Area Leaders Survey

We can all be more effective if we share ideas and alternate approaches!

Mike Donoghue and Tom ReedyOrder of Malta Leadership meeting, June 2019

Area Leaders Survey• BOC Communications Committee Project• GOAL: Develop resource for Area Leaders to share ideas / alternative practices• Survey Monkey Questionnaire sent to Area Leaders in April 2019

• Topics• Challenges and suggestions for managing large geographic Areas• Building a Leadership Team• Engaging Chaplains as Partners and Leaders• Recruiting New Members• Engaging members to become more active participants• Helping new / smaller Areas grow and develop

• Response Rate Very Strong - Thank You!• At least one response from 26 of 31 Areas. 125 surveys sent / 48 responses received• Strong demand for information sharing among Area leaders

• Survey Participants

• Area Chairs 25• Hospitallers 11• Former Area Chairs 6• Membership Chairs 6

Area Leaders Survey

Summary of Alternative Practices / Suggestions

• Managing a large geographic Area is challenging• Create sub-areas with teams in each area• Add Chaplains, Hospitallers, and Membership Chairs in each sub-area• Utilize a Leadership Council to communicate, share ideas, and build cooperation across

sub-areas• Move events to different locales within the region• Ministries need to be local and convenient• Solicit help and input from leaders of other large Areas• Consider splitting the Area into 2-3 Areas if feasible

• Consult with New York office• Focus on the Area you can reasonably manage• Identify potential leaders in locales far from current center of operation

Area Leaders Survey

• Building a Leadership Team• Consider using a Leadership Council

• Meet 2-4 times per year, 8-12 people optimal

• Incorporate / empower more members to build the Area

• Rotate members and bring in new blood periodically

• Groom younger members / future leaders

• Every Area should have a visible, active Membership Chair• Identifying and shepherding candidates through membership process is crucial and time consuming

• Average age of new members is 57 – consider someone in this age range

• Membership Committees can be helpful in large geographic Areas• Communications Chair can be effective in building member participation

Summary of Alternative Practices / Suggestions Area Leaders Survey

• Engaging Chaplains as Partners and Leaders• Recruit more Chaplains

• Established, growing Areas have 6 or more active chaplains• Add chaplains from strong parishes in different locales around

your Diocese / Area

• Choose chaplains wisely• Young, rising stars?

• Priests will be honored to be asked but do they have time and will they do the work

• Pursue strong homilists who can lead reflections and also attract members

• It’s not an honorarium for years of good service

• Empower chaplains to recruit new members• Can they identify new members in their parishes?

• Consider adding chaplains to Leadership Council

Summary of Alternative Practices / SuggestionsArea Leaders Survey

• Recruiting New Members• Regional Information Sessions in homes of members have been effective

• Showcase the Service, Spirituality, and Camaraderie that makes the Order of Malta unique• Sponsors must be engaged and follow up is necessary to turn candidates into members • Invite candidates to join in Area works and events

• Engage the Bishop and local chaplains in the recruiting process• Lourdes pilgrimage is the best recruiting tool we have

• Invite serious potential candidates to join the Lourdes Pilgrimage as Volunteers• 10-20 Pilgrimage slots should be available for recruiting purposes

Summary of Alternative Practices / Suggestions Area Leaders Survey

• Engaging Members to be active Participants

ORDER OF• SERVICE + SPIRITUALITY + CAMARADERIE = MALTA

On the Lourdes Pilgrimage the Order comes together in a powerful way due to a unique combination of service, spirituality and camaraderie. We need to combine those three aspects in our Area ministries, events, and service projects to create the same energy and enthusiasm in our local Areas.

Summary of Alternative Practices / Suggestions Area Leaders Survey

Next Steps

• What is the best way for Area Leaders to share ideas?• Distance Learning Calls on Topics of Interest?• Mentoring Program matching a new Area leader with a peer mentor from an

established Area?• Formal or informal?• Facilitates info sharing, enhances relationships and builds community

• Online Forum on American Association website?• Area Leader Boot Camp Module for new Leaders available online?

• Area Leaders Input from the Survey very helpful• Survey responses and Alternative Practices Presentation will be available on

American Association website• Your input drove many presentations at this conference• Key topic for Strategic Plan is Area Support and Development

• Questions / Comments / Suggestions for Next Steps

Area Leaders Survey

Area Leaders Survey

Survey Questions and representative answers on the following pages

Question 1 – Does your Area cover a large geographic Area? Does geographic dispersion create leadership or participation issues?

62%

38%

Geographic Area

Large Smaller

Comments on Geographic dispersion issues

- It is difficult to recruit due to the distance required for people to attend our monthly meetings.

- It creates participation issues primarily because the spread involves a major metropolitan area. We try to move around our events to different locales, but that doesn't suit our chaplains.

- We cover all of Ohio, and northern Kentucky. 90% of our members are in Greater Cincinnati.

- We have a large area, but most of our members are in a small area!- Dispersion is a problem for consistent participation. We try to get

our remote members involved in decision-making- Our area is broken down into dioceses with each diocese having a

Hospitaller- We have created subareas with teams in each sub-area.- We recently added a chaplain living closer to our periphery.

Area Leaders Survey

Question 2 – Does your Area have Leadership Council?

30%

70%

Leadership Council

Yes No

- Most Areas with Leadership Councils meet 2-3 times per year

- A few meet monthly, except during the summer

- Most meetings are in person except for geographically disperse Areas that meet via conference call

- 60% of Large Areas have Leadership Councils

Area Leaders Survey

Question 3 – List other Leadership Roles in addition to Area Chair and Hospitaller

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Communications Chair

Membership Chair

Treasurer

Percent

Other Roles Specified include – Grants Chair, Ministries Chair, Spirituality, Events, Auxiliary, Defense of the Faith

Area Leaders Survey

Question 4 – Does your Area have a Membership Committee?

25%

75%

Membership Committee

Yes No

Comments on Membership Committees

- There are 5 members of our Membership Committee and they meet quarterly

- 2 members currently with a vacancy for a third. Primary function is to vet new candidates.

- 3 members of the Committee who meet 3x per year- We don’t believe in a Membership Committee as all

members should be charged with recruiting new members

- All area members are encouraged to assist in recruiting. Used to have a Committee but found it ineffective in casting a wide net for prospects.

- Many respondents said Committee was Area Chairs and Membership Chair

Area Leaders Survey

Question 5 – How many Chaplains in your Area?

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Six or More

Four

Three

Two

One

Percentage of Areas Surveyed

Almost 50% of Areas surveyed utilize only 1 chaplainSome active Areas utilize 6 or more chaplains

Area Leaders Survey

# ofChaplains

Question 6 – Are the chaplains in your Area involved in any leadership capacity?

50% 50%

Chaplains involved in Leadership

YES NO

Comments on Chaplains involvement as leaders- Our Chaplain acts as a key part of our leadership team and is

our primary interface with our diocese- Father Pat really leads our Area. Sits on board and is very

proactive with ideas for events and gatherings.- One of our 6 chaplains attends each leadership meeting. They

all help with a calendar planning meeting. Each chaplain also hosts a monthly Mass once per year at their parish

- Deputy Chaplain participates in leadership meetings and is consulted individually as needed.

- We consult with our chaplain on most activities involving masses and coordination with the Archbishop.

- Chaplains are involved, but not in leadership since we do not have a Leadership Committee.

- Others commented that chaplains were involved in Masses, Days of recollection, and spiritual activities but not leadership.

Area Leaders Survey

Question 7 – Do you have any best practices for engaging chaplains in your Area?• We ask that 1 chaplain attend each Leadership Council meeting. It helps with

communication and makes them a stakeholder in building our Area. • Personal contact. Keeping them informed of our projects. Having regular dinners

with him to discuss his needs in the diocese and the role he wants to play.• We invite them to hold quarterly Evenings of Reflection, participate in Leadership

meetings, consult on prospective candidates, and suggest/ consult on work projects.• Our Chaplains help with monthly Masses and Lenten/ Advent events, and at least 1 is

always involved in Prospective Candidate Recruiting and YOF Meetings.• We contact our Chaplain before scheduling any activities to be certain that it fits in

his schedule.• We stopped being Bishop-happy, and only invited truly engaged priests (and Bishops)

as Chaplains who rolled up their sleeves in our works - which has been terrific!• You must find priests who are willing to serve. It is not an honorarium!

Area Leaders Survey

Question 8 – Are your local chaplains involved, in any capacity, in your Area's membership and/or recruiting processes?

60%

40%

Chaplains involved in Recruiting

YES NO

Comments on Chaplains involved in Recruiting new members- Our chaplains are very helpful at identifying potential candidates

from around the diocese.- Chaplains invite prospects to our Regional Town Gatherings and

introduce them to other members in their parish. - Our chaplains look for potential members within their own

Parishes and around the Diocese- Our chaplain often participates in the vetting process.- We have not leveraged our chaplain in this way. But the

Archbishop has been very involved- Our chaplain gives a talk at our annual meeting for prospective

members. He has been pastor of elderly parish and hasn't had any new blood that he could steer our way.

- Given the multiple pulls on active Chaplains, we need to be more strategic in the area.

Area Leaders Survey

Question 9 – Has your Area held any particularly successful recruiting events?

• We hold regional town gatherings 3-4 times/ year in different towns in our area. We hold the events in homes of younger Knights and Dames. Knights, Dames and Chaplains invite prospective members to hear about the Order and our local works, and how to get involved if they choose.

• Last year we had a prospective membership meeting with 65 attending. Our event was in September so it’s timing was not ideal for 2019. This year’s event is in June so our cycle will be better. The Archbishop and Peter Kelly spoke and were highlights of the meeting

• Hosted recruitment event by written invitation- pot luck dinner and Power Point presentation. Resulted in 6 candidates who were invested in 2018 and added one Auxiliary member.

• Our regional town gatherings have been very successful. Recruiting can be a multi - year process. The events are held in a home with time to chat and meet people followed by an introduction to the Order , its history, local works and Association wide works, and the membership process and fees. We hold 1-2 prospective new member receptions each spring to which members may recommend prospects be invited. 50% + yield usually.

• The best recruitment approach is to speak directly and personally with a “recruit“ and then to invite a prospect to our ministry work or a sanctifying event. The ministry route is usually effective!

• We held an evening recruiting event at our parish center. Cocktails and dinner were provided. Throughout the evening we had members speak on topics such as the history and structure of the Order, the Lourdes Pilgrimage, our local work projects and commitment expectations.

• Respondents were asked to skip this question if their Area hasn’t had successful recruiting events. Approximately 50% skipped of respondents skipped the question.

Area Leaders Survey

Question 10 – Please describe any other successful recruiting methods, other than Area events, for your Area.

• Inviting prospective members to participate in “hands on” projects• Invite prospective members to come to Lourdes as a Volunteer. There is no better recruiting method.• Individual one-on-one face to face meetings have worked in the past. However, with a goal of improving our

member participation after Investiture we have changed our membership focus. Prospects will be invited to volunteer on our work projects for 12-18 months and be on a track leading to membership.

• Inviting friends who would love Malta to join you in our work. Starting with hands on work can be a natural step to working to do more with the Order

• One on one coffee with prospective members• We encourage all Knights & Dames to get involved in recruiting, encouraging them to keep their eyes open

for good candidates in their parishes and places they volunteer. We impress upon all our members that they can have input into the make-up of our membership.

• We strive to build our Auxiliary, and we hope to develop potential Candidates from those ranks. We have developed an extensive list we note as “friends of Malta”. These individuals are CC’d on all of our correspondence concerning work projects, and activities.

• Other potential approaches could include visits from BoC members especially for smaller or start-up Areas. We do have some rock-star Chaplains that could be effective on the road ...

Area Leaders Survey

Question 11 – What communication tools does your Area utilize?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Social Media

Phone Calls

Newsletter

Email

Communication Tool

Comments on communication tools:

- Personal phone calls to older members

- Constant Contact emails of upcoming events with buttons to sign up through SignUpGenius or RSVP to the event coordinator. Encourages members to sign up immediately and has helped in staffing ministries.

- Phone calls, snail mail and the church bulletins

- Home mailing still critical for many older members

Area Leaders Survey

Question 12 – What have you found to be the best communication tools/practices for connecting with members in your Area?

• In addition to the newsletter and email we have 1st Friday dinners where communicate upcoming events• Monthly email from Area Chair for all upcoming activities. Membership Chair emails for Formation,

Candidates, and Sponsors directly about application due dates. Texts are sent to candidates which generate a quicker response.

• We have found personal emails really work. We also switch locations every other month• A direct personal conversation is most effective. As Area Chair I called every member at least once per year.

Every year, I also sent out a Questionnaire to learn about concerns and issues. Make communications beautiful – our faith is

• We use constant contact We send out an email at the beginning of the month of what is happening and later in the month send reminders. It’s great because we can track who opens our email and when. We have a 48%- 52% open rate

• Emails are best means of communicating but if you send too many emails people will stop reading them• Emails have limited use for older members with limited computer skills• Given our low, static participation rates (same people each time), it's hard to know that we're connecting, let

alone what's best

Area Leaders Survey

Question 13 – What events does your Area host to build community among members?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Book Club

Spiritual / Faith Education

Lourdes Orientation

Christmas Party

Monthly Masses

Days of Recollection

Annual Opening Mass / Dinner

Ministries serving sick and poor

Percent of Areas holding these events

Other Events Mentioned – Monthly Rosary, Pro-life activities, Lourdes Reunions, St John the Baptist and WDOP Mass and reception, Social gatherings following service and spirituality events

Area Leaders Survey

Question 14 – What local ministries are most effective in terms of participation and building community?

• Feed the homeless. Most popular and well attended.• Our monthly Masses with fellowship afterwards have been a great new addition. • Cor Unum Meal Center, Little Sisters of the Poor, Prison Ministry, and Malta Walks • Monthly Soup Kitchens, St Leo’s medical and dental clinic, Rose Hill, and clothing collection for the poor. Future

plans, leverage helpers of God’s precious children side walk ministry in front of abortion clinics. Prison ministry, pen pal etc.

• Power Pack, Mobile Food Pantry, Human Trafficking Back Pack program, Rosary in front of Planned Parenthood• Members like the ministries where they have contact with the people we serve. • Dinner for Catholic students at Southern Methodist University (SMU) with members of the Order. We hope in

the future to start an auxiliary group and this recurring event may be a good recruiting opportunity.• Younger members are more active in community outreach activities, followed by drinks at local pub. Older

members prefer more institutionalized work at nursing homes. All ages seem to like volunteering at the holiday parties we have for nursing home residents at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Area Leaders Survey

Question 15 – Any suggestions for increasing attendance at community-building events? For fostering camaraderie between members?

• Offering carpooling or ride sharing for members; phoning or texting members to personally invite them; offering plenty of casual fellowship time before or after events to foster friendships

• Be joyful and welcoming!• Have an open forum to discuss current projects and seek input for consideration of new projects to engage

current and prospective members • One-on-one contact with non-participants, seeking to understand interests, ascertaining reasons for non-

participation, making the Order a welcoming organization.• If you find any magic bullets for this - let me know • As Area Chair, I always try to make a point that when we gather we are a community, a religious lay Order of

the Catholic Church. We are bonded by our common commitment and spirituality. • Always offer fellowship- we have to turn out the lights to get our people to leave. • Frustrated by lack of interest by so many members in our various activities. Age demographic is a primary

reason.• Our most successful community-building takes place among younger members after our monthly Mass. while

anyone is welcome to go out for drinks with the group after Mass, it is largely the crowd under 45.

Area Leaders Survey

Question 16 – New and small Areas face unique challenges. Do you have any guidance, ideas, or suggestions for Areas looking to grow?

• Empower area members to contact their like-minded friends and chaplains to identify potential candidates. It’s not just the responsibility of the AC or MC. Host casual gatherings in members homes to learn more about the projects and the Order

• Meet with the Bishop and get him involved. Expand events, publish a calendar in advance. Ask members for their input.

• Constant communication of events and activities.• It’s a person-to-person game. When you meet someone at a Catholic event who seems faith filled and

engaged, invite them to coffee to talk about the Order. Find a well connected live wire as Membership Chair. Pick a member who enjoys talking to others and is not afraid to make a sales pitch.

• Begin with your parishes - who do you see in your parish that could be a candidate.People will join if they know you and understand the ministry - also - be joyful!

• Since we're virtually unknown to laity and clergy, maybe an information packet, elevator speech or URL that we could use to introduce our pastors to the Order and get them on the radar as recruiting/referral engines.

• In early stages, having only 1 or 2 projects that appeal to wide interests is best. Do not overstretch activities until Membership has grown.

• Educate pastors about SMOM, then get them involved with recruiting! Ask each member to try to educate/recruit a new member

Area Leaders Survey

Question 17 – Do you have any general comments or suggestions regarding the topics in this survey?

• I thought the questions were thoughtful and pertinent. I’m anxious to see the results

• I think it’s important for areas to have a good balance of hands on work, spiritual events and social gathering to build the bonds of friendship among members

• Defense of our faith is crucial, especially in these times of apparent ambiguity. Clear and vocal statements both in word and deed should be expressed as frequently as possible

• We are always happy to help new and struggling areas. Consider a mentoring program to pair leaders from established areas with their counterparts in new or smaller areas.

• Avoid mandating Best Practices - just provide alternate approaches

Area Leaders Survey