Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada€¦ · Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada June, 2012 - 5 - great value by strategically anticipating issues, informing their audiences,

Royal Military Colleges Clubof Canada

“The Road Ahead”

A Strategic Review of theRMCCC Membership Environment

July 3rd, 2012

Author: Strategic Review Steering Committee of the RMC Club of Canada

Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada June, 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Executive Summary 3

Initial Outreach Phases – Findings

Phase 1A – Literature and Internet Search 4

Phase 1B – Alumni Associations Survey 9

Phase 1C – Military Academy Associations 12

Phase 2 – Personal Interviews 16

Phase 3 - Member Survey - Findings

Demographic Information - Q1-9, 12-14 20

Member Participation - Q10 & 11, 15-19 26

Member Satisfaction - Q 20-24 46

Future Programs and Services - Q25-28 60

Member Issues and Priorities - Q29–32 70

Summary and Recommendations 80

Conclusion – The Vision Of RMCCC 86

Appendices

Appendix A: Survey Design and Implementation 87

Appendix B: Research References 89

Appendix C: Research Team 90

Appendix D: Survey Questionnaires 91


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Strategic Review Steering Committee was tasked by the General Council to find out whatmembers (and indeed the entire potential Club membership community) feel about the RMCCCprograms and services, existing or needed, and gather the necessary information to guidechange. In essence, the committee mission was to find the ways and means for the RMCCC toreconnect with its existing and potential membership.

The committee of 12 included ordinary members as well as some members of the GC. No budgetwas assigned to the project; all work was done by volunteers on the committee together withsupport from other members, an external research consultant volunteer, and Panet House.

Despite the name, the Strategic Review was not intended to cover organizational andgovernance issues, nor was it intended to be a full strategic environmental analysis. Simply put,“find out what the members want!” Most members are not in a position to evaluate structureand organization, except by how it does or does not serve their needs. The only premise goinginto the survey was that RMC has to address the generational distribution of graduates, asevidenced by other research, and the Club’s own experiences at the branch level.

The process was in three stages. First, the SRSC looked at what leading alumni associations inCanada are doing, along with their problems and solutions. The same information was garneredfrom the three leading US military academies and the Australian Defence Force Academy. Aninternet and literature review of alumni associations “best practices” was also conducted. Thisinformation phase provided the basis to construct a guided interview process.

Members of the committee with support of some branch members then conducted 30 one-hourinterviews with all categories of membership, as well as with lapsed and non-members. Thesample was constructed to cover all possible membership categories and demographics. Thisyielded a surprisingly rich store of information, for which the SRSC engaged the assistance of aresearch professional to assess the impact of the information, and to assist in the evaluation ofthe survey questionnaire for the next phase.

In phase 3, a 32-question on-line survey was performed using every channel known. Classes andbranches were helpful, as was eVeritas. A ‘warning order” was twice published in advance toalert members, the survey was accessible for 17 days in April, and extended a further 2 days inMay to capture stragglers. The main distribution tool was the Club membership database, butannouncements were also sent by the old Brigade, the Club website, and some branch websites,as well as via LinkedIn groups including Treble Victor and the RMC group.

The survey closed with 2660 responses, an extremely high response rate. It appears that theconstituency really cares about the club and wants to make itself heard! Members of thecommittee analyzed the data and prepared this report.

The report highlights actions that can be immediately implemented as well as recommendationsthat should strategically guide the club into the future. These actions and recommendations arefocused on member engagement, and are clustered into the following categories:organizational structure and governance, member services, and communications.In addition, RMCCC will be able to use this report to repeat some elements of the survey in thefuture to measure results

The findings are manifold and complex. Some were predictable, and others not. The over-arching fact is that like all associations, and especially alumni associations, the RMCCC will haveto change to meet members’ needs in order to not only to survive, but to thrive in the future. Thereport concludes with a Vision of the Club in the future derived from members’ input.


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INITIAL OUTREACH PHASES – FINDINGS

Phase 1A – Alumni Associations Best practices and Trends: Internet and Literature Search

The following information was gained from an internet search for published studies and reportscovering trends and best practices in North American civilian alumni associations. The materialfound was summarized and edited with a view to the purpose of the RMCCC Strategic Review.

This summary contains high-level trends rather than a listing of detailed tactics, and is offeredwithout emphasis or comparison to the RMCCC. Information sources are attached in Appendix A.

1.0 Programs and Services

1. Alumni organizations are focusing their efforts on market-related activities that havegreatest impact, increasingly relying on market information and data to segment programsand create value- centric relationships with their alumni. The result is a shift toward lifetimerelationships through a lifecycle model of programs and services t h a t focuses on acontinuum of involvement with the university.

2. As alumni seek meaningful relationships with their universities, alumni organizations arepositioning themselves as “portals” between alumni and alma mater, through programmingand communications. Best practices coordinate the association’s website with theinstitution’s brand and an “enabler” of services to alumni and their ongoing connection tothe institution.

3. Information and data management and analytics are becoming critical success factors foralumni associations as they segment programs and become more market-focused.

4. Alumni surveyed nationally consistently report that the reputation of alma mater and theincreasing equity of their diplomas are key motivators for connectivity. They seek to connectthrough career, social, and business networking provided by alumni associations.

5. Declining resources are forcing alumni organizations to thinking differently about alumniengagement. High-touch regional activities in top-tier markets, high-tech activities insmaller and/or remote areas, new technologies to communicate, and revitalized, well-managed alumni volunteer programs are leading these activities.

6. Both private and public universities are recognizing the need for private support and re-evaluating membership models as other resources decline and costs rise.

7. Boards of Governors (or other association governing boards) are reconsidering their roles,membership, committees, and structures to be more aligned with the association’s strategicgoals and objectives.

2.0 Communications

1. Alumni associations have reshaped themselves in the past decade to deliver market-focusedprograms, and strategic communications approaches and plans are central to their ability toreach their multiple (generational) audiences for all activities and build and fosterrelationships.

2. Because they are in tune with their constituencies, alumni communications offices bring


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great value by strategically anticipating issues, informing their audiences, and solvingproblems.

3. Alumni associations have used various forms of market research to identify their key value totheir alumni and reinforce that value consistently throughout all forms of communications –print, online and through personal visits, events, and presentations.

4. As associations are reshaping themselves as lifetime links between alumni and theuniversity, association websites are repositioning themselves as communications portalsbetween alumni and their alma maters.

5. Alumni communications professionals are serving more strategic roles in the overalladvancement operation as chief alumni communications and marketing officers.

6. The “outside-in” emphasis on the customer (alumni) as alumni communications mustcompete with all the other messages bombarding their audiences and other organizationsseeking “share of the customer”.

7. With higher-level leadership roles, association communications professionals are evaluatingand measuring the effectiveness of traditional and emerging communications methods. Theyare guiding the realignment of print, electronic, online, social media, and the promotion ofevents and other activities.

8. The rapid rise of new technologies, such as social media and mobile communications, arepowering alumni networks. This requires that alumni professionals understand how best touse them strategically within the overall marketing mix.

9. Despite the high-tech rage, alumni magazines have value at many institutions and arebecoming more strategically focused to boost loyalty, participation, and giving. Studies showthat certain topics are particularly important to alumni as they form their opinion about howwell the university is performing overall.

3.0 Advocacy

1. Alumni association advocacy programs harness alumni support for the institution’s federallegislative and public goals.

4.0 Additional Observations

The following observations from other research illustrate further the critical nature of segmentingthe alumni target audience to focus directly on the member and his/her needs:

1. Target Market New target market is the under-45s, X and Y generations because the boomer

generation is rapidly becoming inactive. Target Market Refocus – Associations must focus on not only on the new target

markets, but what benefits are brought to them by their membership.

2. What they need These generations frame all their actions in terms of their own happiness, and have

no time for “joining” or for belonging to a group for the sake of it. They want action,in an open organization.

The old value proposition of membership (intrinsic value in joining/belonging) isnow useless:


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o Networking is not seen as a benefit; members have too many other options.o Real benefits to the X&Y target market are such things as career-related

services/employment information/learning/leader training Involvement strategies, customized by generation are critical. The value proposition has to show a future ROI for the member’s value for time and

money invested, and not just once, but continually.

To demonstrate the difference between alumni generations, the following table is useful:


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Typical Generational Characteristics*

*This table is extracted from “The End of Membership As We Know It” by Susan Sladek, ASAE, 2011,with permission of ASAE.


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3. Organizing to serve them:

o Websites and blogs are not valuable unless they lead to community buildingchannels, and also reflect the total change in the association’s posture and thinking. Thismeans that the organization will have to unlearn old values.

o The traditional models of membership are no longer relevant, and RMC is a classicexample of an antique association with a traditional 2-option membership model.

o Organizationally, the RMC chapter model is probably obsolete as well. The class may beRMC’s new leverage point.

o Membership level and retention rate are a poor indicators of organizational health toRMC because of the method of capture by life membership sales, but participation ratesare!

o Planning is the key to success in this type of transformation, and courage to let go of thepast.

Phase 1A - Conclusion:

The most relevant of the best practices, which were explored later in the RMCCC research, are:

Programs and Services

o Boards of Governors (or other association governing boards) are reconsidering theirroles, membership, committees, and structures to be more aligned with the association’sstrategic goals and objectives.

o Alumni organizations are focusing their efforts on market-related activities that havegreatest impact, increasingly relying on market information and data to segmentprograms and create value- centric relationships with their alumni.

o Alumni surveyed nationally consistently report that the reputation of alma mater and theincreasing equity of their diplomas are key motivators for connectivity. They seek toconnect through career, social, and business networking provided by alumniassociations.

Communicationso Alumni associations have reshaped themselves in the past decade to deliver market-

focused programs, and strategic communications approaches and plans.Advocacy

o Alumni association advocacy programs harness alumni support for the institution’sfederal legislative goals.


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Phase 1B – Alumni Associations Best Practices Survey

1.0 Background

The Survey of Alumni Clubs Best Practices was sent out to 18 universities, including USMA,USNA, USAFA, the Australian Defense Force Academy, 9 of the 10 largest civilian universities inCanada (the 10th being a virtual university), and 5 additional Canadian civilian universities toround out the geographic coverage. More than half of the universities responded, including allthe military establishments.

2.0 Results from Responses from Phase 1 Survey – Civilian Universities

2.1 Membership

All the civilian universities responding to the survey indicated that all graduates from theiruniversity were automatically enrolled as alumni in their alumni association. All of theresponding universities have associations with members numbering over 100,000.

For membership in some university associations, alumni must graduate with a degree to receive“regular” membership in the association. In others, a diploma is sufficient. Some universitieseither have, or are exploring “associate” membership for students who do not complete a degree,or for other categories such as exchange students. Some universities also have “honourarymemberships” for recipients of honourary degrees or for large benefactors of the university.

2.2 Pricing

As membership is automatic upon graduation, there is no membership fee to join the alumniassociations of the responding civilian universities.

2.3 Communications

Communications is an extremely important function of the alumni associations. This is used foralumni engagement, dissemination of information on news and events of interest to themembership, and for fund-raising efforts.

The associations all use a systematic multi-media approach to maintaining contact with theirmembers, including print (magazines, and event invitations), electronic (newsletters and eventinvitations), websites, emails, social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and some university-specific social media sites) live events at the chapter/branch level, and even face to face contactfor high net worth members.

Some of the universities were quite specific about the purposes of each of their media choices,including “raising the reputation of (our university) among our alumni”, “brand awareness andacceptance”, “promotion of affinity partners”, “recruitment of board members”, etc.

Recognizing the importance of communications, alumni associations all had dedicated humanand IT resources to maintain the membership list, organize events, and provide content, eitherat the association or university level.

2.4 Affinity

The question of affinity raised some interesting observations, in that generally speaking theredoes not seem to be a universally accepted locus of loyalty. None of the responding universities


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stated that the university itself was the focal point. Responses included class year, geography(i.e. branches/chapters), academic streams (especially professional schools such as law,medicine or engineering), and affiliation with clubs or organizations while they were students.One respondent observed that the affiliation was strongest in the “senior classes” (ages 60 andover).

At least one responding association indicated that they had studied affiliation; anotheruniversity indicated they were considering studying it.

2.5 Membership Benefits

All of the responding associations had specific membership benefits programs, includingfinancial services (insurance offerings, credit cards, etc.) and general programs.

Financial products included some or all of home, auto, life, health and travel. One associationeven offered a mortgage program. Named service providers included TD, Manulife, and(MBNA) MasterCard.

General programs included access to university libraries, bookstores and athletic/recreationalfacilities, travel programs, and university or alumni events. One alumni association offers itsmembers over 50 special events a year, their own wine, and an extensive (retail) discountprogram tied to their alumni card. Another unique service mentioned was an identity theftprogram.

Of the various benefits programs offered, the financial services offerings appear to be the mostpopular, and the most lucrative.

2.6 New Initiatives

All of the responding associations were trying new initiatives. Most were designed to raiseaffinity, not to produce immediate financial return. Common mentions were activities based,including chapter events, lectures, family activities (e.g. Easter Egg Hunt), and general“outreach” events (dinners, movies, etc.).

While none of the responding associations admitted to failed initiatives, one did comment thatevents which were not free generally were better received when organized by a local grouprather that by the parent association.

2.7 Research

All but one of the responding alumni associations indicated they had conducted specificresearch into their membership. The most advanced (although not the biggest) has an AlumniRelations Strategic Plan in place, and engages a professional market research firm to providelongitudinal data to inform this planning process. Another commented that they made“extensive use of metrics to evaluate participation rates, demographic trends etc.” Anothercommented that their research found that their membership was proud of their university andwas keen on staying connected, but that their biggest challenge was to develop and implement aset of programs necessary to facilitate his engagement.

2.8 Finances

All of the responding associations confirmed that none of their annual budgets come frommembership dues, so operating budgets are typically raised through programs, services andaffinity partners. Some of the associations do receive significant funding (up to 50%) or at least


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staff support from their university. Beyond that, the biggest single source of revenue is theaffinity/partnership program, with events typically generating 10% or less of the annual budget.

All of the associations have had experience in capital campaigns, with modest to ambitious goalsrunning up to $250M.


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Phase 1C – Military Academies Best Practices Survey

3.0 Results from Responses

3.1 Membership

There is more variability in the alumni association membership programs of the militaryacademies than of the civilian universities. Regular membership appears to be automatic at theUSMA and the USNA, but optional at the ADFA, and the USAFA. For all but one of the militaryacademies, regular membership eligibility required graduation; one simply required beingsworn in on Induction Day.

All of the academies offer a variety of membership categories, including regular, andaffiliate/associate membership options. Interestingly, two of the three major US militaryacademies listed “Parents” as an affiliate/associate membership category. All four militaryacademies offer affiliate/associate memberships to “friends” or “partners” with substantialconnections to the academies.

3.2 Pricing

There is a variety pricing models used among the four military academy alumni associations thatparticipated in the survey, as outlined in the following table. Interestingly, while the USNAcharges a life membership fee to all its regular members, they are automatically brought in asmembers of the alumni association upon graduation.

ADFA USAFA USNA USMARegular – no costPartners – Lifemembership for$50

Life Membership –variable from $850 to$470 depending on yearssince graduationAnnual - $60/yr

Regular Life - $595Associate Life -$495Parent 4 Years -$240Annual - $70/yr

Regular – nocostAssociates/Friends - $100one timeinitiation fee

3.3 Communications

While all the military academies recognize the value of on-going communications with theirmembership, their communication programs are dictated by the available funding. All of theacademies use social media and electronic communications extensively.

At the ADFA, their communications are limited to Facebook (for social engagement and news)and emails (to promote events and for fund-raising appeals).

The large US military academies use a coordinated multi-media approach to communications toall their stakeholders, as outlined in the following table:


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Communication Form Purpose(s)Magazine (print) To inform, and build affinityNewsletter (electronic) To inform (recent news), build

affinity, and encourage engagementWebsite Information and promotion platformSocial media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) To encourage engagement,

community and discussion, and tocirculate news

Miscellaneous Print Communications (notused by all, including Annual Reports,Donor Reports, Invitations, Programs,Brochures, Travel Catalogues)

To inform, and build affinity

Miscellaneous Electronic Communications(not used by all, including surveys, mobileapps)

To provide a forum for direct two waycommunication

All of the military academies recognize the importance of list management. The ADFA alumniassociation gets technical support in this area from the staff of the ADFA. The large US militaryacademies use sophisticated CRM’s like Raiser’s Edge, maintained by staff in their IT orDevelopment departments.

3.4 Affinity

All four of the military academies feel that the strongest affinity is to the class (i.e. the year ofgraduation). Other mentions included sports/athletic team connections and to cadet squadrons.One noted that while these affinities are “good”, they tend to compete with the overall affinity tothe college.

3.5 Membership Benefits

The US military academy alumni associations offer a wide range of member benefits, including:- communications (mentioned above)- gift shops which appear to be open to the public, but offer 10-15% discounts to members- member directories- coordination of reunion weekends- travel programs and tours

Two of the associations offer career transition assistance from the military, including:- job fairs- Kaplan Test preparation

Unique one-off mentions include:- Legacy services such as support at funerals- Affinity credit card- Low cost life insurance

The most popular benefits appear to be the communications programs, the reunion weekendcoordination, and career transition support.


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3.6 New Initiatives

The new initiatives mentioned tended to focus on increasing membership and increasingengagement. Programs mentioned include:

- “Life Membership at Graduation” at the USNA- Parent Memberships at USAFA, featuring photographic, video and blog coverage of Basic

Training- Electronic newsletters- Social media channels of communication

A few disappointments have been the limited uptake of parent and corporate memberships atsome schools, but this appears to be more as a result of execution than concept.

3.7 Research

All of the US military academy alumni associations have conducted market research in the pastfew years. The top-level findings appear consistent, namely:

- Communication is very important.- There are significantly different member needs, and communication styles needed, based

on age/year of graduation.- Greater use of on-line communication is a big opportunity, especially for the younger

members.- Communication should emphasize academy heritage, and discussing important academy

issues, and should de-emphasize fund raising.- An important role of the association is representing the membership’s opinion on

important Academy issues to the external stakeholders.

3.8 Finances

In general, it appears to be well recognized that the federal government is responsible forproviding the basic requirements for an undergraduate education and commissioning. Beyondthat, the alumni association needs to step in and take responsibility for raising finances for the“extras”. All three large US military academy alumni associations have discrete fund raisingbodies or “foundations” for this purpose. All three US military academy alumni associationshave undertaken major multi-year capital campaigns in the past, and have successfully raisedsignificant levels of funds (each in excess of $100M).

The alumni associations’ annual operating revenues come from a wide variety of sources,including income from investments and endowments, investment fund management fees,amortized portions of life membership dues (where applicable), alumni services, and general“contributions”.

It is interesting to note that financial challenges requiring extraordinary measures (reducingoperating costs, staff reductions, and using discretionary unrestricted gifts to cover criticalneeds) are not uncommon.

It is also interesting to note that in at least one instance the creation of a separate fund-raisingorganization brought “distrust and confusion to the graduate community”. This was overcomeby a Memorandum of Understanding between the two entities, which helped the membershipsee the association as a “friend-raising entity” and the new organization as a “fund-raisingentity”.


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4.0 Summary of Relevant Best Practices

A summary of “best practices” from the polled military and civilian alumni associations follows:

o Enrolment into the alumni associations is automatic, not optional or voluntary;o Communication is a strategically important component of engagement, and a multi-

channel approach (including strong social media programs) is used for building affinity,disseminating news, fund-raising, and for advocacy work;

o A broad array of membership benefits is offered to provide something of value toeveryone, regardless of generation or geography;

o Alumni association management is becoming much more sophisticated (e.g.commissioning market research projects, developing strategic plans, investing in

o

sophisticated CRM software for member tracking, communication, and tracking of fund-raising efforts, etc.); and

o Alumni associations are linked synergistically to their respective universities, with theuniversities providing financial and human resources support in recognition of the valuethe associations provide in terms of recruiting, advocacy, brand building and fund-raising.

5.0 Concluding Comments

While the alumni association survey provided rich insights into the practices of our military andnon-military alumni association compatriots, more work should be done in the following areas:

o The linkages (formal and informal) between the alumni associations and the universities,including communication, cooperation, advocacy work in the marketplace, vision castingand goal setting, and sharing of resources (finances, expertise, support and staff).

o A comparison of the financial models (sources of revenues, and breakdown of costs) ofthe US military academy alumni associations by a professional accountant to determineareas of opportunity for the RMCCC.


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Phase 2 – Personal Interviews

As Phase 2 of the RMCCC Strategic Review, an in-depth person-person survey was conductedacross the rank and file of the potential RMCCC membership, to gain insights into their feelingstowards the club. While the survey sample was intended to be broad enough to capture generalinsights from all of our constituents, it was not intended to generate statistically valid results at agranular level. The information gained in these interviews would provide the basis forconstructing the full membership survey instrument. The sample was well structured to representall possible segmentations, including lapsed and non-members.

Key Findings:

Generally speaking, the results displayed a general lack of engagement and disenchantment withthe club that is typical of the trends in the marketplace in general for clubs and alumniassociations, based on the findings of our internet survey in Phase 1 of our Strategic Review, andthe literature in this field in general.

The tragedy in this case is that the segment of the population we are considering here is not atypical group of individuals, or a general cross section of the population at large.

The segment that we are dealing with, our alumni, is a unique sub-set of the population which, intheir late teens, felt a strong enough commitment to the traditional values of service to country,discipline, teamwork, loyalty to a cause, and the noble ideals of Truth, Duty and Valour to embarkon a minimum 4 year commitment (and often much more) at a formative stage in their lives, andto band together through thick and thin to live out these values.

And now, many years later, while their initial values may or may not still hold true, theorganization which they invested in (and which invested in them) so many years ago generallyholds little or no allegiance or relevance to them.

Here are some of the symptoms expressed by enough of them to be considered noteworthy:

o The Club is not meeting its members’ needs in a meaningful way.o The Club provides poor communication with its membership.o The Club is just a money grab.o The RMC’s and the Club have not integrated well those cadets who started at CMR or

RRMC.o The RMC’s and the Club have not integrated well RETP’s and the “non-red coats” (e.g.

UTPO/UTPNCM, graduate students, etc.).o The Club has not integrated well across the broad generational differences of its members.o The RMC’s and the Club have not integrated well across the linguistic/cultural differences

of its members.o The Club has an advocacy role, but has not developed a strategy to address its important

external stakeholders.

Some interesting “one-off” anecdotes from the survey are:

o Mission creep – RMCCC has lost its purpose and is trying to do too much that takes itaway from fostering fellowship

o The club has a strong role to play at the college – cadets need strong interaction with ex-cadets. “The club has (developed) a higher level of trust in cadets than the Wing”.

o The club’s governors are not governing – governance is weak, with more attention paid toprocess than achieving real goals.

o Programming is not the problem – strategic direction is.


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o The “brand” is being degraded.o Heritage is not on the agenda. Traditions are being dropped or created without regard to

the past.o Money grab at the beginning, poor communication since.o The relationship is not a life-long evolving relationship, rather “swapping the same old

lies”.o Events are for older ex-Cadets – working age members cannot attend due to work or

family commitments.o Want a life membership covering both CMR and RMC.

Interestingly, those who are closest to the club often have strongly held but divergent opinions onaspects of the club:

o The communication (e.g. eVeritas, VERITAS) is rated from “awesome” to “shallow”.o Views on the Reunion Weekends range from meaningful to boring.o The branch events are considered “retirees’ clubs to raise money for the College” or “a

circle of friends and memories of good times”.o The networking opportunities are perceived either as good or inadequate.o The club is either too heavily infiltrated by business people, or is too military.

The symptoms above indicate that there are fundamental challenges that need will require time,resources, and political will to be addressed, and more superficial problems that can be fixed (orat least mediated) fairly quickly and without much cost. The above polarization of views confirmsour findings that member needs are not homogenous, and the package of programs and serviceshas to contain a value proposition for every member.

Fundamental Challenge

What is the fundamental role of the Club?

To address this we need to be asking ourselves questions like:

o Why do individuals sign up to go to the military colleges in the first place?o What is the role of the Colleges in meeting those needs?o What is the role of the Club in catering to those needs after they leave the colleges?o How should we organize to meet the needs of our potential membership?

While much more work needs to be done in this area, an initial answer to the fundamentalquestion of the role of the Club is providing a forum where its members can:

o Reminisce about the past;o Keep in contact and/or “catch up” with other members in the present;o Look for mutual support in the future (e.g. career transition out of the military);o Appreciate the value of the “brand” (the RMC degree, training and values) and be

informed on the achievements of high profile ex-cadets.o Provide tangible support to the RMC’s (supplementary funding, political/military

advocacy, general public relations to the Canadian population, recruiting, maintenance ofthe legacy of the RMC’s etc.);

o Provide tangible support and encouragement to the Cadet Wing; ando Provide tangible support to DND (e.g. longitudinal input on the role of the military).


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Going Forward

Beyond the big fundamental issue of the role of Club, the big (related) challenge we are dealingwith is affinity or engagement. There are many competing potential sources of allegiance forcadets, including College of Entry, Squadron, sports teams, academic streams, language/culture,military classification, class year, exacerbated by geographic dispersion upon graduation. Theemergence of groups such as Treble Victor in Toronto show clearly that the Club is missing aprofessional development and networking opportunity that other service academies arecapitalizing on. The two strongest vehicles to foster formal long-term affinity to the Colleges aftergraduation are the Class year and the Branch structure. Currently there is a broad continuum inthe effectiveness of these two structures, depending on the individual Branch or Class. The threestrongest factors in determining Branch and Class affinity/engagement are leadership, on-goingmeaningful communication, and relevant programming.

Some preliminary recommendations for the Club stemming from this work include:

1 - The Club should treat on-going communication and support of the Branches and the ClassSecretaries as a top priority. This would include items like:

o Communications support – providing list maintenance/management, relevant bilingualcentral communications vehicles (e.g. RMCCC Website, VERITAS, eVeritas, etc.), andcontent for the Branches’ and Class’ communications vehicles;

o Programming support – offering assistance and resources (e.g. speakers) for Branch andClass initiatives and activities, as well as the reunion weekend;

o Encouragement and support of the Branches to offer a wider set of communication toolsand programs to their members, to provide more opportunities for their local members tointegrate across generational lines;

o Support to the Graduating Classes to select and train a Class Secretary, set clearexpectations, create a comprehensive initial class list, and determine the preferred on-going method of class communication after graduation (Class web-site, Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.); and

o Official recognition of the important role of the Class Secretary, as it does for the role ofBranch President.

2 - The Club should provide or coordinate a formal program to assist its graduates intransitioning from military to civilian life. A life-long service of networking career/ jobopportunities would be a follow-on.

3 - The General Council of the Club should include a 4th year Cadet appointment, ideally fromWing HQ (who could potentially become the Class Secretary upon leaving the College), to co-ordinate engagement between the College and the Club throughout the year, and to build thevalue of the Club in the minds of the Cadet Wing body.

4 – To increase the inclusion of all potential members, the Club should strongly consider thebenefit of making membership automatic, not optional, as is the case in most civilian universities.Fees from the Cadets could come automatically from their pay, similar to mess dues.

5 – The Club should help the RMC’s to recognize the value of RMC alumni for general publicawareness, goodwill, funding, and lobbying support politically and militarily, and request that theRMC’s:

o Encourage greater formal and informal engagement between the Cadet Wing and ex-Cadets;

o Provide shared resources (e.g. IT support, clerical resources, etc.) to reduce the financialdrain on the club currently spent on less value producing activities; and

o Provide formal ways for the Club and the Colleges to communicate for mutual benefit.


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6 – The Club should explore more formal and proactive ways of engaging with DND and theFederal Government on policy issues concerning the military in general and the RMC’s inparticular. At this point, we do not have a Government Relations Committee, or even a PRcommittee.

7 – The Club should actively engage with the Colleges to address perceptions of a poor integrationof UTPO/UTPNCM’s, RETP’s, graduate students and Cadets with non-English mother tonguesand cultures.

8 – The Club should offer a separate membership category to parents of Cadets. This wouldprovide an additional revenue stream, help to build broader “brand awareness” in the public atlarge, and assist in locating “lost” members after graduation.

9 – The Club should consider an alternative Reunion Weekend format that allows members toconnect with the years immediately ahead and behind them, as an alternative to the current 5-year gap approach.

Conclusion:

The implications for the RMCCC are grave. We need little more evidence than the decline inparticipation at branches, the age segregation at events, and the experience of other alumniassociations. If these are not arrested, the Club will gradually disintegrate.

We have to focus on the new generations. Their needs and motivations are quite unlike those ofthe senior members of the Club, and we are not configured to meet them. These new generationsare not “joiners” unless they see a way to make a difference and to benefit accordingly. Relevanceis everything, and the recommendations above have to be adopted to arrest the trend.

It is also likely that the organization’s structure will have to be strongly revised to do so.

Next Step: Phase 3 – A Detailed Member Survey

The SRSC in Phase 3 surveyed all members and potential members to:

validate the findings and applicability of phases 1 and 2; test the receptiveness and support of members and non-members to the new program

and service ideas described above; and seek any other information on member needs that may not have been uncovered in Phase

2.


- 20 -

SURVEY FINDINGS:

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: QUESTIONS 1-14

Question 1 – Preferred Language

Table 1-1Response

PercentResponse

Count

14.9% 39585.1% 2248

264317skipped question

FrenchEnglish

answered question

The survey was provided in a combined English-French format because the survey software isnot configured to merge two languages, however all text in the survey was provided in bothlanguages. Of those responding to open-ended questions, about 5.5% answered in French.Compared to the Paradigm master college number database, where 1302 of 8320 (15.7%) haveselected French as the preferred language, it appears that francophone alumni were equallyparticipative in the survey, but many responded in English, nonetheless.

Question 2 - Gender

Table 2-1

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Male 91.5% 2420Female 8.5% 224

answered question 2644skipped question 16

Question 3 – College of EntryTable 3-1

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

52.4% 138222.6% 59724.9% 657

263624

College Militaire Royal de St. Jean

skipped question

Royal Roads Military College, Victoria

answered question

Royal Military College Kingston

Question 4 – Year of Entry

The survey team started with one broad assumption, that programs and service would bediscernibly different by generational cluster, so the membership was divided into four graduationdate ranges.


- 21 -

Table 4-1

22%

20%

24%

35%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 to present

Year of Entryn= 2639

It is interesting to note the relatively flat distribution of responses, with the exception of the mostrecent “generation”, those graduation from 2001 onwards. This group were more responsive thanthe other three by about 50%

Question 5 – College NumberTable 5-1

ResponseCount

College number 2576answered question 2576

skipped question 84

The college number was requested for several purposes:

o To sort out duplicate submissions; The survey was designed to allow multiple responsesfrom one computer, for the cases where several members have access to only onemachine. This then permitted accidental submission of more than one response where therespondent thought the survey did not transmit. Once the survey closed this would allowdetection and removal of these duplications to avoid over-counting.

o Some members requested confirmation that their submission went through, because theyare behind firewalls.

o A further reason was to check that there is a college number to ensure qualifiedrespondents.

Concerns were expressed by a few members on the confidentiality of the information submittedas college numbers were attached, however the information was seen by one committeemember only, used only for the above purposes, and destroyed at the completion of the analysis.


- 22 -

Question 6 - Program of Enrolment

Table 6-1R e s p o ns e

P e rc e n tR e s p o ns e

Co unt

91.0% 23084.7% 1200.2% 44.1% 104

872536

124

ROT PRET PUT POUT PM/UT PNCMOther

a ns we re d q ue s tio ns k ip p e d q ue s tio n

Question 7 – Graduation Status

Table 7-1R e s p o ns e

P e rc e ntR e s p o ns e

Co unt

82.0% 21586.9% 18211.1% 291

263129

Still a t Co llegea ns we re d q ue s tio n

s k ip p e d q ue s tio n

YesNo

Question 8 - In Receipt of Post Graduate Degree

Table 8-1

R e s p o ns eP e rc e nt

R e s p o ns eCo unt

9.7% 25390.3% 2355

260852s k ip p e d q ue s tio n

YesNoa ns we re d q ue s tio n


- 23 -

Question 9 – Membership Status

Figure 9-1

Respondents Membership Status

0.2%

10.6%

11.2%

13.1%

64.9%

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

Associate, honourary,special etc

Annual member

Lapsed member

Never a member

Life member

Figure 9-2

Other Responsesn=27

0 5 10 15

Join for 5 year reunions

Cannot afford

Miscellaneous

Wife is life member

Lapsed/lost touch

Honorary

Branch member

Not a priority

Don’t know/not sure/can'tremember

# responses


- 24 -

Question 12 – Career StatusFigure 12-1

Which best describes your career status?n= 2612

11.9%

13.4%

20.3%

25.7%

28.8%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Stil l a t Co lle g e

On a c tive mil i ta ry d uty (re g ula r o rre se rve )

Emp lo ye d , no n-mil i ta ry

R e tire d a fte r ful l mil i ta ry ca re e r

R e tire d a fte r mixe d mil i ta ry /c iv i l ia nca re e r

Over 54% of respondents are retired, and about 12% still at the college, leaving about one-third ofall respondents in the active employment stages of their careers.

Question 13 – Respondents’ Branch

Figure 13-1

Respondents' Branchn=2597

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

NewfoundlandAustralia

UTPNCMQuebec City

HamiltonCalgary

WinnipegNot Applicable

EdmontonVancouver

Fort St-JeanNova Scot ia

Vancouver IslandToronto

KingstonOttawa

It is obvious that the respondents are primarily Ontario-centric.


- 25 -

Question 14 – Respondents in Club Governance

Figure 14-1

17

24

125

0 25 50 75 100 125

# re sp o nse s

Foundat ionBoard or

Commit tee

Nat ionalExecut ive orCommit tee

Any branchExecut ive orCommit tee

Respondents in Club Governancen=150

The response level from governors and others active in RMCCC and Foundation leadership ishigh, showing commitment to the purpose of the survey.


- 26 -

Novalue

InRMCCC

MEMBER PARTICIPATION AND CONCERNS: Q 10&11, Q 15-19

Question 10 – Non-member concerns

“For Lapsed members or "Never a member" please list the reasons why you never joined the Club or allowed your membership to lapse.”

Figure 10-1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Co l le g e e xp e rie nc e wa sunfa v o ura b le

I d id n ' t g ra d ua te a nd d o n' tfe e l a p a rt o f the c lub

N o ne e d fo r m e to re l iv e theR M C e xp e rie nc e

I wa s ne v e r a p p ro a c he d

A lum ni A s s o c ia tio ns a re a" m o ne y -g ra b "

Club o ffe rs no v a lue inp ro g ra m s a nd s e rv ic e s

T he Club is no t re le v a nt to m e

M e m b e rs hip fe e is to oe xp e ns iv e

E njo y c la s s & re unio n e v e ntswi tho ut jo in ing the Club

% o f ' n ' re s p o nd e nts s e le c ting the s e fa c to rs

Reasons for never joining or lapsing membershipn=593

This question asks non-members and lapsed members why they never joined, or why they lettheir memberships lapse to determine if there were factors that could be addressed by the Club.A surprising 22% of the respondents were in this category, suggesting there is still somecommunication, allegiance or fidelity to RMC.

The greatest single factor is lack of perceived value in club membership. This factor can takevarious forms, including “fees are too high”, “no interest in joining”, “I get all thebenefits of membership which interest me without joining (and paying)”, “toolazy/never got around to it” etc. Essentially, the Club is not meeting a need which isimportant enough to them to make them willing to pay the membership fee.

“Not clear what the club offers. I don't normally give 600$ for nothing.”

There were some interesting sub-groups to this category, including a number of couples whereboth partners are eligible for Club membership, but only one is a member to save cost. Somerespondents indicated they signed up for annual memberships once every 5 years, to come backfor reunion weekend. Another said the cost of membership was too high for a “single event oncein 5 years”.


- 27 -

Geography was also a factor for a number of respondents, who were too remote to be able toattend Branch functions, and felt this was the big draw for membership.

Another major factor was the perception that the RMC Club catered mostly to the Red Coatswho entered the military colleges at RMC and did their full program there.

Other groups (e.g. cadets from Royal Roads and CMR, Masters students, UTPO/UTPNCM, etc.)did not feel engaged in the Kingston campus, and didn’t see value in joining the Club.

“This is an RMC club and doesn't acknowledge the other two mil cols.”

Moving beyond disinterest and lack of perceived value, there were also a number of negativecomments relating to instances of poor customer service, perceptions of being snubbed, anddiffering values between the Club and the individual eligible member.

“Club failed to include me in communications, events, and generally was indifferent to my membership”

Respondents were invited to add comments to elaborate on their responses. Samples were usedabove to highlight member concerns. Although one might consider the numbers too small forsignificance, it would be a mistake not to assume that these very concerns may reflect the largenumber of other non-members who did not respond to the survey. To a large degree, theysupport the findings of Phase 2.

There is meat here for further analysis of the RMCCC membership model.

Figure 10-2

Verbatim Comments on Non-membershipn=169

4

5

7

7

8

10

11

18

23

25

31

41

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Not/Applicable

Spouse already a member

Significant negative comment

Too busy, non-joiner

Receive all benefits without joining

Customer Service issues

Fee issues

Miscellaneous disconnects

Special Interest Groups excluded from the Club

Distance from club branches

Procrastination/laziness/no motivation to renew

No perceived value

# comments


- 28 -

Highlights of Q10

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National or branches:

o RMCCC needs to develop a true value proposition and communicate it.o RMCCC needs to reconsider the membership model.

Best long-term ideas:

o RMCCC needs to determine how to prevent disenfranchised sectorsfrom becoming alienated.

Things that RMCCC should stop doing:

o Treating the membership as a homogenous, Anglophone, redcoat, andKingston-centred old boys club.


- 29 -

Unlikelyto regain

a lostmember

Question 11 - Resolving the Issues:

If the Club substantially resolved the issues that are important to you, would youconsider joining or re-joining” (For lapsed or never joined members)

The majority of respondents (lapsed or never members) did not believe that any changes theclub could make would materially effect their decision to join.

This suggests that these members are far from the tipping point to membership andthat any changes would have to be substantial and truly meet an unsatisfied need.This lack of intent is strongest among those who have tried membership. The lessonhere is that a member lost, is lost forever.

Figure 11-1

If the Club substantially resolved the issues that areimportant to you, would you consider

joining or re-joining?

2.5

2.9

1 2 3 4 5

Intent to re-join

Intent to join

Certainly not Unlikely 50-50 Likely For sure

Categorizing and sorting the verbal comments produced the outcomes below. Approximately18% of respondents cited timing as the key inhibitor to membership. Diving a bit deeper intothe comments, focus on career and family life was often stated as reasons for not prioritizingclub membership. Other top reasons were that events were too far away to be useful or thatsome felt that the reunion was enough and more connection was not needed.

Some useful unedited comments:

“Will be rejoining once my business prospects pick up”

“By participating in the last reunion (our 40th), I feel that I have alreadydemonstrated my interest and intent to remain connected with my Alma Mater.”

“I would like to say, "for sure," but this is not the first time I have made thesecomments to executive members of the RMCC, and nothing before now waschanged. So, I reserve final judgment to see if RMCC is truly wanting tobecome relevant, and provide value for money. If you can't, I'll just continuestaying in touch with my friends on my own.”


- 30 -

Figure 11-2

Reasons to not join or rejoinn=23

1

1

2

2

4

6

10

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

In servce

Too busy

Cost prohibitive

Issues unresolvable

Benefits unclear

Will participate

Distance too far

% of Comments

Conclusion: Enticing new members who have already opted out of the Club might be adifficult area to focus on. Better value might be achieved by focusing on the current servingmembership rather than trying to fix any of the issues associated with distance or enticing thoseto prioritize membership ahead of other pursuits. If improvement is to be attempted then afocus on solutions that do not require you to be physically present or solutions that fit with a lowpriority to join but still add value should be searched out. For example, if the potential memberidentified as above that joining is a conditional on business prospects picking up then somethingthat assists in achieving better business will be seen as a reason to join.

Highlights of Q11


o Focus on current serving membership


o Improve marketing of the value proposition to make benefits ofmembership clear.

o Find ways to make access problems disappear


o Using resources to regain lost members


- 31 -

Question 15 – Motivation to Join Military College

“Why did you decide to come to military college in the first place?”

Figure 15-1

Aspects of Motivation to Joinn=2376

12.1

15.7

17.2

17.4

18.3

32.2

50.1

63.5

69.7

0 20 40 60 80

To play Collegiate sports

Fellowship

Family t radit ion

Other

Int imate environment

College ideals (TDV)

Desire to serve count ry

Appeal of military life

Free educat ion

% R e s p o nd e nts

From the multiple choice answers, approximately 70% came to RMC to obtain a free educationand 63.5% replied that they came due to the appeal of a military life. The minority came toRMC for college sports and/or as a result of a fellowship.

Looking at the generational differences, we find some surprising differences in the responsesexpressed as a % of the generational category:

Altruistic reasons were rated highest by the later generations, as were attraction of theintimate college environment and fellowship.

Family tradition has steadily declined. The appeal of military life and collegiate sports motivation seem to have peaked in the

1961-1980 generation, and are making a slight comeback recently. One factor has remained relatively constant; free education. Only a small percentage, 17.4% replied in the “OTHER” category. The groups identified

for the “OTHER” category were as follows:

Table 15.1 - Motivating Factors as a % of Generational group

up to1960

1961 to1980

1981 to2000

2001 topresent

Desire to serve country 40.3 43.6 60.2 61.8Attraction to College ideals (Truth, Duty,Valour) 29.3 30.7 37.0 32.8Free education 65.3 76.6 65.1 67.2Appeal of military life 64.5 60.3 66.5 64.8Family tradition 19.7 18.8 15.2 13.8Attraction of intimate college environment 11.0 13.9 23.4 29.7To play Collegiate sports 9.2 15.4 9.9 11.9Fellowship 13.3 13.3 15.9 23.5


- 32 -

Figure 15-2

Verbatim Responses on Motivation to Join

11

11

15

16

17

22

31

32

34

35

44

57

77

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

To travel

Family tradition

Logical transition from previous activity

Inexpensive education

Job/network opportunity

Was decided by Her Majesty the Queen

Relatives/significant others' influence

Prestige/Reputation of Military Colleges

Leadership/military/officer aspirations

Miscellaneous

Wanted a challenge

Overall academic & sports program

Aviation interest

# responses, n=402

It should be noted that a majority of the written replies reiterated their response from themultiple choice selection. For this reason, the categories are similar to the multiple choicesection above. The Chart above shows the percentage of responses against each of thecategories.

An analysis of the verbatim data showed the following:

a. A majority of the respondents attended the RMCs because they wanted to be a pilot orengage in a career in the aviation sector of the military. Numerous responses listed “be apilot” as a major motivator in attending the RMCs.

b. The second largest group of respondents attended the RMCs because of the overallacademic and sports provided by these institutions.

Conclusion:

From the initial multiple choice responses and the “Other” categories, RMCs grads attended theColleges primarily to receive “something”. That ‘something” could have been a degree or apilot’s license. If we are to engage and retain them within the RMCCC, we, in turn, mustcontinue to provide ‘‘something(s)” in return for their membership. This contribution back tothe membership could take a variety of forms.


- 33 -

Highlights of Q15

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National or branches:o Initiate a permanent email address to all graduates.

Other alumni, such as Waterloo provides its graduates with apermanent email address. This permanent email address wouldprovide a variety functions:

It would give us a permanent link to our members forsolicitations such as the one just completed.

It would provide us with the ability to give something back tothe members (who constantly ask: “do you have a contactfor my classmate John Smith”)

It would facilitate mass communications for events such asfundraisers, College events, etc.

Best long-term ideas:o Membership is not an altruistic “give.” Members need targeted

services.o Establish a relationship with other Mil Cols in the U.S. and other

allied/commonwealth countries that would allow us to sharebenefits. Expand benefits to include discounts on lodging etcwithin these allied/commonwealth countries.


o None Identified


- 34 -

Question 16 - Sustaining RMC Values:

“Thinking about the values that took you to military college, and thosedeveloped there, how helpful have the following organizations been insustaining and building on them?”

Clearly, The RMC Club plays a minimal role in sustaining College values among ex-cadets, whencompared with other influences. Relationship to the College itself and to the respective militaryservices of respondents are about equal in importance, ahead of other factors.

Figure 16-1

2.4

2.7

4.0

4.0

1 2 3 4 5

H e lp fulne ss , a ve ra g e sco re s

Yo ur mil i ta ryCo lle g e

Yo ur mil i ta ryse rv ice

All Othe r

T he R MC Club o fCa na d a

Helpfulness of organizat ions in sustaining valuesdeveloped at RMC

n=2445

Not at all A Lit t le Moderately Quite Extremely

To understand how these ratings apply to sub-groups, the data was crossed with generationalgroups. Of significance here is that the Club’s helpfulness is relatively static over time, and thesame applies to College and service influences, with the exception that the most recentgeneration rates the military College low. This rises as generations age, jumping mostsignificantly in the 1981-2000 group.

Figure 16-2

up to1960

1961 to1980 1981 to

2000 2001 top re se nt

RMC CLUB

Military Service

Military College

1

2

3

4

Helpfulness of Organizations to Sustain Values

RM C CLUB

M i l i ta ryService

M i l i ta ryCo l lege

Extremely

Quite a bit

Moderately

A lit t le


- 35 -

Q16b - Sustaining RMC Values – Other Influences

Of note, “Other” factors provided by respondents were next in importance. The chart belowshows these factors, of which, the most important was family, community, and religion. It isinteresting that respondents see the connectedness of RMC values to these organizations.

Two of the other factors relate to the military college experience, class friendships, and sport andclub relationships. Both of these factors are important in re-connecting to the RMCmembership.

To elaborate on their responses to the fixed choices, 320 respondents explained how values weresustained in other ways, for example, family, community and religion being the most frequent.

But there are some clues for action, in that service and regimental units, class, RMC friendships,and College sports and clubs are links that some members have found important

Figure 16-3

0 5 10 15 20 25

Percent of "Other" respondents

Family, community, religionProfessional associationService or regiment/unit

Class or RMC friendshipsMisc

Community service clubEmployer

MilColl Sports or clubOther military association

Civilian university groupOther military educational unit

Treble Victor

Other Groups Supporting RMC Valuesn= 320

Conclusion:

The RMC Club has to make significant advances in connecting with members if it feels that itshould be prominent in reflecting and promoting College values among members. Right now,they do not see it as playing a significant role. Others are filling the gap.

“Treble Victor is a very engaged organization that connects former military in positive ways and makes an impact.”

Other research shows that alumni connect to their alma maters where they see the institutionpromoting and sustaining the values or moral standards that they believe in. Naturally, it isappropriate for other groups to play a strong sustaining role in values, but RMCCC is significantin its absence. Respondents appear to relate to College events such as Reunion weekend, or class5-year reunions as College – sponsored initiatives even though the Club plays a role in theformer.


- 36 -

Highlights of Q16


o Build on class linkages primarily, but also military units.o Develop links for individuals to contact friends/classmates without

event involvemento Market College events through former team rosters, especially

when travelling in other cities


o Determine how professional associations make such an impact on ex-cadets, and develop relevant ideas.

o Seek opportunities to offer services through other military associationso Position the Club properly through communications and activities.


o None identified


- 37 -

Classlinks arestrongest

link

Friendsare

nextstrongest

Q17 – Member Affinity Links

“Which is strongest affinity link to the College at this stage in your life?”

Figure 17-1

Strongest Af f inity Link to College

1.3

1.9

1.9

1.9

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.3

3.0

3.1

3.5

1 2 3 4 5

R ET P/U T PM

R MC Fo und a tio n

Sp o rt o r a c tiv ity c lub a t Co lle g e

R e cruit p ha se sq ua d ro n

Lo ca l b ra nch

Aca d e mic s tre a m a t Co lle g e

N a tio na l c lub (R MCCC)

MOC

Co lle g e o f e ntry

Info rma l ne two rks

R MC/R R /CMR Cla ss

Not at all A lit t le 50/ 50 Quite a bit Extremely

A review of the responses to the question shows a broad set of parameters that connect ex cadetsor not to the Colleges currently.

Closer analysis shows that class connections whether interacting at the Colleges orlocally where they live is the strongest action by graduates to stay connected to what isgoing on at the Colleges or address their desire to “stay in touch.” There is a strongthread throughout that indicates the connection/affinity to the Colleges is not as strongas the maintaining and fostering of relationships set up while a cadet with classmates,

sports staff and faculty.

People and friends seemed to play a big part in the desire to stay in touch with the Colleges andthus maintain an affinity link. There were a number that one could see that alone they had littleinterest to follow the Colleges.

Another strong connection to the Colleges is when a son/daughter or relative is a cadet at theColleges. There seems to be a desire to understand what is going on at the colleges when there isa personal relationship through the offspring attendance and many indicated that it gave themthe affinity with the College.

Several noted the importance of communications of all types as necessary to give them anunderstanding of the status of life at the Colleges and the reason to keep in touch and maintainan affinity for the Colleges.

The verbatim comments supplied reflected much the same priorities as in the mainquestion, showing the dominance of classes, friends from college and informal networksain retaining connection to the college. Also, these remarks showed the low level ofattribution to the Club and branches, with the main exception of the three maincommunication tools, website, email and print.


- 38 -

Figure 17-2

Strongest Affinity Link to College

1

2

3

5

8

9

9

10

10

11

13

18

28

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

R MCC Bra nch

Sp o rts T e a ms

Milita ry Se rv ice

R MCC Club

Misce lla ne o us

Co lle g e s

N o a ffinity

T ime a t Co lle g e

W e b s ite & p ub lica tio ns

Fa mily a t co lle g e

Pro fe ss io na l co nne c tio n to co lle g e

Frie nship s fro m co lle g e

Cla ss co nne c tio ns

# re sp o nse s , n= 127

Highlights of Q17

Best Ideas for quick action by National/branches

o Increase Communications and interaction with membersE-VERITAS got good marks from some as current and timelyinformation; many indicated that social media (Facebook) within theirClass kept them in touch and contact. Perhaps the Club needs to enterthis phase of social contact. On another note, the Linked In group of ex-cadets is quite active and many responders do not have an affinity forColleges and at least some are not members.

o More interactive relationship with classesNot necessarily with the class President/secretary but an active classmember that handles just interactive communications with Classmembers. Several indicated that the Class reunions were their onlyrevisits to the Colleges every 5 years. Properly promoted this could bethe start of an affinity with the Colleges.

o Alumni related to cadets.Several indicated their current interaction with the Colleges wasbecause of a son/daughter attending a College. Perhaps theClub/Branch could identify these alumni and offer assistance/supportin a social setting to develop and maintain the connection after thegraduation. Most current grads are promoted to join the Club and theparent grad could be “stroked” to stay connected.


- 39 -

Best Ideas - Longer term implementation

o Focus on 5 year reunion classes and highlight their achievementsduring their time at the Colleges. RMCC Foundation highlights OldBrigade Class at Legacy Dinner each year and efforts start several yearsin advance to assist in starting their gifting program and encouragingattendance at the reunion weekend.

o Friends /people were identified as a basis for their affinity at this stageof life. Perhaps a “recruiting program” could be initiated to have eachClub member introduce a “non member” to the Club and seek toestablish a relationship/affinity with the Colleges.

o Maintain and increase the long term communications with Ex-cadets toincrease the mass of members and seek the affinity desired by the Club.There is a need to be current in the message vehicles to communicateand inform.

o Determine what the MOC Associations do to engender a relationshipwith members and what is being sought and found in the relationship.

o Treble Victor needs to be understood to determine what they do toattract Ex cadets and what the Club could do to enjoy the same success.It appears it is a one-on-one recruitment to attend events.


o None identified.


- 40 -

CareerPhase

DominatesInvolvement

Q18 – Respondent’s Involvement

“How would you describe your level of involvement in each of the following :[RMC Club of Canada – National, Local Branch of the Club , class, Selectedclassmates and other ex-cadets, The RMC Foundation] “

Figure 18-1

Level of InvolvementAv erage sc ores n=2431

1.2

1.4

1.5

2.4

2.9

1 2 3 4

T he R MC Fo und a tio n

My Lo ca l Bra nch o f the Club

R MC Club o f Ca na d a - N a tio na l(e ve nts , p ub lica tio ns , e tc )

My c la ss

Se le c te d c la ssma te s & o the r e x-ca d e ts

Not at all Not v ery Somewhat Very

Of the approximately 2461 responses the results were directed towards the following:

o More than 72% were Extremely or Somewhat involved with “selected classmatesand other ex-cadets”.

o More than 75% were Not Involved at all or not Very Involved in the “RMCCLUB of Canada”

o It is also interesting to note that more than 56% of respondents where “Not involvedat all” with the RMC Foundation.

Analysis of results:It appears that even though a majority of ex-cadets do correspond and are involved with their

selected classmates/ex-cadets, this same group is not involved with the RMC club.There appears to be a need to maintain that friendship/relation with RMCCCmembers, but not with the RMC Clubs.From these results, we can conclude that since the relationships between classmates isclose, obtaining a few new RMCCC members would result in a cascading effect of othernew members, i.e.

“I will do what my close friends will do”

Reply To “Others” Category

Only a small percentage (6%) replied in the “Other” category. The groups identified for the“Other” category were as follows:

Figure 18-4


- 41 -

Involvement in Other Groups

1

2

5.2

7.1

7.1

8.4

11.7

28.6

29.2

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Cha rita b le o rg a niza tio n

T re b le V ic to r

R e lig io us o rg a niza tio n

p ro fe ss io na l o rg a niza tio n

Gra d ua ting c la ss g ro up

Sp o rts /R e cre a tio na l c lub

Misce lla ne o us

Co mmunity o rg a niza tio n

Mili ta ry o rg a niza tio n

% re sp o nse s , n= 154

From the replies it is clear to see that a majority of responses in the “Other” category areaffiliated with a “Military Organization” or a “Community Organization”

Conclusions:

It is interesting to correlate all the responses as they relate to the year of graduation, inparticular, the year of retirement from the work force in general.

Figure 18-5The chart legend is year of graduation

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Se le c te de x-ca d e ts

My Cla ss R MC Club Fo und a tio n Bra nch

Involvement by Generat ion

Up to 1960

1961-1980

1981-2000

2001-Present

Extremely

Somewhat

Not v ery

Not at all


- 42 -

This information reveals:

o Our oldest generation is most involved overall.o Friendships and relationships formed at RMC dominate connections to the College.o Club, Foundation and Branch involvement increases with time.o Class involvement drops in the immediate years after graduation, but increases

rapidly in the later years.

The following are tentative hypotheses and would have to be confirmed through furtheranalysis:

1. If the individual is newly graduated and building a family, his community organizationinvolvement is high.

2. As the family grows, and the individual reflects on promotion/progression, hisinvolvement with the professional organizations increases along with his contacts withinhis military circle.

3. As he reaches and enters into the retirement mode, his involvement with the MilitaryClubs increases.

The needs, drives and motives of these three basic categories of groups are essentially differentand, as such, would have to be addressed individually, in a life-cycle approach to memberengagement.

The “other” category is much too small (n=154 replies) from a sample of 2461 to arrive at anygeneral conclusions for each of the derived sub-categories.

Highlights of Q18

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National or branches.

o Address generational needs individually

Best long-term ideas

o Consider programming and services that add value and are madeconvenient for busy younger members and actively serving CFmembers, and members who do not live within the catchmentareas of our existing Branches.


o Expecting member participation without providing perceived value


- 43 -

The RMCCCBranch is

not theanswer to

engagement

Q19 – Low Participation Level

“If you rated your involvement with the NATIONAL CLUB OR BRANCH as"Somewhat involved", "Not very involved" or "Not at all involved" or N/Awhich of the following reasons apply?”

Figure 19-1

Reasons for Low Involvement With The Clubn=2285

1.12

1.18

1.20

1.33

1.65

1.67

2.09

2.22

2.36

3.09

1 2 3 4 5

As a post-graduate student, I neverintegra ted into the RMC community

As an RET P/UT PM, I never integra ted intothe RMC community

I be long to a re la ted organization (suchasT reb le Victor, e tc)

I am opposed to specific po lic ies orpractices o f the Club/Branch

Coming from RR or CMR, I never integra tedinto the RMC community.

I have never fe lt we lcomed by e ither theClub or Branch

I don' t live near a branch

I see no va lue in programs and services

Branch event scheduling doesn' t work forme

I am too busy

Not at all applicable May or may not Extremely be applicable Applicable

This question explores why members consider themselves “Not at all involved”, “Not veryinvolved” or only “Somewhat involved” in the Club at the National or Branch level.

Not surprisingly, the responses are quite similar to those of Question 10 that asked whypotential members either were never members, or had allowed their memberships to lapse.

Many members currently serving in the CF find that their career precludes active involvement inthe Club. This can be expressed in a number of ways, including their postings whichprevent them from engaging long-term in an individual branch, their active servicewhich limits their personal time, and their perception that their social needs are beingmet with their day-to-day interactions with other serving members without having toparticipate in Club activities. Similarly, those no longer in the forces but still workingand raising families commented that they were “too busy” to engage more actively in

the Club. Geography is also a factor for a number of respondents, who are too remote to be ableto attend Branch functions, and feel this is the big draw for membership.


- 44 -

Figure 19-2

"Too Busy" to Part icipate?

2.39

2.95

3.59

3.37

1 2 3 4 5

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 to present

Not at all Extremely so

A major factor is lack of perceived value in club membership. Essentially, the Club is notmeeting a need that is important enough to them to encourage their more active involvement.

Another significant factor is the perception that the RMC Club caters mostly to the “Red Coats”who entered the military colleges at Kingston and did their full program there. Other groups(e.g. cadets from Royal Roads and CMR, Masters students, UTPO/UTPNCM, etc.) did not feelengaged in the Kingston campus, and do not see much value in participating in events of theClub.

Moving beyond disinterest and lack of perceived value, there were also a number of negativecomments relating to instances of poor customer service, perceptions of being snubbed,differing values between the Club and the individual eligible member, and the perception thatthe Club is an Old Boys’ Club, where members sit around and relive past glories from earlierdays, instead of embracing the present and the future.

Finally, a significant number indicated that they had lost contact with the Club, and were notbeing made aware of local branch activities.

Survey participants expressed similar sentiments in the open-ended section:

Figure 19-3

Q1 9 - W rit t e n Co m m e n t sn =1 8 8

3

6

6

8

8

10

10

10

20

23

27

56

F e e l / F e l t u n w e lc o m e

N o a l le g ia n c e to R M C (R R M C / C M R , R E T P ,U T M O / U T P N C M , p o s t-g ra d )

S u ffic ie n t c o n ta c t w / e x-C a d e ts d o n t n e e d C lu b

S ti l l in C M C

C lu b is a n O ld B o y s ' C lu b , a n d is n o t re le v a n tto m e

T o o b u s y / n o tim e (g e n e ra l )

In a c tiv e s e rv ic e / c lu b n o t re le v a n t/ d u tie sp ro h ib i t a tte n d in g e v e n ts

B a d e xp e rie n c e

N o t n e a r a b ra n c h

U n a w a re g e n e ra l (a b o u t th e c lu b , b ra n c h e s ,m e m b e rs h ip , e tc .)

N o in te re s t - g e n e ra l

M is c e l la n e o u s


- 45 -

Highlights of Q19

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National or branches.

o Develop a real value proposition for membership.o Increase awareness among members of the Club activities to

enfold those who claim to be unaware of same. Technologicalsolutions may be a partial solution.

o Develop real ways to involve other than the Old Brigade in allactivities to soften the image of RMCCC as an “Old Boys” club.

Best long-term ideas

o Consider programming and services that add value and are madeconvenient for busy younger members and actively serving CFmembers, and members who do not live within the catchmentareas of our existing Branches.

o Do a better job of engaging our disenfranchised groups (i.e. thenon Kingston-based anglo Red Coats) both at the college, and inour on-going programming and service offerings.


o Relying on Branches alone for member engagement


- 46 -

MEMBER SATISFACTION: Q20-24

Question 20 – Overall Satisfaction with RMCCC

Describe your overall satisfaction with the RMC Club of Canada.

Over half of the membership has some positive degree of satisfaction with the Club, but theremainder are apathetic. It is assumed that the “N/A” responses are from non-members. Thismalaise is one of the factors the Club must address.

Figure 20-1

Overall Satisfaction With The RMC Club OfCanadan=2179

158

32

84

779

782

344

0 200 400 600 800 1000

N/A

Highly unsat isf ied.

Unsat isf ied

Neither sat isf ied or unsat isf ied

Somewhat sat isf ied

Highly Sat isf ied

# responses

Figure 20-2

Generat ional Sat isfact ion Levels

3.95

3.66

3.50

3.46

1 2 3 4 5

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 to present

Highly Unatisf ied Neither Highly Satisf ied

Ave ra g e Sco re s , n=2172

Overall satisfaction of respondents was favourable in the sense that scores showed either somedegree of satisfaction, or were neutral.


- 47 -

Examining the data by generation showed, as might be expected, the more recent generationsreporting lower levels of satisfaction than older classes. This suggests, (as does external thirdparty research) that the Club needs to focus resources on the recent generations.

Dissatisfaction:

Examination of written comments is useful in determining causes of dissatisfaction. Positivevolunteered comments outweighed negative comments almost 2/1, yet there is muchinformation to be gained in analyzing the negative replies. For example:

Governanceo It needs focus on some strategic goalo Parfois hésitant à prendre position sur des décisions du Collège i.e. Degré honorifique Don

Cherryo Not sure its Vision, Goals or Objectives; One important Goal is to develop business networkingo The Club, unfortunately, is quickly becoming irrelevant. New blood is needed to bring the Club

into 2012.o Recent developments with the dismissal of the former Executive Director are most disturbing.o After the events of last year, I'll wait and see if anything worthwhile will develop.

Advocacyo Problem lies with apparent 'hands-off’ policy of dealing with items that are perceived as

'political', whereas they are often the most critical of all for the well being of the College and itsprograms. Club should reveal to members if it has successes in this area.

o As far as I can tell, the RMC Club is completely silent on current events affecting RMC.o Needs to be more independent from DND and take tougher stands against them. Club should

represent the members period.

Programs and serviceso Tout est en anglais et le site l'exprime clairement alors que je suis un ancien de RMC.o Annual branch golf tournament abandoned for a few years and …… tournament took its place.o Also the events have not been worth attending for the most part, of little value to me personally.o Activities used to encourage bonding are usually too expensive, situated far away, or simply

lacking in the traditions that make the military what it is.o I have been disappointed in the Club's efforts at helping organize Class events at Reunion

Weekend, especially cancellation of the Saturday Night Dinner.o One extra staff member at Kingston could probably provide all the logistical and organizational

support for the Branches - will result in more members for the Club and increased support forthe Foundation.

o There should be a master list of all cadets who entered, with their associated college numbers etco Club has not invested in being a source of networking or strength for members.

Communicationso It would be nice if there were RRU inputs for those on the West Coast or a Navy/AirForce/Army

section with promotions and retirements....o Website keeps people connected. I think there is too much focus on current military members

which is why treble victor formed.o When I retired after nearly 35 yrs service, my retirement didn't even earn a footnote in e-

veritas, indicating no true desire to reach out and try to become relevant to ex-cadets like me.

Fundingo I do get a bit fed up with the Foundation asking for money.o Except when the Club/Foundation finances programs, buildings, etc. that should come solely

from DND $$.o Always looking for money to supplement a federally funded institution.o Not sure our financial resources are going to the right causes. But, not fully aware of how

contributions are distributed.


- 48 -

Outreacho For 25 years I've had to listen to young and old men making comments about women in CF. I

want nothing to do with it in my free time.o Work needs to be done on bringing the Club closer to graduates in last two decades.o I think the club needs to get more involvement from "other than RMC ex-cadets" to build a

larger base.o The Club is very Ontario-centric at the executive level.o Very Kingston specific.o The RMC Club focuses almost solely on graduates. Real alumni clubs like Queens Alumni benefit

the current students.o Understanding that the cdts/ex-cdts are the primary focus, the Club needs to also embrace the

extension student population as an important and integral part of RMC.Cadets

o Emphasis on non-military aspects during Chretien era - and remnants of that today; having 4thyr living out; wearing combat uniforms at all times; recruiting material that emphasizes non-combat/non-military; e.g. advertising army careers as truck drivers!!

o Very little information is available, little outreach to the current RMC students.o Too much emphasis on sports; not enough on leadership.o ..very disappointed to see the variety of varsity Sports gutted with no reaction from the Club.

Conclusion:

None of the preceding should be ignored; all information from members is relevant and mayreflect a broader section of membership. It is clear that these respondents want better strategicdirection, programs that are more relevant and services and communications, inclusiveness, andmore important more outreach beyond “Kingston.”

The survey was completed by 2660 persons, but the addressed field was about 9000. There isevery reason to believe that the total addressable field is much greater than 9000, so it isobvious that they have either never been reached, or are dissatisfied enough with the Club thatthey have never joined. In either case, the Club cannot rest on the satisfaction ratings here,rather, it must use the dissatisfaction ratings and comments as clues to building a larger andstronger membership base.

Highlights of Q20

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 yearo Focus on cadets and recent graduates with meaningful services and

communicationso Address marginalized groups

Best long-term ideaso Revise governance, strategic direction and adopt an advocacy roleo Develop a plan to identify and locate the entire potential

membership


o Acting as an Ontario-centric “old boys” club


- 49 -

The ClassDominates

Q21 – Program and Service Importance

“Please rate the importance to you of each of the following programs and services:”

Figure 21-1

Importance Of Club Programs and Servicesn=2396

2.35

2.61

2.91

3.33

3.41

3.47

3.58

3.76

3.80

1 2 3 4 5

H o no urs a nd a wa rd s

Lo ca l Bra nch a c tiv itie s

Gift Sho p

Annua l re unio n we e ke nd

Ge ne ra l Co mmunica tio ns

VER IT AS Ma g a zine

Cla ss e ve nts

5 ye a r R e unio ns

e Ve rita s e -ne ws le tte r

Not at all important Not v ey Neither imortant Somewhat Very or unimportant Important

Leading the priority list in importance to respondents are the e-newsletter and 5 yearreunions. In the top four services, two are class-related, and two are the principalRMCCC communication tools.

There is variability by generation and location. For example, “Branch Activities” were rated lowin importance overall and analysis shows that even in the older generations, importance is highonly for those within reach of an active Branch. To those who are early in career, the Branchprovides little, thus low importance scores.

In contrast, universally accessible services such as eVeritas are broadly important, but especiallyto the “busy” 1981-2000 generation who scored the newsletter second-highest in importance tothe other generational groups.


- 50 -

Figure 21-2

Generat ional Sat isfact ion LevelsLo ca l Bra nch Ac tiv itie s

3.32

2.95

2.80

2.74

1 2 3 4 5

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 to present

Highly Unatisf ied Neither H ighly Satisf ied


Figure 21-3

Generat ional Sat isfact ion Levelse Ve rita s

3.87

3.60

3.71

3.54

1 2 3 4 5

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 to present

Highly Unatisf ied Neither Highly Satisf ied


Highlights of Q21

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National

o Place maximum emphasis on communications to classeso Develop a class secretary training, support and communication

strategy

Best long-term ideas:o Maintain highest possible journalistic and content standards of the

two main communications tools


o None identified


- 51 -

Q22- Program and Service Satisfaction

“Now, please rate your satisfaction with each of the following programs and services:”

Figure 22-1

Member Sat isfact ion with Programs and Servicesn= 2382

1.9

2.2

2.8

2.9

2.9

3.2

3.2

3.6

3.9

1 2 3 4 5

H o no urs a nd a wa rd s

Lo ca l Bra nch a c tiv itie s

Gift Sho p

Cla ss e ve nts

Annua l re unio n we e ke nd

Ge ne ra l Co mmunica tio ns

5 Ye a r re unio ns

VER IT AS Ma g a zine

e Ve rita s e le c tro nic ne ws le tte r

Highly Unsatisf ied H ighly Satisf ied

In general, activities that are very important to members as shown in Q21, 5-year reunions andclass events, scored more poorly than the top-rated services, the principal communicationvehicles. This shows that work has to be done.

Satisfaction varied by class group, as shown in table 22-1 below. The table was arranged to focuson the priorities of the youngest target group, 2001-present.

Table 22-1 - Mean Satisfaction Scores (1-5, where 5 is Very Satisfied)

up to1960

1961 to1980

1981 to2000

2001 topresent

Reunion Weekend 3.6 3.7 3.8 4.1eVeritas 4.2 4.3 4.1 4.0VERITAS 4.3 4.1 4.1 3.9Gift shop 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.75 Year Reunion 4.3 4.2 3.9 3.5Honours/Awards 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.3Class Events 4.1 3.7 3.4 3.3GeneralCommunications 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.3Branch 3.7 3.4 3.1 2.9

Some significant points are: Branch activities are of least satisfaction to the target group, but increase in importance

with increasing age. Satisfaction scores of the 1981-2000 group are similar to the millenials. Satisfaction with class events increases with time.


- 52 -

eVeritas and VERITAS have a uniform appeal to all groups. Members are least satisfied with the honours and awards program.

Q22/23- The Program and Service Portfolio – Satisfaction vs. Importance

This plot gives the reader a relative view of what is important to members and how the Club isperforming. Normally, an organization would prefer to have all its programs and servicesscoring in the upper right quadrant, and none in the lower left. Clearly, there is work to be done.

RMCCC has to strongly consider the role of the Branches and classes in serving member needs,and where resources need to be applied for membership development.

Figure 22-23

Importance vs Sat isfact ionAve ra g e o f a ll sco re s

1

2

3

4

5

1 2 3 4 5

Sa tis fa c tio n

Imp o rta nce

Somwhat Satisf ied Highly satisf iedHighlyunsatisf ied

Not at allimportant

Vey Important

H- Honours/AwardsB- Local BranchS- Gift ShopA- Annual ReunionG- GeneralCommunicationsV- Ver itasC- Class events5y- Five yearreunionseV- eVer itas

C

H

B

S

A

5Ye V

GV


- 53 -

Question 23- Reunion Weekend

“Rank the importance to you at this stage of your life, of each of the followingcomponents of the reunion weekend event:”

Figure 23-1

Importance of Reunion Weekend Elementsn=2363

2.1

2.6

3.0

3.2

3.2

3.3

3.7

4.0

1 2 3 4 5

R MCCC Annua l Ge ne ra l Me e ting

Me e t Co lle g e s ta ff o r a ca d e mics

Ba d g ing ce re mo ny

Ob s ta c le Co urse

Ma rch to the Arch

Pa ra d e

Me e t a nd Gre e t

Op p o rtunity to me e t c la ssma te s

Not at all important Very Important

Respondents reinforced again the proposition that meeting classmates and ex-cadet friends isthe overwhelmingly most important event of the weekend, thus reinforcing again one of themain objects of the Club;

“…the bringing together of its members for mutual benefit and support, the encouragement and maintenance of that camaraderie which has always existed at the Canadian Military Colleges.”

Of relatively equal importance were the cluster of cadet-centric activities (Parade, Obstaclecourse, Badging) and the March to the Arch. As seen in the verbatim comments, there weresome complaints about the length of the parade and particularly the number of speeches.

Written responses: n=133The scores shown represent the mean scores of all responses. Respondents were more likely topresent criticisms of the weekend than to reinforce or support elements of the weekendprogram. The positive comments supported the general responses above but emphasized thatthe exercise of college traditions on the weekend is important as well as access to facilities, andwitnessing alumni sports.

Table 23-1

Negative - 59% Positive - 41%% %

Distance prevents 10.7 Keep traditions 8.2Unable to attend 6.6 Alumni games, band 8.2

No interest 5.7Opportunity to meetclassmates 7.4


- 54 -

Negative - 59% Positive - 41%Miss Field House Dinner 4.9 Meet cadets 7.4RR/CMR homecoming moreimportant 4.1 Tour college and museum 6.65 year only 3.3 Sports 3.3

Quality poor 2.5Meet College staff oracademics 0.8

Uninformed 2.5Miscellaneous 18.9

Highlights of Q22

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National

o Place maximum emphasis on social and fraternizationopportunities on the weekend.

o For classes celebrating their 5-year, or multiples of 5 yearsreunions, make more effort to highlight them.

o Increase alumni-cadet sports prominence and opportunities.


o Find technological ways to outreach to those unable to attendbecause of health or distance. A webcast of the March to the Arch isan example.

o Recreate the atmosphere of the Saturday night Field House dinner.o Market the reunion weekend events and opportunities to the

membership well in advance.


o Shorten parade and speeches.


- 55 -

Question 24 – Rating the Communications Tools

“Please score each factor of our principal communications:”

Figure 24-1

ExcellentGoo d

Fair

Inade quateBad

D/K-N/A

Bilingualism

QualityContent

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

# r

es

po

ns

es

Club Web Site

Bilingualism

Quality

Content

Figure 24-2

ExcellentGoo d

Fair

Inade quateBad

D/K-N/A

BilingualismQuality

ContentFrequency

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

# r

es

po

ns

es

e Veritas

Bilingualism

Quality

Content

Frequency


- 56 -

Figure 24-3

ExcellentGoo d

Fair

Inade quateBad

D/K-N/A

BilingualismQuality

ContentFrequency

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

# r

es

po

ns

es

Veritas Magazine

Bilingualism

Quality

Content

Frequency

Figure 24-4

Comparing Communicat ion Tools

4.19

4.13

4.25

4.12

1 2 3 4 5

R MC Club W e b Site - Co nte nt

e Ve rita s - Co nte nt

Ve rita s ma g a zine - Co nte nt

R MC Club W e b Site - Qua lity

e Ve rita s - Qua lity

Ve rita s ma g a zine - Qua lity

R MC Club W e b Site - B il ing ua lism

e Ve rita s - B il ing ua lism

Ve rita s ma g a zine - B il ing ua lism

e Ve rita s - Fre q ue ncy

Ve rita s ma g a zine - Fre q ue ncy

Bad Exc ellent

The Club website falls behind the other tools on every count, and as indicated elsewherein this report, it needs improvement particularly in terms of relevance.

The standard of bilingualism needs improvement in all communication tools.

The frequency of publication appears about right.


- 57 -

Question 25 – Expectations of the Club

“What do you expect personally from the Club at this stage of your life (programs,services and activities)?”

Figure 25-1

What Members Expect From The Club

2.6

2.8

2.9

3.1

3.4

3.5

3.8

4.0

1 2 3 4 5

T ra ve l g ro up s a nd to urs

Ca re e r tra ns itio n sup p o rt

T a ng ib le b e ne fits (insura nce s , mo rtg a g ep ro g ra m, c re d it ca rd re b a te s , a nd l is t o the r

Inte ra c tio n with, a nd sup p o rt o f ca d e t W ing

Info rma tio n o n the a chie ve me nts o f hig hp ro fi le e x-ca d e ts

Effe c tive ne two rk ing fo rum

Effe c tive ne ws co mmunica tio n

Sus ta ining a nd p ro mo ting the va lue o f the“b ra nd ” (the R MC d e g re e , tra ining a nd va lue s)

Not at all Not v ery Somewhat Very How important?

How do expectations vary by generational group?

The following tables of importance ratings of the various services (1=not very important, 5=veryimportant) shows an interesting juxtaposition:

Table 25-1

up to1960

1961 to1980

1981 to2000

2001 topresent

Sustaining the value of the RMC “brand” 4.00 4.05 4.06 4.11Effective news communication 3.68 3.87 3.95 3.85Achievements of high profile ex-cadets 3.42 3.29 3.49 3.49Effective networking forum 2.93 3.37 3.99 4.02Interaction with cadet Wing 2.92 2.97 3.11 3.72Travel groups and tours 2.27 2.55 2.54 3.15Tangible benefits 2.19 2.60 3.11 3.90Career transition support 1.83 2.39 3.44 3.86

This was a “stage of life” question, and it is clear that the existing or proposed services andprograms are of significantly more use to newer members than the old guard. As time passes,needs are filled by alternate sources in the general community, but RMCCC must seize on thoseunique activities of value to new graduates.


- 58 -

Figure 25-2

Member Expectat ions - Generat ionalEffe c tive N e two rk ing

2.93

3.37

3.99

4.02

1 2 3 4 5

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 to present

Not at all important Neither Very important


Figure 25-3

Member Expectat ions - Generat ionalCa re e r tra ns itio n Sup p o rt

1.83

2.39

3.44

3.86

1 2 3 4 5

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 to present

Not at all important Neither Very important


“Other” comments:

Sixty-six respondents took the time to add their written comments on their expectations of theClub. In rank order these are:

Table 25-21 Web Based Communications2 More Tangible Benefits3 Ability to keep in touch4 Advocate RMC / Military5 Hear about everyone, not just high

profile.6 Career Transition / Networking7 Mentor Cadets8 Promote RMC9 Benefits from other groups10 Other

Reviewing the responses “communication” is a hot spot – not only more communication butcommunication specific to the College and the Cadets – what’s happening, what’s changing.

Responses also indicated a desire for information about ex-cadets; and not just the high profileex-cadets; there should be opportunity for everyone to have some exposure.


- 59 -

There was a strong view that the ex-cadet club should offer more tangible benefits; discounts,special access (everything from the RMC gym to travel was mentioned).

There was a common view on the club advocating for the RMCs (to the government) andpromoting the RMCs to the public.

The last significant theme was ability to mentor cadets; a forum or pairing of cadets to ex-cadets(on a personal level) to provide guidance advice mentorship.

Highlights of Q25

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National or branches:o Combine the class, branch, individual websites into one portal –

everyone should be able to reach any branch, any class, and anyindividual through one ‘portal’.

o Address the ‘need’ for career transition / networking – Treble Victoris serving this need today but they do not have the resources, depthor breadth that the RMCCC has + ex-cadets should all be part ofRMCCC, not necessarily so for Treble Victor

o Develop a forum to facilitate cadet to ex-cadet contact; a preambleto a formal mentorship program


o Develop more tangible ‘group benefits’; add to the RMCCC creditcard program, perhaps travel program, discount on airline lounges,Via Rail discount, etc.

o Further develop the ‘career / networking’ old “boys” network.o Develop an on-line user group community to facilitate contact /

networking / connecting


o None identified


- 60 -

FUTURE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Q25-28

Question 26 – Member Interest in Expanding Programs and Services

“Please indicate your degree of interest in the following program or service concepts:”

Figure 26-1

Degree of Interest in Specific Programs

2.8

2.9

3.0

3.0

3.0

3.1

3.2

3.4

3.4

3.6

3.6

1 2 3 4 5

Separat ing Club events by generat ion

Programs to involve parents/families ofcadets

Opportunit ies to be involved with College

Ident ifying recruit candidates

Providing employment opportunity list ings

Increasing college lecture outreach

Using social media more ef fect ively

Involving ex-cadets to mentor cadets

Providing news of high prof ile ex-cadets

Promot ing the legacy of the Colleges and ex-cadets

Improve communicat ions to members

N o t a t a ll N e ithe r Ve ryImp o rta nt Imp o rta nt

Members responded positively to some of the proposed new or revised program/service ideas;however, the average ratings were not strong, even for the most important factor, (improvingcommunications to members.) The reason becomes apparent when the overall scores areseparated by generational clusters. Those graduating before 1961 were much less interestedoverall in very program suggestion. The generation graduating after 2000 showed the highestlevel of interest in every program, and the other two sectors lay between.

The program of greatest interest is the providing of employment opportunity listings. Both therecent groups rated this highly, where there is unanimity, it is around improvingcommunications to members, and promoting the legacy of the College and ex-cadets.


- 61 -

Figure 26-2

Program ImportanceW e ig hte d a ve ra g e o f a ll re sp o nse s b y

Ge ne ra tio na l Gro up

2.8

3.1

3.4

3.6

1 2 3 4 5

up to 1960

1961 to 1980

1981 to 2000

2001 top re se nt

Not at all Important Very Important

Figure 26-3

Generat ional At t itudes to Proposed Programs

1 2 3 4 5

Se p a ra ting Club e ve nts b y g e ne ra tio n

Imp ro v ing co mmunica tio ns to me mb e rs

Pro v id ing e mp lo yme nt o p p o rtunity l is ting s

Pro v id ing ne ws o f hig h p ro fi le e x-ca d e ts inmy c la ss /co urse /se rv ice

Invo lv ing e x-ca d e ts to me nto r ca d e ts

D e ve lo p ing p ro g ra ms to invo lve p a re nts a ndfa milie s o f ca d e ts

Op p o rtunitie s to b e invo lve d with the Co lle g eo the r tha n Bra nch

U s ing so c ia l me d ia mo re e ffe c tive ly

Inc re a s ing co lle g e le c ture o utre a ch thro ug hp o d ca s ts /so c ia l me d ia ,

Pro mo ting the le g a cy o f the Co lle g e s a nde x-ca d e ts

Id e ntify ing re c ruit ca nd id a te s

2001-present

1980-2000

1961-1980

Up to 1960

Not at all Important Very Important


- 62 -

Assuming that the classes graduating from 2000 onwards are a principal target group forengagement, their preferences are shown here separately:

Figure 26-4

Preferences of Classes f rom 2000 to Present

3.0

3.4

3.4

3.5

3.5

3.6

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.9

4.1

1 2 3 4 5

Se p a ra ting Club e ve nts b y g e ne ra tio n

Id e ntify ing re c ruit ca nd id a te s

D e ve lo p ing p ro g ra ms to invo lve p a re nts a ndfa mil ie s o f ca d e ts

Inc re a s ing co lle g e le c ture o utre a ch thro ug hp o d ca s ts /so c ia l me d ia ,

Op p o rtunitie s to b e invo lve d with the Co lle g eo the r tha n Bra nch

Pro v id ing ne ws o f hig h p ro fi le e x-ca d e ts in myc la ss /co urse /se rv ice

Imp ro v ing co mmunica tio ns to me mb e rs

Pro mo ting the le g a cy o f the Co lle g e s a nd e x-ca d e ts

U s ing so c ia l me d ia mo re e ffe c tive ly

Invo lv ing e x-ca d e ts to me nto r ca d e ts

Pro v id ing e mp lo yme nt o p p o rtunity l is ting s

Ave ra g e 3.6

Not at all VeryImportant Important

Figure 26-5

Addit ional Comments

1

2

2

3

3

4

6

7

7

8

21

0 5 10 15 20 25

Ca d e t-e xca d e t invo lve me nt

So c ia l me d ia ca utio ns

Sp e c ific e ve nts /p ro g ra ms

Op p o se g e ne ra tio na l fo cus

Misce lla ne o us

Op p o s ing H ig h Pro fi le fo cus

Eng a g e CMR /R R MC a lumni

Sup p o rt the Co lle g e

D o n' t/ca n' t p a rtic ip a te

Sup p o rtive o f "R e d & W hite "

N e w sug g e s tio ns

# re p o nse s


- 63 -

Categorical list of positive suggestions:

News and Networkingo Not just high profile, any news of cadets in my class or from the years that

overlapped with me are of interesto More emphasis on CMR ex-cadetso Finding lost members via networkingo Developing an Ex-Cadet site with a similar mission statement to that of "Treble

Victor"

Eventso Five-year reunions are critical; maintaining web based communications also

criticalo The idea of having generational reunions is something that should be explored. The

numbers at reunions are too great to have meaningful gatherings. The youngergroups are not very interactive and will not attend some events, so we do not getmuch of a chance to interact.

Cadetso RMC must be truly and totally bilingualo Character Development of Cadetso Experience in the real world exposure for cadets of ex-cadets would give cadets a

picture of how their lives could and just might beo A forum for potential cadets to ask questions to current cadetso Supporting RMC Varsity Sports

Externalo Improving the reputation of RMC outside of the military (directed at potential

recruits, and second career employers... as rarely do we ever go directly frommilitary service to full-time retirement)

o We need to do a survey to see what the Canadian Forces as a whole, Regular andReserve, NCM and Officer really think of RMC and our graduates.

o Providing quality and effective feedback on academic and military programs toensure that the highest possible standards are being set and maintained

o Involving ex-cadets in 'organized' outreach & 'good works' along the lines of CESO(Canadian Executive Service Overseas) and Veterans groups such as the Legionwhich have great community works (e.g., youth group leadership and sports).There is unique and fantastic pool of talent and skills in Ex-cadets. Image whatcould be accomplished if their skills and talents could be mobilized to address socialissues plaguing Canada's aboriginal communities. Ex-cadets should become knownfor 'giving back' to Canada for the outstanding opportunities we received at theMilitary colleges by continuing to do 'good work' after successful careers. The'visibility' of good works by Ex-cadets could add much to public support theColleges.


- 64 -

Highlights of Q26

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National or branches:o Developing effective networking tools and events for business purposeo Provide employment opportunity listingso Cadet mentoring program

Best long-term ideas:o Create an ex-cadet “CUSO”o Improve overall communications


o None identified


- 65 -

Must BeAn ActiveAdvocate

Question 27 – Member Attitudes to Advocacy By The Club

“The RMC Club of Canada should be actively advocating externally on behalfof the Colleges" - How do you feel about this statement with regard to targeted issueswith the following stakeholders? [Federal government, DND and the general public?]”

This question was important to members, and over 85% indicated their attitudes. Mostrespondents feel strongly about the Club taking a role in advocating (lobbying, influencing,promoting) with key external stakeholders. Combined, over 70% answered “Fully agree” or“Mainly agree” to the question, while those disagreeing were in an extreme minority, about 4%.Only 13% were “uncertain”.

There was a slight skew toward Government advocacy, but the prominence of the othertargets was high also.

Figure 27-1Legend represents advocacy targets

Fully ag ree

Mainly ag ree

Unsure

Mainly disagree

Fully disagree

DND

Public

Government0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

# re sp o nse s

Members At t itude Towards Club Advocacy

DND

Public

Government

Written comments reflected the same attitudes as shown below; however, the verbatimcomments are very useful in that they define the degree of support.

“Strongly supportive” were comments (48) which showed general support for Club advocacyor stated specific advocacy targets or goals.

“I expect the RMCCC would share the same advocacy rights as any other alumniorganization in Canada. I trust in the discretion of the RMCCC's leadership toadvocate with sensitivity to the unique relationship between the RMCCC andRMC, the CF, DND, the GoC, and the public.”

“I have felt that branches should assist with recruiting by holding info sessionsat local high schools. Could national do something to facilitate this? Providematerials and get some from the college?”


- 66 -

‘Employers on the value to them of training at the colleges with the benefits ofin-service experience.”

“Supportive with Restrictions’ were comments (41) that were supportive, but contained ageneral caution, or comments on a specific advocacy target or goal:

“If the colleges enjoy a higher profile with the general public, it would likely beeasier to enable change with policy makers.”

“Cependant, la position du Club sur certains sujets devrait réfléter l'opinion de lamajorité des membres, ce qui pourrait impliquer des "référendums" parmi lesmembres.”

“Critical of Inaction” were comments (13) which were specific about Club inaction inadvocacy:

“The Club represents its members. This means it acts on their behalf, not just toprovide fraternal opportunities, but to protect the interests and values of theColleges. It is failing badly. It does not market to the public the value of thisleadership institution, it does not assist in recruiting high calibre cadets, it doesnot protect the College from the vagaries of the government or DND. In thisregard, it is a total failure.”

“Opposed” were comments with specific reasons:

“Advocating on behalf of the colleges toward either the federal government orDND would transform the Club into a policy lobbying group. I would submit thatthe club should remain apolitical.”

Figure 27-2

18

18

13

41

48

0 10 20 30 40 50

# co mme nts

Misce lla ne o us

Op p o se d

Critica l o fina c tio n

Sp e c ificSup p o rtive

Stro ng lySup p o rtive

Me mb e r Co mme nts o n Club Ro le inAd vo ca cy


- 67 -

Highlights of Q27


o Concentrate promotion to the general public to leverageadvocacy positions with government stressing not only value tothe nation of our values, the production of leaders, but also theunique opportunity for education

o Involve ex-cadets in recruitingo Facilitate recruiting at the Branch level by organizing a program

and providing support.

Important long-term ideas

o Take steps to develop an advocacy policy and program withappropriate issue identification and management guidelines,and long-term strategy.

o Consider how other stakeholders can be addressed; industryand other employers, provincial governments andmunicipalities, other associations.

o Develop a media plan.


Being silent on issues that affect the College and cadets negatively.


- 68 -

Question 28 –Future RMCCC Communications

“What forms of RMCCC communications would you most likely use in the future?”

Figure 28-1

Likelihood of Using Each Communicat ion Moden=2259

2.5

2.9

3.2

3.2

3.3

3.5

3.7

4.1

1 2 3 4 5

Mo b ile Ap p s

So c ia l me d ia

Bra nch W e b s ite

Print

Surve ys

N a tio na l Club W e b s ite

Cla ss W e b s ite

Ema il

Certainly not Unlik ely 50/ 50 Lik ely For sure

A striking aspect of Q 28 is that only a few respondents made worthwhile recommendations.There is strong support for both VERITAS and e-VERITAS, but most of the usefulcomments point to the social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, texting, Twitter), withsome support for an RMCCC website.

“Obviously, the social media issue is a generation thing.”

Perhaps the most serious problem that has to be addressed is the need to “belong,” expressed bythe francophones but discernible in others as well.

« En terme de classe de promotion, mes intérêts sont principalement avec lesanciens de St-Jean. »

« Je suis plus intéressé à ma classe d'entrée qu'à ma classe de promotion »

eMailWins!


- 69 -

Highlights of Q28


o Build on (entry) class linkageso Develop links for individuals to contact classmates and other

College friendso Develop mobile apps (without ads) for VERITAS and e-VERITASo Improve National Club website


o Develop and promote RMCCC-based social mediao Establish a media relations component to promote the CSCs and

the Clubo Improve the quality of VERITAS and e-VERITASo Set up a speakers’ bureau that branch clubs could access


o None identified


- 70 -

MEMBER ISSUES AND PRIORITIES Q29-32

Question 29 - Overlooked Activities and Missed Opportunities.

“Please comment at length on any high-level activity "buckets" or goal areas thatyou think have been missed in this survey. (Consider all the services andprograms of the organization)”

NetworkingOf the over 400+ comments almost 14% were focused on assisting Club members with

networking and career transition. It should be noted this was distinct from purelyfellowship with peers which is a separate category. Overwhelmingly the commentsfocused on the ability of the Club to assist in facilitating a network of individuals toshare services and human capital.

GovernanceApproximately 12.5% of the comments centered on how the Club should be organized which isinteresting given it is not an ‘activity’. One major theme emerged from this category. The role ofthe Club and Foundation is poorly understood amongst those who responded. Questions oftenarose as to how the two organizations work with each other and why membership is segregatedfrom giving. Even if there is a relatively simple reason, the fact that this has not beencommunicated well remains an ongoing issue.

AdvocacyFinally, College advocacy was seen as the third activity the College needed to focus on. Inmultiple comments, the ex-Cadets regarded the club as a voice projecting their views to theFederal Government, Canadians and to the College Staff itself. Frustration was evident as thereis no mechanism to organize this voice other than a perceived informal organization inKingston.

Respondents’ comments sorted into general categories are shown in Figure 29-1 following:

Put mein touch


- 71 -

Figure 29-1

Activities the Club Should be Focused Onn=310

4

6

9

15

17

21

28

29

30

32

38

39

42

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Family Involvement

Recruiting

Enhanced Sports

Foundation & Fund Raising

Generational Gap

Fellow ship w ith Peers

Comprehensive Survey

Student Support

Miscellaneous

Communication & Outreach

College Advocacy

College & Club Organization

Netw orking & Career Transition

# responses

Highlighted unedited comments are as follows:

“Club's greatest value is as a networking/career development vehicle(pragmatic) and a custodian of memories and aggregated personal legacies ofwhat is generally a rather profound experience for those who have gone through it(emotive).”

“I bought a lifetime membership years ago as a second year cadet... I guess Ienvisioned it then as having a lot of potential to connect me with opportunities forthe future. Instead what I discovered is more of a focus on the past, or activitiesthat are going on at the college now -- neither of which particularly interest me oradd value in my life today. I think your survey should focus more on what peopleexpected out of the club when they joined, and is this being delivered, and are theyhappy with their membership.”

“Find a way to re-incorporate the RMC Club Foundation and the RMC Club.The club has a problem recruiting and retaining Ex-Cadets, and having twoseparate entities (although I understand why it was necessary) muddies thewaters regarding what, exactly, Ex-Cadets are being asked to join, and why.”

“As the largest focal point of the Officer Corps outside DND I feel we should speakout and even take advocacy positions on issues that affect all aspects of defence.Our role could be limited to supporting other more involved groups through toactive campaigns. These campaigns would best be supported through voluntarycontributions as not all members will agree with all positions and all Ex-Cadetsshould remain welcome in the Club.”


- 72 -

Conclusion:

The Club, according to those who commented, should be focused on:

1. Facilitating ex-Cadet networking opportunities followed by organized careersupport.

2. Better indication of the role and purpose of the Foundation vs. Club and therelationship to a member joining the Club.

3. Acting as a stakeholder for all ex-Cadets and voicing one unified voice on issueseffecting Canadians and the College.

Highlights of Q29


o Facilitate a career networko Communicate roles and responsibilities of Club vs.

Foundation to all Club memberso Establish and maintain effective Cadet List Management


o Develop a pipeline to allow members to efficiently expressopinions on advocacy issues for the Club to bring forward.

o Communicate value of College to Canada and value of Club toex-Cadets.

o Facilitate a stronger link between Branches and National Club


o Allowing confusion to reign about Club/Foundation roles andgovernance


- 73 -

Question 30 - Adding Value to Membership:

“If we could do only one (1) thing in the next year or so to significantly addvalue to your membership in this organization, what would you want us to do?”

Networking and Career DevelopmentSimilar to question 29, over 16% of the 800 comments indicated that the facilitation ofnetworking and presentment of career opportunities ranks as the number one area for Clubimprovement. It is interesting to note that this affirms the quick acceptance and up take ofTreble Victor Group in Toronto and other select areas across the country. The Club runs the riskof loss of relevance as Treble Victor grows in size across the country, as ex-military will onlylikely have time for commitment for one military club.

It should be noted that a large portion of the comments reflected general satisfaction with wherethe Club is today, which is a positive sign. It is the gap between the first two comments thatoverwhelming suggests that the Club has to do more however.

Finally, communications were the third highest activity cited. On a whole, comments related tothe content and quality of the communications. VERITAS was highly regarded both in print andelectronic form and should not be changed. Overall list management and quality ofcommunications was indicated as poor.

Figure 30-1

One Activity that would Enhance Value

0.9%

2.1%

2.2%

2.2%

5.0%

6.9%

8.7%

9.0%

10.2%

10.2%

12.8%

13.3%

16.6%

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18%

Promote AthleticsActively Recruit for Colleges

Develop a better Reunion WeekendProfile Cadets and Ex-Cadets

Provide & Seek Financial SupportChange E-Veritas

Focus on Club Goverance & StructureMiscellaneous

Focus on Branch Activities & StructureAdvocate for College

Develop Better CommunicationsSatisfied with Services now

Facilitate Networking & Career Opportunities

% of 767 responses

Selected Unedited Comments:

“Provide me with a ready way to connect and work with ex cadets who I can trustinstantly, so we can potentially network and work on projects together.”

“Connect me with current or ex-cadets where I could use my knowledge andexperience to help them achieve their goals.”

“Take a more active role in maintaining an accurate and up-to-date database ofex-cadets, particularly those in my Class.”


- 74 -

“Let the membership know what your goals and objectives for the club are. Whatis the club responsible for and what is the club NOT responsible for.”

“As 4th year cadets are preparing to graduate, reinforce what the Club offers themand how they can get further involved in the Club. Though many current cadetsare members, I doubt that many know what benefits there are to membershipbecause they probably signed up during a sales pitch in 1st year that centered onnetworking and the opportunities for networking that are available through theClub. I feel that the reasons for membership need to be restated so that as cadetsleave RMC they fully make use of their membership to the Club.”

Highlights of Q30


o Profile more members - not just “successful” members but a crosssection.

o Communicate value of Club membership to members.o Share the results of the survey to further provoke conversation and

create a mechanism for communication with National Branch to breakbarriers and facilitate cross-generational leadership.


o Facilitate a stronger relationship between Branches and Club throughsecretaries and Branch executive.

o Set up a mechanism to mentor current cadets or young ex-cadetsthrough real connection (human outreach, not just electronic forums).

o Restore reunion weekends to high-class standard. Assist in helpingclasses plan reunion weekends.

o


o None identified


- 75 -

Question 31 – Recapturing non/lapsed members

“If you are not a member, what single Club accomplishment would make you join?”

Figure 31-1

What Would make You Join The Club?n=267

3

4

5

8

11

13

18

20

25

58

92

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Sto p Fund -ra is ing

Co mmunica tio n Issue s

Ca re e r Op p o rtunitie s

Lo ca tio n

N e two rk ing

Be tte r "Se ll ing " o f Me mb e rship

Sp e c ia l Inte re s t Gro up s

Fe e Issue s

Me mb e rship Be ne fits

Misce lla ne o us

N /A

# re sp o nse s

This question asked non-members what single accomplishment of the Club would make themjoin. This assumes that Club membership is optional and discretionary, which is not thecase in most civilian universities, where membership is automatic and (in most cases)no fee is involved.

One of the big issues why potential members do not join the Club surrounds fees (eitherthe absolute amount, or the relevant amount in terms of perceived value). Various

respondents suggested a sliding scale for life membership based on years since graduation,special rates for the Old Brigade, or other variations on this theme.

A large number of respondents also questioned the value of membership – they either did notvalue the benefits membership offered, felt they could get those benefits without becoming amember, or wanted benefits (e.g. Group financial benefits) that the club did not offer. Othersfelt that because they were not located close to a club branch, they would not derive sufficientbenefit to become a member.

Another big issue surrounds the perception that the club is essentially a club for RMC “RedCoats”. Other groups (e.g. cadets from CMR and Royal Roads, non- graduates, Masters Degreestudents, UTPO/UTPNCM, RETP, etc.) feel that they are not embraced by the club.

A number of respondents felt that the club should provide a career opportunities service, and doa better job of supporting its members in career transition out of the military.

HighFees and

LittleValue


- 76 -

Highlights of Q31


o Stronger communication using social media, including web-sites,LinkedIn and Face book presence by class year.

o Modifying existing communications vehicles to feature sectionstargeted to our various “Special Interest Groups” (cadets from CMR andRoyal Roads, non- graduates, Masters Degree students,UTPO/UTPNCM, RETP, etc.)

o Clarity on the existing benefits of membership.o Better promotion of membership to non-members and lapsed

members.


o Offer credit or non-credit courses (military, leadership, etc.) viadistance learning or webinar format

o Create a more robust package of group benefitso Develop a new funding model which would eliminate the need for

membership fees (similar to the majority of civilian universities),making every eligible member automatically a member. Another optionwould be to make club membership a required automatic payrolldeduction compulsory charge while at the college, similar to mess dues.

o Develop a Career Opportunities Service, or create a formal partnershipwith an existing program such as the one being created by CanadaCompany.


o None indentified


- 77 -

Question 32 – Final Comments

“Is there any other comment on any aspect of the RMCCC you would like to make?”

This was the final question in the survey, and provided the final opportunity for respondents toadd thoughts not solicited elsewhere. Surprisingly, almost one fifth of all respondents took the

time and effort to write in comments.

The largest single category of responses were positive comments of thanks regardingthe Colleges, the Club, the Club staff, the volunteers at all levels who “make ithappen”, and the fact that we were doing to survey. This in itself is encouraging.

Another major subject of the comments surrounded ways of engaging marginalizedmembers. This came in many forms, including the non-“RMC Red Coats” (cadets from RoyalRoads, CMR, UTPO/UTPNCM, RETP, masters students, etc.), those living far from ClubBranches, and younger members who are balancing careers (military or civilian) and familypressures.

Other minor themes included:o Advocacy – the Club should play a larger role in public advocacyo Recruiting – the Club should be more involvedo Intergenerational challenges – the Club needs to offer services relevant to all age groups,

and encourage intergenerational integrationo Bilingualism and biculturalism – comments pro and con the Colleges’ and Club’s efforts

to date.o Career transition and networking – the Club should address this needo Mentoring – an opportunity for the Club both on campus, and off-campus in the early

stages of a graduate’s careero Club & Foundation - several negative comments about the perceived dysfunction or lack

of clarity in roles between the Club and the Foundationo Funding - several negative comments about the continual requests for money for college

programs – if the need is real, it should be covered by federal fundso TDV – Need for greater emphasis on values development at the Collegeso Gift Shop – better variety of products, more accessibleo State of the College – several negative comments about the “embarrassing” state of the

buildings and the grounds

A collection of isolated but interesting comments follows:o Encourage members to host cadets for meals in their homes over Christmas break.o Get the Club more involved on campus, including offering mentoring to 4th year cadets.o More integration of classes at the Reunion weekend (including eliminating the separate

dining arrangement for the Old Brigade).o Set up a procedure for ex-cadets to be able to return to the college for informal visits

(dining privileges, etc.).o Do more research on private school alumni associations (e.g. UCC, LCC, etc.) to see how

they engage their alumni.o Longer terms for GC/EC leadership roles – “The short term of officers mitigates against

effective leadership and in favour of professional staff.”

Need NewMembership

Model


- 78 -

o Create an ex-Cadet “Bed & Breakfast” program similar to the one run by PEO, whereClub members can stay at other members’ homes and the hosts can donate the revenueto the Club.

o The Club is most relevant to older, non-serving members – younger serving members getall the value of the Club through daily interaction with their fellow serving members.

o The Club needs to stop living in the past (reliving the stories of days as cadets) and focuson the present and the future.

o “Is there any way we can minimize the politics and just have a good time?”o “RMC is currently not the greatest. Morale has to be increased.”o “The club should model itself on other service groups such as Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, etc.

These organizations do great things with people much less qualified than the RMCalumni.”

Implications of Q32 responses:

Membership should be universal, much like it is in most civilian universities. To make thishappen, the Club will need either to develop a different funding model that does not rely onmembership dues, or make membership dues mandatory, such as an automatic payrolldeduction throughout the cadets’ college experience similar to mess fees.

The Club will need to focus on developing ways to engage the marginalized groups within itspotential membership. Some of this engagement will need to improve right on campus (UTPO’sand UTPNCM’s, masters students, Cadets transferring in from CMR, etc.). Once they leave thecampus, the Club will need to do a better job of maintaining contact with all members, providingmeaningful services to them regardless of where they end up geographically, and making themfeel valued.

Communications is a huge component of engagement. Directionally, electroniccommunications will be the overwhelmingly preferred method of communication in the future.Already, eVeritas is the strongest link we have with most of our members. The Club will need todevelop an updated communications strategy, including better use of social media (LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and the use of RSS formatting. Communications vehicles like eVeritasshould foster inclusiveness by having special sections for our marginalized groups. The Clubwebsite should also become the single site for Club-related information, hosting Branch andClass web pages. The Club’s communications with the membership should also posttopics/issues being addressed by the college or the Club (GC/EC/Branches) and encouragefeedback/input. Finally, the Club should use its communications media to post volunteeropportunities, to make its members aware of how they could get more involved.

Since the Club relies so heavily on the effectiveness of the Branches and the Classes, it will needto develop a more formal way of supporting them. At this stage, the “member experience” variesconsiderably across the branches and the classes. Support should include training, assistance inmembership list management, communications (vehicles and content), events, and recognition.


- 79 -

Highlights of Q32

Best ideas actionable in less than 1 year by National or branches:o To develop an updated communications strategyo Provide better support for the Branches and the Classes

Best long-term ideas:o Membership should be universalo The Club will need to focus on developing ways to engage the

marginalized groups within its potential membership.


o The Club needs to stop living in the past


- 80 -

SUMMARY AND RECCOMENDATIONS

“It is not the smartest or strongest that survive. It is those who are most adaptive tochange.” Charles Darwin

1.0 Introduction

The RMC Club of Canada is at a tipping point. Maintaining the status quo is not an option.

The over-arching challenge that we are facing is member disengagement. This issue is almostuniversal among associations and clubs in the 21st century. The tragedy is that our membership isnot a representative sample of the population at large – it consists of some of the most talented,committed, brightest, and idealistic individuals in our nation. If they are disengaging, we have letthem down.

The good news is that the participation rate in our survey (4-5 times typical voluntary surveys)indicates that members still care. This may be our last opportunity for us to give them something tocare about.

Addressing this challenge will require unanimous resolve and significant effort on the part of theClub leadership.

The “Rescue Effort” will need to incorporate a realignment of our organizational structure and amodification of our Governance Model of the Club to make it more effective and responsive to theneeds of our members. It will need to tailor and deliver an expanded suite of programs and servicesto meet the varying needs of our multi-generational and geographically diverse membership. Inaddition, it will need to bathe the whole process in better, more robust, meaningful two-waycommunication with our community.

This bold statement is supported by a summary of the observations gleaned in our yearlong review,followed by a series of almost 30 recommendations, actionable in the short and intermediate term.

“Sine qua non”

Restructuring of the organizational structure and GovernanceModel of the Club to make it more effective and moreresponsive to the needs of its members.

Tailoring and delivery of programs and services to meet thevarying needs of our multi-generational membership

Better, more robust, meaningful two-way communications


- 81 -

2.0 Summary of Observations

2.1 Organizational Structure and Governance

The Club is perceived to be lacking in direction and leadership, and has become a staff-drivenorganization, not membership-driven. In other words, the agenda for the club is being set by thestaff that “live the Club” daily; this agenda is approved by the EC/GC which meets briefly andinfrequently, and lacks continuity in the leadership roles.

There appears to be confusion as to what roles the National Office and the Branches provide in termof delivery of services to the membership.

Membership is telling us that the current Branch structure is not the best or only structure to fosteraffinity and engagement with the Club. The top three sources of affinity are the Class, informalnetworks, and the College of entry.

There are many of our constituents who feel marginalized, unaccepted, and underserviced by theClub. This includes cadets who started their military college experience at CMR or Royal Roads,those enrolled in UTPO/UTPNCM or RETP programs, masters students, and many francophones.The general feeling is that the Club caters mostly to the anglo Red Coats who started their militarycollege experiences in Kingston.

The Club is not linked to the Colleges as closely as it could be, and is consequently missingsynergistic opportunities. In many civilian settings, the universities recognize the value of theiralumni in terms of reputation building, recruitment, advocacy and funding, and provide directsupport to their alumni associations in the form of facilities, administrative and technical (IT)support, and financing.

There is confusion as to the roles of the Club and the Foundation. In light of this confusion, there isthe perception that the two organizations are perhaps competing for resources, and are not workingtogether in harmony to support the alumni and the Colleges. There is also general criticism of allthe fund-raising efforts, and disagreement on what is being funded, given the fairly widespreadfeeling that the Colleges should be entirely funded by the Federal Government.

2.2 Member Programmes and Services

There is a strong feeling of a lack of relevance and value of the package programmes and servicescurrently being offered. This is in large part because the Club is trying to service a diversemultigenerational membership spread all over the world, with a service offering which is perceivedto cater primarily to a retired population living close to an active branch, punctuated with apilgrimage to the Kingston campus once every 5 years.

The reunion weekend is valued, but the highest rated activities are the informal networkingopportunities, not the formal activities like parades, speeches and honours and awards. The 5-yearformat also does not allow for ex-cadets to connect with the years immediately preceding orfollowing their own.

There were many negative comments on the operations of the local branches. Younger membersfelt they could not participate in the activities being offered by their branch because of military orcivilian work commitments, family demands, or finances. Those younger members who did venturein commented that they were not made to feel welcome. Younger members still in uniform arefinding they are receiving all the peer socializing they need within the context of their day-to-dayinteractions with their comrades in uniform, without having to resort the formal structure of branch


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schedules and activities. Finally, branch events in general were perceived by the younger membersto be backward looking, with the older members simply engaged in “swapping the same old lies”from decades earlier.

The cadets still at the Colleges perceive almost no benefit at all to membership, although most ofthem have been recruited into the Club in first year as a matter of duty with no understanding ofwhat they are buying into. This attitude probably contributes to the lack of engagement of the recentgeneration after graduation.

Members strongly feel that advocacy is a major and legitimate role of the Club. Many feel that theClub has been delinquent in not speaking out on behalf of its membership on certain issues.

The gift shop is not well received. There appears to be confusion between what is offered at the giftshop vs. what is offered at the cadet CANEX. There is also a general disappointment in the contentof the gift shop, and general availability/accessibility. Apparently, many members are not awarethat they have the ability to access the gift shop online.

Finally, many former members and non-members feel they derive all the benefits they want (e.g.eVeritas, 5-year reunions, etc.) without paying for membership.

2.3 Communications

Members feel that communication is the strongest link in engagement.

Respondents are highly satisfied with several of our existing communications vehicles, but rategeneral communications much lower. In specific areas, members feel we could be doing better (e.g.bilingualism), and subsets of our potential membership are not receiving any communication at all.

Members asked for access to College and Club news through social media.


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3.0 Summary of Recommendations

There are many recommendations from members in the survey data, but not all can be recordedhere. Where there was general concurrence, the strategies and tactics have been listed below. Theimmediate priorities are marked √ which indicates that the item can be started or completed withinone year. Those not marked, are strategically important but will need to be addressed over a longerplanning horizon.

ImmediatePriority

3.1 Organizational Structure and Governance

3.1.1 Appoint a Committee to review our Governance Model. This would include atleast the following elements:

- Definition of “membership” and categories of membership- Size and composition of GC and EC- Official recognition of the role of the Class President and Secretary- Terms of office for the Officers of the Club- Official linkages between the Club and the Colleges, and the Club and the

Foundation

3.1.2 The Club needs to define and articulate its strategic direction. This will not onlyaddress members, but should include the adoption of a significant external advocacyrole. To that end, a standing Advocacy Committee should be formed to define itsmandate, policies and annual issue management plans.

3.1.3 Negotiate a resource sharing agreement with the Colleges coveringadministrative staff, funding, technology and space, in view of the value the alumniassociation provides the Colleges in terms of reputation building, recruiting,advocacy, and funding.

3.1.4 Create a liaison position in the Cadet Wing HQ to be a member of the EC, andultimately to become Class President or Secretary of the graduating class.

3.1.5 Clearly define the functions of the Club’s National Office, and the role it plays inthe direct delivery of services to the membership vs. the role it plays supporting theBranches and the Classes.

3.1.6 Structure our organization so that it is less reliant on the Branches and moredependant on the Classes in the engagement of the membership and the delivery ofprogramme and service offerings.

3.1.7 Make club membership automatic, not voluntary, perhaps paid for withautomatic payroll deductions like mess dues.

3.1.8 Create Associate Membership category for parents of cadets, to raise publicawareness and engagement with the college, increase College advocacy, supportfunding, and help track down lost ex-cadets. Programs and services should bedefined for this group.

3.2 Member Programmes and Services

3.2.1 Develop programmes, services and linkages which cater to busy younger

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members, and members not living close to an established branch. This mightinclude such items as credit or non-credit courses (military, leadership, etc.) viadistance learning or webinar format.

3.2.2 Create a Business Networking and Career Transition Programme, making useof existing programmes like Treble Victor, Canada Company, True Patriot Love,Veterans Affairs and DND.

3.2.3 Provide training and support to the Branches to offer services relevant to allgenerations within their catchment area. Support could include elements like anational speakers’ bureau.

3.2.4 Provide training and support to the Class Presidents and Secretaries to bettercommunicate with and engage their classmates.

3.2.5 Develop a suite of financial benefits (e.g. insurance) for our members, perhapslinking with the US military colleges.

3.2.6 Re-examine the value proposition and format of the Reunion weekend.

3.2.7 Re-examine the value proposition for the gift shop, including consideration ofthe on-site CANEX.

3.2.8 Involve ex-cadets in community activities, including speaking engagements,recruiting for the Colleges, etc., to raise the profile of the Colleges.

3.2.9 Develop a suite of services catering directly to the cadets while they are at theColleges. This could include a mentoring programme with ex-cadets, the linking ofcadets with Branch activities during the academic year and during vacations, and/orthe direct linking of Club Branches to College Squadrons.

3.2.10 Create an ex-cadet “CUSO”, where ex-cadets can band together to offerconsulting services on a volunteer basis to communities and countries in need.

3.2.11 Restore College and ex-cadet Heritage programs as instrumental in educatingcadets, prospective cadets and families, and graduates on what our values meanwhen acted upon in action or in civilian life.

3.3 Communications

3.3.1 Develop a clear value proposition for the Club, and communicate it to allmembers.

3.3.2 Establish a Communications Committee to develop a strategic communicationsstrategy catering to our multigenerational diversity internally and our variousstakeholders externally, focusing on messages and media, including social media.

3.3.3 Create a centralized portal on the Club website for branches and classes.

3.3.4 Create regular columns for all the smaller sub-groups of our membership(cadets from CMR and Royal Roads, Masters Degree students, UTPO/UTPNCM,RETP, etc.) in all of our regular communications vehicles (e.g. VERITAS andeVeritas).

3.3.5 Increase the profiling of our members in our communications. Business success

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should not be the only criteria for member selection.

3.3.6 Create a centralized member list management function at the National Office.This would include assigning a permanent email address for all members.

3.3.7 Create a Standing Committee to be responsible for PR, and proactive andreactive advocacy to all stakeholders and the public at large. This would be inpartnership with the same College function.

3.3.8 Create a forum for the members at large to engage and express their opinionson issues affecting the Colleges.

3.3.9 Communicate to our membership a summary of this report, and our actionplan to address the issues raised.

3.4 Miscellaneous

3.4.1 Study the funding, resource sharing and engagement models used by the USMilitary Academies, Canadian private colleges and schools like Upper CanadaCollege, and MOC and regimental/squadron Associations.

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CONCLUSION – THE VISION FOR THE RMCCC OF THE FUTURE

So what does all the above mean?

When one considers these findings and recommendations in totality, it becomes apparent that what isentirely lacking at RMCCC is a compelling, unifying vision of the Club in the future:

This vision implies a strong alumni association, representative of all who attend the Colleges. It acts ontheir behalf, not only in self-interest terms, but also in promoting the value and the values of Canada’sonly leadership university. It will act in the interest of the public as well as the members and theColleges. This externalization will be a marked departure from the occasional quiet commentary whichhas passed as advocacy in the past. The future manner of advocacy will be strategic, focussed, andsupportable. To achieve a valid basis for its public voice, RMCCC will have grown its membershipdramatically and gained their support for its positions on issues.

Member participation in a variety of new programs and services will be high, and members will haveaccess and participate through a variety of self-selected channels. Treatment of the members as ahomogenous group will be a thing of the past. Traditions and customs will be retained wherever theyserve the vision and mission, and where valued by members, however the way in which the Club goesabout its business will be dramatically different. In terms of engagement, and the Club’s expectation ofalumni participation, particular attention will be paid to the life-cycle needs of members, whose abilityto participate changes over time.

The Club will have moved away from cumbersome governance, and will be characterized by effectiveleadership from members in partnership with staff, committed and will be responsive to the changingneeds of our demographic groups. At the same time, members will be so engaged that they will be ableto commit to programs which support the College and its public image. Under a comprehensivecommunications strategy, all members will be linked to the ongoing affairs of the Colleges, cadets andthe Club through a variety of means which will change with time. The value of membership will beintrinsic. Technology will be a key part of the communications strategy, enabling members to networkmore effectively than other methods might allow. The current feelings of disenfranchisement amongvarious sectors of graduates will have been substantially eliminated.

The Club will have focused on the emerging generations while honouring the fellowship aims of theClub Constitution. The mechanisms for doing so will be different from today; the branches will servespecific local needs and support connections to the Colleges such as in recruiting. The Class structurehowever will be the focal point of the new RMCCC vision. The Class is the focal point of connection tothe Club, College, and its values, and there is much that the Club will have done to greatly enhance andstrengthen this core group. The RMCCC community will have been extended beyond cadets andgraduates, to the families of cadets, thereby creating support for the College and reaching further intopublic opinion. The Club will be active in pursuing “the best and the brightest” and will itself become areason to join RMC.

The Vision – That the RMCCC is the most powerful alumni club in North America.

This will be measured by the high standards and adequacy of resources of the College, by the quality ofgraduates, by the public support for its values and purposes, and by a healthy and respectful attitudeby the MOD and successive governments. But most importantly, beyond those measureable factorswill be the strong engagement of graduates who will continue to promote the institutions and valuesthat shaped them as leaders and productive citizens.

By adopting this vision, the Club will then be able to develop a defined mission and a strategic plan toimplement it.

Appendix A

Survey Design and Implementation

The project mandate was:

The Strategic Review Steering Committee will seek input from memberson the value of existing programs and activities and determine howto serve all members needs fully in the future.

The committee was formed by invitation of the interim chair, with suggestion frommembers, branch presidents, and the President. A co-chair was appointed and by 1November, a work plan was developed by one member in consultation with others. Thiswas discussed in a teleconference of most committee members on November 4th.Ongoing communications was controlled by use of a web-based project managementtool, “Basecamp” All inter-member communications were posted there as well asprogress to the various project milestones. It also provided harbour for all projectdocuments, such as survey instruments, and reports. Committee communications weregenerally by email, and where decisions were made by telephone, they were posted toBasecamp.

Phase 1 and 2 reports (Alumni and internet research surveys and member interviews)were shared by all members. Phase 2 was the most involved for members, as they wererequired to conduct and report on in-depth interviews. Candidate selection for theinterviews for the most part was done from randomly selected lists generated by PanetHouse staff according to a sample structure prepared by the team to cover mostsegments of the alumni pool. The combination of Phase 1 and 2 reports was used as aguide to the ultimate survey design, which was expected to validate the Phase 1 and 2findings.

An early goal of the project was to see a refinement of the membership database withinput from branches and class secretaries. A little information was gained this way, butthe database enrichment hoped-for did not occur. However, the returns from the Phase 3survey indicated a more than adequate coverage of the principal categories.

The core of this project was an online member survey based on the Paradigm database.(See Appendix B) The survey was tested on an online service and then published indifferent ways.

Communications about the project were effected through notices in eVeritas andVERITAS, as well as direct communications to branch leaders in the months leading upto the survey launch. A “warning order” was issues at 3 and 2 weeks prior to the actuallaunch, using eVeritas and an email blast to branches and class secretaries.

The email link was sent directly to the entire database in two waves, and was publishedin eVeritas. Sufficient time was left for members on winter vacation to respond. Inaddition, the survey was offered in print form for those who had no computer access.Early issues with the operation of the tool were quickly solved. A few members wereconcerned about the request for inclusion of their college numbers. This information wasused solely for submission-checking, and was never used in analysis. It has beenremoved from the data file.


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The survey was accessible for 17 days in April, and extended a further 2 days in May tocapture stragglers. The main distribution tool was the Club membership database, butannouncements were also sent by the old Brigade, the Club website, some branchwebsites, as well as via RMC LinkedIn groups including Treble Victor.

Of approximately 9000 names on the Paradigm database, not all of whom were alumni,2660 responses were received. Most respondents answered most questions, and thegeneral tone of respondents was constructive. The results are considered solidly useful inthat the response rate is extremely high compared to typical voluntary surveys inassociations.

The data was processed in Excel spreadsheet format. Committee members were eachapportioned some of the questions and required to present their findings in a standardformat, which called for short and long-term recommendations.

Cross tabulations to key demographic factors was done to illustrate key findings.

Graphs were prepared by Reg Watts, who also assembled all committee-suppliedinformation into the first rough draft. Member submissions and recommendations arecontained in this report largely as submitted.

Summarizing the observations and recommendations, was done by the co-chairs, andthe report then vetted by the committee members before submission to the President.


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Appendix B

List of Internet Search References

Best Practices:http://napagroup.com/pdf/Trends_Best_Practices_Alumni_Associations.pdf

An excellent high level best practices review of (US) alumni associations.Two other BP surveys are also available.

http://www.napagroup.com/pdf/CASE_SUMMIT_2010.pdfAn invaluable report (in PowerPoint format) of a think-tank/seminar onre-envisioning the alumni association. Of special interest are 6 questionsfrom a larger survey of alumni about how they view the importance oftheir alumni associations and universities. Information here calls intoquestion the value of certain alumni and college practices

http://cualumni.carleton.ca/wp-content/uploads/CUAA-Volunteer-Handbook-2011.pdfhttp://www.clubsandsigs.harvard.edu/article.html?aid=107http://www.clubsandsigs.harvard.edu/

Harvard Alumni Association – Best Practices HandbookMilitary Academy Alumni Associations

http://www.westpointaog.org/https://www.usna.com/SSLPage.aspx

This site contains an elaborate member survey.Other sources:

http://www.fulbright.org/programs/international-fulbright-alumni-outreach/best-practices-around-worldhttp://www.alumnifutures.com/2009/08/linkedin-discussion-best-practice.html

A forum discussion of Linked-in BPhttp://alumni.umich.edu/best-practice/events.php

Programs and services idease-VERITAS » Blog Archive » Book Review How to Make Your Military MemberAssociation Today’s Success Story.htm

List of Publication References

The End of Membership As We Know It, by Sarah L. Sladek, ASAE, 2011

The Public Vanishes, By Paul Starr, The New Republic; Aug 14, 2000.

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam(Simon & Schuster, 541 pp., $26)

“Thinking Strategically About Attracting and Retaining Board Members” by TanyaGoodwin-Maslach http://www.linkingvisions.com/

“Generational Differences” a table compiled by Dennis Gaylorhttp://www.reachtheu.com/ Director, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries,

http://napagroup.com/pdf/Trends_Best_Practices_Alumni_Associations.pdf

http://www.napagroup.com/pdf/CASE_SUMMIT_2010.pdf

http://cualumni.carleton.ca/wp-content/uploads/CUAA-Volunteer-Handbook-2011.pdf

http://cualumni.carleton.ca/wp-content/uploads/CUAA-Volunteer-Handbook-2011.pdf

http://www.clubsandsigs.harvard.edu/article.html?aid=107

http://www.clubsandsigs.harvard.edu/

http://www.westpointaog.org/

https://www.usna.com/SSLPage.aspx

http://www.fulbright.org/programs/international-fulbright-alumni-outreach/best-practices-around-world

http://www.fulbright.org/programs/international-fulbright-alumni-outreach/best-practices-around-world

http://www.alumnifutures.com/2009/08/linkedin-discussion-best-practice.html

http://www.alumnifutures.com/2009/08/linkedin-discussion-best-practice.html

http://alumni.umich.edu/best-practice/events.php

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkingvisions.com/

http://www.reachtheu.com/


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Appendix C

The Strategic Review Steering Committee

Acknowledgements:

The Committee could not have accomplished this project without the support of severalindividuals and groups:

o The Commandant of RMC, BGen Eric Tremblay, for allowing us use of Collegeproperty and enabling cadet participation.

o Mr Ivor Thompson, co-founder of Thompson Lightstone & Company Ltd., whoassisted greatly in the analysis and interpretation of Phase 2 survey findings, andthe design of Phase 3.

o Mr Jack Shand of Leader Quest Inc. for allowing use of their survey facility.

o All the staff at Panet House who provided lists, sent emails, and posted noticesand reports on eVeritas and VERITAS.

o Other members of the Club who pitched in or provided advice during this longproject.

Co-chairs:

Reg Watts and Bruce McAlpine

Committee members:

Glen Allen – OntarioJill Carlton – OntarioMichael Della Fortuna – OntarioMarc Drolet – ex officioAndria Ink – BCMichael Rostek – ex officioVincent Sowa – OntarioClaude Tasse – QuebecFrank Vellone - UPTM

Contributing members:

Tim Toews – ABKonrad Mech – BCDave Wightman – VIToivo Roht – ONDavid Kay – Nova ScotiaPeter Karagiannis - USA


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Appendix D

Survey Questionnaires

1. Phase 1 – Alumni Associations

2. Phase 2 – Personal Interviews

3. Phase 3 – Online Member Survey


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Appendix D.1

Phase 1 – Alumni Associations

Royal Military Colleges Club of CanadaSurvey of Alumni Clubs Best Practices

A. Membership

A1. Who is a potential member of your alumni association? (i.e. how do you define membershipeligibility, and what membership categories do you have?)

A2. What is the size of your potential and actual membership by category?

Category Potential Actual

A3. Has your membership increased or decreased by more than 10% in the last 5 years? If so,why?

B. Pricing

B1. What is the pricing structure by membership category (e.g. life, annual, etc.?)

Category Pricing Structure

C. Communications

C1. What are the various forms of communication you use with your members, and for whatpurposes?

Communication Form Purpose(s)

C2. How is your contact list maintained. and who is primarily responsible for this activity?

D. Affinity


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D1. Where does the most loyalty appear to reside (class year, geography (i.e. branch), academicstream (e.g. engineering, arts, etc.), work streams after graduation (e.g. financial services,manufacturing, etc., or in the case of the military, air force, army, navy, or even down to theclassification)?

E. Membership Benefits

E1. What Products, Services, and Activities are offered to your members?E2. Which ones are the most popular?

F. New Initiatives

F1. What are the best new initiatives you have tried in the past five years to attract, engage andretain members?

F2. What new initiatives haven’t worked?

G. Research

G1. What were the results of any membership surveys or research you have conducted in thepast 10 years (including chief sources of satisfaction/dissatisfaction)?

H. Finances

1. How do you handle/attribute/recognize/allocate the cash flow from one-time life memberships?

2. What financial challenges have you faced in the past decade, and how did you address them?

3. Have you ever embarked on a capital campaign, and if so, what was it for, and how successfulwas it?

4. What are the top 3 sources of revenue (with percentages)?

Source of Revenue % of overall Revenue

Thank you for participating in this survey. Please return it by mail or electronically as follows:

Mr. Michael Rostek, Executive DirectorRoyal Military Colleges Club of Canada15 Point Frederick Drive, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4 Canada

[email protected]

Please attach your business card or contact information so we will share the aggregated resultsof the survey with you in early 2012.

https://cls6.bullhornstaffing.com/BullhornStaffing/UserProfile.cfm?userResultsUUID=&view=Overview&userID=291151&noLogo=TRUE&profileType=Client


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Appendix D.2

Phase 2 – Personal Interviews

Strategic Review ProjectInterview Guide and Notebook

Phase 2


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Discussion GuideDiscussion Themes:

When meeting with Club or potential Club members there are a few high level ideas wewill want to uncover:

1. How does person engage with the Club?2. What activities illustrate values they hold?3. How do they measure efficacy of activity?4. Identify fears or anxieties relating to Club adoption or use.5. Identify expectations of Club.6. What drives their actions and decisions?7. What are their pain points?8. What were the frustrations with the Club?

9. What Club activities have had a change on their behavior?

10. What about the Club activity made them change their behavior (did they think thebenefit was nominal or did it really feel it was beneficial)

11. What do members and potential members’ value?12. How do they relate that (value) to the cost of membership?13. How are we delivering?14. What club approach do they feel works best?15. What tools / resources do they find useful?16. Should we be advocates for the College?

In addition to these larger themes, discussion guide questions have been developedspecifically.

It is important that we capture the information using the discussion guide as a format.Interviewees may stray on a given question, but you must put the information in thecorrect sequence or it will take a long time to sift through it.

Opening

“Thanks for taking the time to meet with us today. I would like to talk to you about yourperceptions and experience with the RMC Alumni Clubs. Specifically, I want tounderstand your approach to membership/non-membership.

We are scheduled for 30 – 40 minutes. Does that still work for you? I will be recordingthe interview, which I will use to review what I have learned. All responses will be keptconfidential. Please feel free to ask any questions you have along the way. “

Present the consent form for signing now if using.


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1. Tell me about yourself, you mentioned you are a …. (Confirm the details of the InterviewUser Profile Template)

2. Are you involved in any Clubs or Associationsa. Which ones?b. What is your motivation for doing this?c. How do you know your membership is valued?d. Does it meet your expectations?

3. Can you tell me about an extracurricular activity that you do that you really feel benefitsyou: perhaps a network, activity or organization you belong to? Why?

4. Can you tell me about when you joined/did not join the Club?a. Members - What was that experience like?b. Non-members – Why have you not joined?c. Lapsed members – What is the chief reason you lapsed?d. What did/does the club mean to you?e. Do you keep in contact with many of your classmates?

5. What types of activities or events do you expect the RMC club to do?a. Listb. Is this something you would participate in frequently or occasionally? Why?

6. Can you tell me about how the RMC Club has or has not met your needs?a. What does the Club do well? What do they do poorly? Why?

7. Have you experienced a recent club event?a. Tell me what it was. How did you perceive the value of the event?

8. Can you share with me a story about a recent frustrating club event?

9. Would an improvement in programming cause you to increase your participation in theClub? Why?

10. Can you tell me a story about your best experience with the club?

11. Can you tell me a story about your worst experience with the club?

12. Can you tell me a story about a lasting event from the club that made you want to get otherclassmates or alumni involved?

13. Can you tell me about how the club communications to you?a. Magazine, E-mail, Newsletter, Phone, Direct Mail, Otherb. Describe your most recent communication with the Club?

14. How would you describe Club’s customer service overall? Why?

Do you feel there is a role for the Club to act as an advocate for the Colleges and Cadets with any of the media, public, and stakeholder’s government? Why?


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3 Key TakeawaysTake 15 minutes immediately following the interview to summarize the three mostpowerful insights from the interview. Try to capture the following sorts of elements:

Beliefs Convictions Associations Metaphors Desires Quotes Behaviors Emotions Values Attitudes

Key Takeaway Title Description


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User Profile Template

Participant Age/College number/Grad Year

Date & TimeLocationBranch AffiliationAnglo/Franco/OtherMale/FemaleEntry Prior to 1967, Entry 1961 – 1980, Entry 1981 – 2000, Entry 2001+College of Entry (RMC, CMR, RRMC)UTMP/UTPO/ROTPGraduated/Did Not Graduate/Post GradClub Member/Non-Member/Lapsed MemberActive Duty/Retired/Still in Mil Col

1. Provide a brief profile of the user (e.g. Bob is an actively serving member inthe CF…)

2. Describe your user’s habits and practices relevant to the Club’s event’s(e.g. Bob like to use Facebook and this would help him connect with hisclassmates)

3. What is this person all about - what drives him/her? Why would thisperson join the Club? (e.g. Bob likes to challenge himself by setting very highstandards and goals…He would join the Club to …. )

4. What is this person’s biggest point of pain? (e.g. It is very difficult for Bob tomanage his time when it comes to his busy life. However, he does not have thetime to physically attend club events)


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INFORMED CONSENT

Royal Military Colleges Club of CanadaStrategic Review Project 2011/2012

Primary Contact: Interviewer Name Here

PURPOSE: Club members involved in the Strategic Review are participating in a projectintended to provide the Club with a new set of tools and methodologies to improve the Clubexperience for members and potential members.

For this program, the Club members would like to better understand various stakeholdersinvolved in Club initiatives of the Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada. My contribution couldimprove the delivery of future products, services and programs.

PROCEDURE: As a participant, I have been asked to share stories of my engagement with theClub and activities, which will take approximately 30-40 minutes. At any time, I have the right towithdraw my participation and refrain from answering any particular question.

CONFIDENTIALITY: All information gathered over the course of this research will be for internaluse only. It will be treated in a highly confidential manner whereupon all identities are protectedand information securely managed. At the completion of the program, generalizable outcomesmay be shared through presentations, whitepapers, or reports without any personal informationbeing identified or divulged.

QUESTIONS: If I have questions concerning my participation now or in the future, I can contactMarc Drolet at [email protected]. Please refer to the “Strategic Review Study” whendoing so.

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH STUDY: I have read and understood all theabove information about this research study. I hereby consent and voluntarily offer to follow theresearch requirements and take part in the study.

_________________________________________Name (Print) / Date

_________________________________________Signature of Participant

_________________________________________Date


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Appendix B.3

Phase 3 – Online Member Survey

Page 1

REVUE STRATÉGIQUE DU CLUB DES CMR PAS SEULEMENT UN AUTRE SONDAGE!

This is very important! Ceci est très important! Le Français suit

The General Council of the RMC Club of Canada is commited to reaching and serving all of its members, existing and potential. It has commissioned a yearlong strategic review to understand how the Club might best serve all of its constituents. This survey is the focal point of that review.

Be open! The GC wants to know your concerns. Your comments will be anonymous and confidential, used only in aggregate, and the findings reported to the General Council for action.

During the short survey, (on average it takes 12 minutes to complete the 32 question survey) you are able to retrace your steps and change responses, but once the survey is submitted the data is final. The survey is in 4 parts:

l Your demographic information l Your involvement l Your satisfaction l Future programs and services

You must hit the "DONE" button at the end of the survey for your data to be counted.

Vous devez appuyer sur le bouton "DONE" à la fin de l'enquête pour que vos données soient comptés.

We ask that you respond by Monday, April 30, 2012 please.

The use of College numbers in this survey is to control multiple or failed submissions, and to ensure respondents are qualified. No use will be made of the number other than for data cleansing and no matching of individuals will be made. At the conclusion of the survey data qualification, this data will be expunged. You may skip any question that you feel irrelevant.

This survey is conducted by a leading strategic management company, Leader Quest Inc. (www.leaderquest.com) as a courtesy to the RMC Club of Canada. If you require assistance with that, or any aspect of the survey, please email your question to us at:

1. RMC CLUB STRATEGIC REVIEW NOT JUST ANOTHER SURVEY!

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[email protected], or [email protected]

Thank you for your cooperation.

Reg Watts and Bruce McAlpine, CoChairs, RMCCC Strategic Review Steering Committee

X

Le Conseil général du Club des CMR du Canada s'est engagé à atteindre et à servir tous ses membres, actuels et potentiels. Il a commandé une étude stratégique d'un an afin de déterminer comment le club pourrait mieux servir l'ensemble de ses membres. Ce sondage constitue la base de cet examen.

Soyez ouvert! Le CG veut connaître vos préoccupations. Vos commentaires resteront anonymes et confidentiels, et seront utilisés uniquement dans leur ensemble; les résultats seront rapportés au Conseil général pour action.

Au cours de ce court sondage (il faut en moyenne 12 minutes pour répondre aux 32 questions), vous serez en mesure de revenir sur vos pas et changer vos réponses, mais une fois soumis il sera impossible de les changer. Le sondage comporte 4 sections :

l Votre information démographique. l Votre implication. l Votre niveau de satisfaction. l Programmes et services futurs.

Nous vous demandons de répondre au plus tard le Lundi, 30 avril 2012.

L'utilisation du matricule du Collège dans ce sondage sert à contrôler les soumissions multiples ou qui ont échoué ainsi qu'à éliminer les faux répondants. Le matricule servira seulement à épurer les données et non à établir de correspondance avec les individus. Il sera éliminé des données une fois que la qualité en aura été vérifiée. Vous pouvez sauter toutes les questions qui ne s'appliquent pas à votre cas.

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Le sondage est effectué par Leader Quest Inc., une firme de gestion stratégique renommée (www.leaderquest.com) par courtoisie pour le Club des CMR du Canada. Si vous avez des questions en rapport avec cet item ou tout autre

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This information will help us to analyze responses and target our programs and services.

Cette information nous aidera à analyser vos réactions et cibler nos programmes et services.

1. Preferred Language: Langue préférée:

2. Your gender: Votre sexe:

3. College of entry: Collège d'entrée:

4. In what year did you enter military College? En quelle année avezvous été admis?

5. What is your College number? For those with letter designations, please enter numerals only. Quel est votre matricule du Collège? S'il contient une lettre, veuillez inscrire les chiffres seulement.

2. YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION VOTRE INFORMATION DÉMOGRAPHIQUE.<...

College number Matricule du Collège

French Français

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English Anglais

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Male Masculin

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Female Féminin

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Royal Military College Kingston Collège Militaire Royal de Kingston

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Royal Roads Military College, Victoria Royal Roads, Victoria

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College Militaire Royal de St. Jean Collège Militaire Royal de St.Jean

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up to 1960 Avant 1961

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1961 to 1980 De 1961 à 1980

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1981 to 2000 De 1981 à 2000

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2001 to present De 2000 à maintenant

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6. In which program were you enrolled? Sous quel programme de formation vous êtesvous enrôlé?

7. Did you graduate? Êtesvous diplômé?

8. Did you receive a postgraduate degree at RMC? Avezvous reçu un diplôme du deuxième cycle du CMR?

9. Membership status in the RMC Club Votre type d’abonnement au Club des CMR

ROTP PFOR

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RETP PFIR

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UTPO PFUO

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UTPM/UTPNCM PFUMR

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Other (please specify) Autres (veuillez préciser)

Yes Oui

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No Non

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Still at College as undergraduate Toujours au Collège au premier cycle

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Yes Oui

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No Non

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Annual member (Now go to Question 12) Abonnement annuel (Passez à la question 12)

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Life member (Now go to Question 12) Membre à vie (Passez à la question 12)

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Lapsed member Échu

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Never a member Je n'ai jamais été membre

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Associate, honourary, special etc (Now go to Question 12) Membre associé, honoraire, spécial, etc. (Passez à la question 12)

nmlkj

Other (please specify) Autre (veuillez préciser)

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10. For Lapsed members or "Never a member" Pour abonnement échu ou jamais été membre

Please list the reasons why you never joined the Club OR allowed your membership to lapse. Check all that apply.

Veuillez donner les raisons pour lesquelles vous n'êtes jamais devenu membre du Club ou n'avez pas renouvelé votre abonnement. Cochez toutes les raisons qui s’appliquent.

11. For Lapsed members or "Never a member"

If the Club substantially resolved the issues that are important to you, would you consider joining or rejoining?

Pour abonnement échu ou jamais été membre Considéreriezvous vous abonner ou réintégrer le Club s'il réglait les points qui vous sont importants?

Yes/Oui No/Non

I was never approached Je n’ai jamais été approché nmlkj nmlkj

I don't want to be connected because my College experience was unfavourable J’ai brisé les liens parce que je n’ai pas aimé mon séjour au Collège

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No need for me to relive the RMC experience Je n’ai pas l’ intention de revivre mon expérience au CMR

nmlkj nmlkj

I didn't graduate and don't feel a part of the club Je ne suis pas diplômé, donc je ne me sens pas comme faisant partie du Club

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Club offers no value in programs and services Les programmes et services n’ont aucune valeur nmlkj nmlkj

The Club is not relevant to me Le club n’est pas pertinent nmlkj nmlkj

The membership fee is too expensive Le coût de l’abonnement est trop élevé. nmlkj nmlkj

I enjoy class and reunion events without joining the Club Je participe aux activités et réunions de promotion sans être abonné.

nmlkj nmlkj

Alumni Associations are a "moneygrab" Tout ce que les associations d’anciens veulent est de l’argent.

nmlkj nmlkj

For sure

Assurément

Likely

Probablement

About 5050

Environ 5050

Unlikely

Improbable

Certainly not

Certainement pas

N/A

S/O

Intent to join

Intention à joindre

nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Intent to rejoin

Intention à rejoindre



Other (please specify)

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12. Which of the following best describes your career status? Lequel des énoncés suivants décrit le mieux votre statut professionnel?

13. Check off the closest branch to you, if known. Veuillez indiquer le chapitre le plus près de chez vous si vous le connaissez.

14. Check those of which you are a member: Veuillez indiquer ceux dont vous êtes un membre:

Still at College Je suis toujours au Collège

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On active military duty (regular or reserve) Je sers activement dans les FC (Forces régulières ou Milice)

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Employed, nonmilitary J’ai un emploi à l’extérieur des Forces

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Retired after full military career Je suis retraité suite à une pleine carrière militaire.

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Retired after mixed military/civilian career Je suis retraité d'une carrière militaire et civile.

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Ottawa

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Kingston

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Fort StJean

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Calgary

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Vancouver

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Vancouver Island L'île de Vancouver

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Nova Scotia NouvelleÉcosse

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Edmonton

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Winnipeg

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Quebec City Québec

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Newfoundland TerreNeuve

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Australia Australie

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UTPNCM PFUMR

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Hamilton

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Toronto

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Not Applicable (deployed, etc) Ne

s'applique pas (en déploiement, etc.)

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Any branch Executive or Committee De la direction ou d'un comité d'un chapitre

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National Executive or Committee De la direction ou d'un comité national

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Foundation Board or Committee Du conseil ou d'un comité de la Fondation

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The following questions are designed to determine where the Club is succeeding, failing or missing an opportunity to provide you with valued services.

Les questions suivantes ont pour but d'apprendre si le Club réussit, rate ou manque une occasion de vous fournir des services qui seraient appréciés.

15. Why did you decide to come to military college in the first place? List all reasons that you feel apply to you.

Qu'estce qui vous a motivé à venir au Collège en premier lieu? Donnez les raisons qui vous ont motivé?

16. Thinking about the values that took you to military college, and those developed there, how helpful have the following organizations been in sustaining and building on them?

En réfléchissant sur les valeurs qui vous ont mené au Collège, et celles que vous y avez acquises, quel rôle ont joué les organismes suivants pour les soutenir et les faire évoluer?

3. YOUR INVOLVEMENT VOTRE IMPLICATION

Extremely Extrêmement

Quite a bit Passablement

Moderately Modérément

A little Un peuNot at all Pas

du tout

Your military College Votre collège militaire nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Your military service Votre service militaire nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

The RMC Club of Canada Le Club des CMR nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Other Group 1 nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj


Desire to serve country Désir de servir le pays

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Attraction to College ideals (Truth, Duty, Valour) Attiré par les

idéaux du Collège (Vérité, Devoir, Vaillance)

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Free education Enseignement gratuit

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Appeal of military life Attiré par la vie militaire

gfedc

Family tradition Tradition familiale

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Attraction of intimate college environment L'attrait d'une petite

université

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To play Collegiate sports Pour les sports de niveau collégial

gfedc

Fellowship Les amitiés

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Other (please specify any organization or group that meets your needs more effectively)

Autre (veuillez indiquer toute organisation ou groupe qui rencontre mieux vos aspirations)

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17. Which of the following is your strongest affinity link to the college at this stage in your life? Veuillez évaluer la force de chacun des liens qui vous unissent au Collège à ce point de votre vie.

18. How would you describe your level of involvement in each of the following: Comment décririezvous votre niveau d'implication dans chacune des catégories suivantes:

Extremely Extrêmement

Quite a bit Passablement

Moderately Modérément

A little Un peuNot at all Pas

du tout

Sport or activity club at College Club sportif ou récréatif au Collège

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RMC Foundation La fondation des CMR nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Academic stream at College Les cours offerts au Collège


MOC Votre occupation militaire nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

National club (RMCCC) Le Club national nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Local branch Votre chapitre local nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

College of entry Le Collège où vous êtes entré nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

RMC/RR/CMR Class Votre promotion au CMRC/RR/CMRSJ


RETP/UTPM PFIR/PFUMR nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Informal networks Les réseaux sociaux informels nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Recruit phase squadron L’escadron de formation de recrue


Extremely involved Très

impliqué

Somewhat involved Un peu impliqué

Not very involved Très peu impliqué

Not at all involved Pas du tout impliqué

N/A S/O

RMC Club of Canada National (events, publications, etc) Le Club des CMR du Canada — Niveau national (événements, parutions, etc.)


My Local Branch of the Club Mon chapitre local du Club


My class Ma promotion nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Selected classmates and other excadets Certains confrères choisis du Collège et autres anciens


The RMC Foundation La Fondation des CMR nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj




Other group (please specify) Autres groupes (veuillez préciser)

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19. If you rated your involvement with the NATIONAL CLUB OR BRANCH as "Somewhat involved", "Not very involved" or "Not at all involved" or N/A which of the following reasons apply? (Check all that apply)

Si vous avez noté votre engagement dans le Club national ou un chapitre local comme un peu impliqué, très peu impliqué ou pas du tout impliqué, lesquelles des raisons suivantes s'appliquent? (Cochez toutes les réponses qui s'appliquent.)

Extremely applicable

Très applicable

Somewhat applicable

Plutôt applicable

May, or may not be applicable

Ni applicable ni inapplicable

Somewhat inapplicable

Plutôt inapplicable

Not at all applicable

Complètement inapplicable

As an RETP/UTPM, I never integrated into the RMC community En tant que membre PFUMR/PFIR, je ne me suis jamais intégré à la communauté du CMR.


I have never felt welcomed by either the Club or Branch Je n'ai jamais ressenti un bon accueil au sein du Club ou d'un chapitre


.I am too busy Je suis trop occupé nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

I belong to a related organization (such asTreble Victor, etc) J’appartiens déjà à une organisation semblable (tel que Treble Victor, etc.)


Branch event scheduling doesn't work for me Je ne suis pas libre lors des rencontres du chapitre.


I don't live near a branch Je demeure trop loin d'un chapitre


Coming from RR or CMR, I never integrated into the RMC community. Venant de RR ou du CMRSJ, je ne me suis jamais intégré dans la communauté du CMR.


I see no value in programs and services Les programmes et services n'ont aucune valeur pour moi


I am opposed to specific policies or practices of the Club/Branch Je suis en désaccord avec certaines politiques ou pratiques du Club/Chapitre


As a postgraduate student, I never integrated into the RMC community En tant qu'étudiant du deuxième ou troisième cycle, je ne me suis jamais intégré à la communauté du CMR.



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VOTRE NIVEAU DE SATISFACTION AVEC LES PROGRAMMES ET SERVICES EXISTANTS.

20. Describe your overall satisfaction with the RMC Club of Canada. Indiquez votre niveau de satisfaction générale avec le CCMR du Canada.

21. Please rate the importance to you of each of the following programs and services: S'il vous plaît, évaluez l'importance de chacun des programmes et services suivants pour vous :

4. YOUR SATISFACTION WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Highly Satisfied

Très satisfait.

Somewhat satisfied Plutôt

satisfait.

Neither satisfied or unsatisfied

Ni satisfait ou insatisfait.

Unsatisfied Plutôt

insatisfait.

Highly unsatisfied.

Très insatisfait.

N/A SO

Overall satisfaction Satisfaction globale. nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Very important

Très important

Somewhat Important

Assez important.

Neither important or unimportant

Ni important ou pas

important.

Not very important

Assez peu important.

Not at all Important

Pas du tout important.

N/A

S/O

Gift Shop La boutique du Club nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

5 year Reunions Rencontres quinquennales nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Class events Les événements de promotions nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

eVeritas electronic newsletter Le bulletin d'information électronique eVeritas


Honours and awards Prix et distinctions nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Annual reunion weekend Weekend annuel de rencontre


Local Branch activities Activités des chapitres nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

VERITAS Magazine La revue VERITAS nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

General Communications Communications en général nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Other remarks: autres remarques

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22. Now, please rate your satisfaction with each of the following programs and services: Maintenant, veuillez noter votre niveau de satisfaction avec les programmes et services suivants:

Highly Satisfied

Très satisfait.

Somewhat satisfied Plutôt

satisfait.

Neither satisfied or unsatisfied

Ni satisfait ou insatisfait.

Somewhat unsatisfied Plutôt

insatisfait.

Highly unsatisfied.

Très insatisfait.

N/A

S/O

VERITAS Magazine La revue VERITAS nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

eVeritas electronic newsletter Le bulletin d'information électronique eVeritas


Annual reunion weekend Le weekend annuel de rencontre


5 Year reunions Les rencontres quinquennales nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Local Branch activities Les activités des chapitres nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Honours and awards Prix et distinctions nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Gift Shop La boutique du Club nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Class events Les événements de promotions nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

General Communications Les communications en général


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23. The Reunion weekend: Rank the importance to you at this stage of your life, of each of the following components of the reunion event: Weekend de rencontre — classer l'importance pour vous, à ce stade de votre vie, de chacun des événements suivants des réunions:

Very important

Très important

Somewhat important

Assez important


Ni important ou pas

important

Not very important

Assez peu important

Not at all important

Pas du tout important

N/A

S/O

Parade Défilé nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Meet and Greet Rencontre informelle nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

March to the Arch (Sunday) Le défilé à l'Arc (Dimanche) nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Badging ceremony La remise des écussons nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

Obstacle Course Course d'obstacles nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

RMCCC Annual General Meeting La réunion générale annuelle du CCMRC


Opportunity to meet classmates L'occasion de rencontrer les confrères de classe


Opportunity to meet College staff or academics L'occasion de rencontrer le personnel du Collège ou enseignants



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24. Please score each factor of our principal communications tools. S'il vous plaît, notez chacun de nos principaux outils de communication

Excellent

Excellent

Good

Bon

Fair

Moyen

Inadequate

Inadéquat

Bad

Mauvais

Don't Know, N/A

Ne sais pas

RMC Club Web Site Content

Le site Web du CCMRC – le contenu


RMC Club Web Site Quality

Le site Web du CCMRC — la qualité.


RMC Club Web Site Bilingualism

Le site Web du CCMRC — le bilinguisme.


eVeritas Content

eVeritas — le contenu


eVeritas Quality

eVeritas — la qualité


eVeritas Frequency

eVeritas — la fréquence de parution


eVeritas Bilingualism

eVeritas — le bilinguisme


Veritas magazine Content

La revue Veritas — le contenu


Veritas magazine Quality

La revue Veritas — la qualité


Veritas magazine Frequency

La revue Veritas — la fréquence de parution


Veritas magazine Bilingualism

La revue Veritas — le bilinguisme


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These questions are intended to elicit your needs or ideas on how the Club should organize its programs and services to serve you better.

Ces questions sont destinées à susciter vos besoins ou des idées sur la façon dont le club devrait organiser ses programmes et services pour mieux vous servir.

25. What do you expect personally from the Club at this stage of your life (programs, services and activities)?

Qu'attendezvous personnellement du Club, à ce stade de votre vie (programmes, services et activités)?

5. FUTURE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES LES PROGRAMMES ET SERVICES FUTURES.

Very important

Très important

Somewhat important

Assez important


Ni important ou pas

important

Not very important

Assez peu important

Not at all important

Pas du tout important

Sustaining and promoting the value of the “brand” (the RMC degree, training and values)

Le soutien et la promotion de la valeur de la « marque » (le diplôme du CMR, la formation et les valeurs)


Interaction with, and support of cadet Wing

L’interaction avec, ainsi que l'appui à l'escadre des élofs


Travel groups and tours

Groupes de voyage et voyages organisés


Career transition support

Soutien à la transition de carrière


Tangible benefits (insurances, mortgage program, credit card rebates, and list other ideas below)

Avantages tangibles (assurances, programme de prêts hypothécaires, remises sur utilisation de carte de crédit. Veuillez inscrire toute autre idée cibas)


Effective networking forum

Forum de réseautage efficace


Information on the achievements of high profile excadets

Nouvelles d'anciens bien en vue


Effective news communication nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj

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26. Please indicate your degree of interest in the following program or service concepts:

Veuillez indiquer votre niveau d'intérêt dans le programme ou concepts de services proposés cibas :

Communications efficaces

Very important

Très important

Somewhat Important

Assez important.


Ni important ou pas

important

Not very important

Assez peu important.

Not at all Important

Pas du tout important.

Increasing college lecture outreach through podcasts/social media, etc.

Accroître la diffusion de conférences au collège par le biais de podcasts ou de médias sociaux, etc.


Providing employment opportunity listings

Fournir des listes de possibilités d'emploi


Developing programs to involve parents and families of cadets

Élaboration de programmes pour impliquer les parents et les familles des élèvesofficiers


Creating opportunities for me to be involved with the College other than Branch activities.

Créer des occasions de m'impliquer au Collège autrement que par les activités des chapitres


Involving excadets to mentor cadets

Impliquer les anciens dans l'encadrement des élofs


Providing news of high profile excadets in my class/course/service

Fournir des nouvelles d'anciens bien en vue dans ma promotion/cours/arme


Improving the effectiveness of communications to members

L'amélioration de l'efficacité des communications avec les membres


Using social media more effectively

Utilisation des médias sociaux de manière plus efficace


Promoting the legacy of the Colleges and excadets through Heritage programs.

Promouvoir l'héritage des Collèges et des anciens grâce à des programmes patrimoniaux



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27. "The RMC Club of Canada should be actively advocating externally on behalf of the Colleges" How do you feel about this statement with regard to targetted issues with the following stakeholders?

Le Club des CMR du Canada devrait soutenir activement le Collège de façon indépendante à celuici. Comment réagissezvous à cette déclaration à l'égard de questions précises avec les intervenants suivants?

Separating Club events by generation

Séparer les événements du Club par génération


Identifying recruit candidates

Recherche de candidats recrues


Fully agree

Entièrement d'accord

Mainly agree

Principalement d'accord

Unsure

Incertain

Mainly disagree

Principalement en désaccord

Fully disagree

Totalement en désaccord

The general public

Le grand public


The Federal government

Le gouvernement fédéral


DND

Le MDN



Your other comments about advocacy such as themes, limitations to the above or other target groups.

Vos commentaires au sujet de la promotion de thèmes, de limites à imposer à ce sujet ou d'autres groupes cibles.

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28. What forms of RMCCC communications would you most likely use in the future? Check all that apply.

Quelles sont les formes de communications que vous êtes le plus susceptible d'utiliser dans le futur avec le CCMRC? Cochez toutes les réponses qui s'appliquent.

29. Please comment at length on any highlevel activity "buckets" or goal areas that you think have been missed in this survey. (Consider all the services and programs of the organization.)

Veuillez commenter autant que vous voulez si vous croyez qu'il y ait des choses importantes ou des objectifs que nous avons manqués? (Pensez à tous les services et programmes de l'organisation.)

For sure

Assurément

Likely

Probablement

About 5050

Environ 5050

Unlikely

Improbable

Certainly not

Certainement pas

N/A

S/O

National Club Website

Site Web du Club national


Mobile Apps

Applications mobiles


Surveys

Sondages


Social media

Les médias sociaux


Email

Courriel


Branch Website

Page Web d’un chapitre


Print

Imprimé


Class Website

Page Web d’une promotion


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30. If we could do only one (1) thing in the next year or so to significantly add value to your membership in this organization, what would you want us to do?

Si nous pouvions faire une seule (1) chose au cours de la prochaine année qui améliorerait de manière importante la valeur de votre adhésion à cette organisation, que voudriez que nous fassions?

31. If you are not a member, what single Club accomplishment would make you join?

Si vous n'êtes pas membre, y atil une activité du Club qui vous inciterait à vous abonner?

32. Is there any other comment on any aspect of the RMCCC you would like to make?

Desirezvous présenter des observations sur un autre aspect du CCMRC?

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THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GO BACK AND EDIT YOUR RESPONSES. ONCE YOU HIT "DONE" YOUR SUBMISSION IS CLOSED.

You must hit the "DONE" button at the end of the survey for your data to be counted.

Vous devez appuyer sur le bouton "DONE" à la fin de l'enquête pour que vos données soient comptés.

CECI EST VOTRE DERNIÈRE CHANCE DE RETOURNER EN ARRIÈRE ET CHANGER VOS RÉPONSES. UNE FOIS QUE VOUS AUREZ CLIQUÉ LE BOUTON "SOUMETTRE" VOS RÉPONSES SERONT ENVOYÉES SANS POUVOIR LES CHANGER.

Merci pour votre temps et vos contributions.

Les résultats de ce sondage seront présentés au Conseil général du Club des CMR en été 2012. Vous trouverez des extraits du rapport final dans les publications du Club suite à son approbation.

Thank you for your time and thoughtfulness.

The results of this survey will be presented to the General Council of the RMC Club this summer, 2012.

After approval, you will see excerpts from the final report in Club publications.

TDV, VDV The Strategic Review Committee Le comité directeur de la revue stratégique

6. SURVEY COMPLETE! FIN DU SONDAGE!

Documents

Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada€¦ · Royal Military Colleges Club of Canada June, 2012 - 5 - great value by strategically anticipating issues, informing their audiences,