time has come for a DKG facelift. How extensive the “surgery” is for the
next century depends on what the present members decide in the way of a little nip
and tuck or an entirely fresh look for our Society. Let’s consider some forward-
moving options.

Possibility #1: Give membership dues incentives in the form of a
percent off dues for every member who brings in another member.
To increase membership over and above what we had years ago by the time
our Society is 100 years old, we could offer incentives to try to reverse the
curve. Due to COVID-19, it is possible that chapters, state organizations, and
international committees have saved some money during the past 2 years through
Zoom meetings to meet while socially distanced. Zooming has resulted in less
travel, hotel, and food costs for meetings. Perhaps this is the time to consider
offering percentages off dues each year for any present member who brings in a
new member. If some form of incentive could be adopted, perhaps a trend will pick
up steam and continue to gain momentum each year so that one member could
potentially bring in more members for the next 7 years and beyond. This is just one
possibility for a quick incentive at the chapter level.
According to Lois Vogel, International Membership Chair 2020–2022, dues can be
adjusted by chapters however they choose—but dues paid at the state organization and
international levels would have to remain the same until an amendment was proposed
and passed (personal communication, July 3, 2022). Margie Nowak, chair of the DKG
International Finance Committee 2020–2022, confirmed that a change in dues paid to
International would require an amendment to
the Constitution (personal communication,
June 24, 2022). The proposal would need
to be submitted in 2023 for consideration
at the 2024 international convention. State
organizations could consider a discount
program as early as 2023 if they so desired.
If chapters try this the first year and
it snowballs—i.e., we gain members—
we can continue the initiative or use
other creative ideas for discounts for
recruiting members each year until 2029
or until the present membership dip
reverses.

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