• We recruit to keep our chapters alive.

• Without members our organization serves no purpose

• We know what the FFA can do and we want to share that with others!

• Develop Recruitment Materials – Brochures– PowerPoint's– Posters – Videos

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FFA!

• Recruitment Visits– Discuss your program and it’s

benefits– Leave them something to remember

you by.•Handout•Bookmark•Pens•Pencils

• New Member BBQ’s– Invite new or potential members

and their parents.– Discuss the benefits of joining your

agricultural education program and FFA chapter.

• Recruitment Letters– To potential students– To their parents

• Open House– Discuss class options– Tour of the facilities– Promote FFA chapter

• When approaching potential members…– Don’t scare them away– Try not to portray stereotypes– Be sincere in your enthusiasm – Appeal to diverse interests

• Ask them personally– Sometime potential members are just

waiting to be asked– Your interest in them will make them

feel included– Never underestimate the power of a

personal connection

• We can recruit all we want but it we don’t keep them involved we will never have a strong and diverse chapter.

• If we do a good job retaining members and keeping them involved then through the grape vive our recruitment will pick up.

• Make everyone feel involved and important

– A key to the success of any chapter is giving responsibility to all members of the chapter.

– Help them find activities that they are good at so they will feel satisfied with what they have accomplished.

– If we make everyone feel that they have a role to play, then they will care more about the success of THEIR organization.

– Each member needs to feel ownership!

• Make certain that you have opportunities that appeal to all people.

– Be all things to all people – Appeal to different interests in types of

activities.– Let them know that all though we are all

different, FFA members and ag students are still people like everyone else.

• Discuss all aspects of agriculture– Nursery, Landscape, Turf Grass – Small animal care, home and

community development, ag education.

• Talk about the leadership aspects that the FFA has to offer.

– Conferences, CDE’s, officer opportunities etc.

• Inform individuals of courses & opportunities for the next year.

• Follow through with your promises– If they see ideas coming to life they

will be more likely to want to be a part of such a fun organization.

– No one wants to be a part of a group that makes empty promises.

Just as a pot and soil provide the foundation and nutrients for

plants to survive, your chapter and it’s activities serve as the “foundation and nutrients” for

your members.

Planting the seed in the soil symbolizes recruitment. Each “seed” you plant represents a

new member of your FFA chapter just waiting to grow.

Watering, fertilizing, and caring for that seed as it becomes a plant

represents retention. If you “water” your members and offer them activities they will thrive in

your chapter.

If you care for your plant well, eventually the plant will thrive and produce seeds of it’s own. This is the same with retention, if you “nourish” your members long

enough they will in turn recruit new members.