RETENTION TRAINING FINANCIAL SECRETARY

LUKE

15: 3-6

Good retention work starts with you the Financial Secretary. As you know or will soon come to know the majority of the members that we loose are from failure to pay dues. Many councils forgive dues for a time, or have programs to “Work off” dues. However the retention committee work is usually poorly done and we loose many members.

“It is better to light one little candle than to curse the darkness”

We have embarked on a program to train Retention Chairmen and Retention Team Members, Financial Secretaries, and DDs. Neither the Grand Knight, Financial Secretary, nor the Deputy Grand Knight should be calling members as a part of the retention process. They however are part of the process.

FY 2012/13 we communicated with the Grand Knights concerning retention matters. We have found that often the information was not forwarded to the Financial Secretaries. We are going to communicate retention matters directly with the Financial Secretaries and Membership Directors this year. The GKs will be copied in if needed.

REACTIVE MODE

The retention team has two modes. One is reactive the other is proactive. In the reactive mode the FS gives work sheets of members in arrears usually in September or March to the Retention Chairman. The retention team attempts to contact the delinquent member to get him to pay his dues.

Last year we started using a worksheet for retention similar to what is used in other states. The document contains information about a member and is updated as it moves through the retention process.

• The financial secretary will provide the names, addresses, telephone numbers and amounts of delinquency for each member in arrears to the retention committee.

EXCERPTS FROM PG 4 OF THE FS HANDBOOK

The top portion is populated with information about the brother by the Financial Secretary as he has the information and sends the first three notices. The dates and delivery methods of the notices are indicated on the worksheet. It has been updated for FY 2013 / 14.

As you can see, we are only asking for some additional information to aid the retention committeeman and a standardized form to aid the entire process.

The worksheet is then given to the council retention chairman for distribution to retention team members for personal contact. The retention chairman needs to know the approximate number that his team will be contacting as soon as possible. Please let him know the approximate number so he can obtain and train sufficient team members. Usually after the second dues notice is sent. No team member should have more than five members to call.

The grand knight will assign a member of the retention committee to make personal contact with the delinquent member to remind him of his obligation. The committee member will provide a written report of his findings to the grand knight.

EXCERPTS FROM PG 4 OF THE FS HANDBOOK

The retention committeeman puts his notes on the work sheet and returns it to the GK after contact or when all efforts at contact are exhausted. The GK, retention committee, trustees etc review the notice and appropriate council action is taken.

20 Feb 5:30PM NA both #s, 22 Feb 7:00 PM NA both #s 23 Feb 6:00 PM LMVM, 24 Feb 4:30 PM LMVM, 26 Feb 7:30 PM NA both #s 5 Mar 9:00 AM talked to him after Mass. Wants out of the order. Would not discuss the problem

The form 1845 notice of intent suspend should be sent to supreme only for those members that will be suspended if their dues are not paid. Councils usually do not suspend members that are less than 2 years in arrears. Copies of the 1845s no longer need to be sent to the State Deputy, as the information is posted online. Ask your DD if he still wants you to send him a copy. The retention worksheet should be sufficient. A receipt of the 1845s will be sent as part of the council’s monthly statement from supreme. The date of the 1845 starts a 90 day count down clock.

COUINT DOWN CLOCK

Date of receipt of the 1845 by supreme

+ 15 days – Retention worksheet due to DD + 30 days – Work sheet due to state retention chairman + 45 days – Report due to State Deputy + 59 days – State Deputy reviews the State Retention Chairman’s report and stops retention on members as necessary +60 to 90 - days council may send a form 100 for suspension +91 days – the 1845 expires and is discarded (no form 100s will be acted on after this date)

Suspensions will be stopped if:

1. The dues notices and KAI were not sent or not reported for the billing cycle

2. 2. The retention committee work was inadequate or not reported.

3. No emergency contact is listed for members who joined after 1 July 2012

4. No effort listed to find missing or incorrect contact information

5. The retention worksheet was not sent to the DD or state retention chairman on time

6. No council retention chairman is listed for your council at supreme

7. The member is less than 1 year in arrears, unless a good reason is listed on the report

8. The member cannot afford to pay dues

DUES NOTICES

The first dues notice is to be sent approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of the billing cycle. 15 June or 15 December for most councils

If a notice that was sent US mail is returned, note it on the work sheet and try e mail. If no contact via US mail or e mail, try the emergency contact address. you obviously need not send any more notices if the member is lost. Fill in the retention report and give it to the retention chairman to find the member’s contact information and communicate with him.

The second dues notice is to be sent 1 month after the first if the member has not paid.

The third notice (KA1) is to be sent 1 month after the second notice if the member has not paid. Skip this notice if the member will not be suspended at the end of this cycle. However send the worksheet to the Retention Chairman

DISTRICT, STATE, AND SUPREME RETENTION WORK

After receiving the retention work sheet, the District Deputy will call the brother and inquire if he has received the notices and if someone from the council has contacted him. He will also attempt to talk the brother into staying in the order.

When supreme receives the 1845, a letter from the Supreme Knight is sent to the brother. The 1845 information is posted online for the District Deputy and State Staff.

When the State Retention Chairman gets notification from supreme of an 1845, An e mail is sent to the council with a list of the members and the important deadlines. When the worksheet is received, a letter from the state deputy (See next Page) is sent to the member to be suspended. A filled in form 100 for transfer is included with the SD letter for those not living in state

Copy of a letter sent on behalf of the SD to the delinquent member after the worksheet is received by the State retention Chairman. The last two sentences will be there if the member lives out of state.

Copy of a filled in form 100 for transfer is sent with the SD letter to members living outside North Carolina. The member needs only add his phone number, e mail address, and sign it. Then give it to a local brother knight. The name and contact information of the current GK or FS is at the top.

EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS

If a member states that he is no longer Catholic, ask him to send a letter or e mail stating so. Attach a cover letter on council stationary to the message. Include the members name and membership number. State that he is no longer catholic and ask that he be suspended. Send the letter to the supreme membership records department. NOTE this will not count against your membership goals. The message must come from the member or a Priest. No additional retention work is needed.

EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS

If a member states that he is no longer wants to be a knight, ask him to send a letter or e mail stating so. Attach a cover letter on council stationary to the message. Include the members name and membership number. State that he wants to be suspended. Send the letter to the supreme membership records department. NOTE this will count against your membership goals. The message must originate from the member. Form letters are not accepted. No additional retention work is needed

EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS

If a member is 1 year behind in dues, he should not be suspended for failure to pay dues. The dues that he has previously paid is enough to cover state and supreme per capita taxes. The retention committee should however keep calling him as part of their proactive and reactive work.

Sending an 1845 on members that will not be suspended is a waste of time and resources. It should be the final retention act of the council, not a yearly action. Allow the retention committee to do their work.

PROACTIVE MODE

In the proactive mode, certain members are called more often. They are as follow;

New members – before meetings for the first few months

Ill and older members that cannot make meetings – at least every four months. A report on their condition should be given by the Retention Chairman during the meetings good of the order.

Members who have not attended a meeting in three months, including delinquent members.

Military members stationed far from your council – An e mail or call at least 3 times a year.

Widows – at least 3 times a year

CALL 3 TO 4 TIMES A YEAR! ! !

THAT IS OVER 400 CALLS! ! !

SETTLE DOWN

DIVIDE 400 CALLS BY 50 WEEKS YOU GET

8 CALLS A WEEK

THE OTHER 2 WEEKS ARE FOR REACTIVE RETENTION WORK

Some members do not attend meetings, it is just not something that they like to do

Some members do not attend meetings because of work, school, or family reasons

While many are not attending meetings they pay dues and maybe will work a LAMB shift or help with a project once in a while

We need to keep in touch with those members so they do not loose interest

LIST OF WIDOWS

The work sheets would not be needed for proactive retention work. Just a list of names, phone numbers, e mail addresses, etc. There should be a place for notes

REACTIVE RETENTION

The dues notices and the Knight alert letter have been sent over a two and a half month period by the FS and dues have not been paid. The FS gives worksheets to the Retention Chairman to make personal contact. The retention team member documents his attempts at contact including date and time. He also documents what brother said when contacted

PROACTIVE RETENTION

A list of brothers who are not attending meetings, Old or Ill members, or Widows is given to a retention team member to call and check on. Their condition is documented and given to the RC for his council meeting report

SUMMERYSUMMERY

This and other retention

information is available on the state web page

CLICK MEMBERSHIP

RECRUITMETN INFORMATION

RETENTION INFORMATION

“It is better to light one little candle than to curse the darkness”

Thank you for helping

your council

retention team.