RUNNING A RURAL CLUB 101 RUNNING A RURAL CLUB 101
Pacific Northwest District Key Club
INTRODUCTION
Leading a rural division requires a mix of determination, creativity, and passion. With the right strategy, it can be a fulfilling process, and you can end up doing a lot for your division during your term. This is why the Membership Growth and Reactivation Committee has created this resource. Running a Rural Club 101 is meant to provide you with guidance, inspiration, and additional resources you could find useful during your term. We all find ourselves stuck at some point along the way, so don't be discouraged! Feel free to use this resource in any way you’d like.
DIST ONAL
Encouraging your members to attend district and divisional meetings can be difficult, especially when members have a long way to travel to these events. However, it’s important to remember why members and officers are highly encouraged to attend such events.
DISTRICT CONVENTION
The annual District Convention has something to offer for everyone! Providing members with a chance to be more inspired, connected, and spirited than ever before, it’s an experience your club certainly doesn't want to miss. The convention boasts energetic opening and closing ceremonies, filled with experienced leaders who share their inspiring stories, as well as innovative workshops targeted at all kinds of club and divisional level problems.
Consider increasing DCON interest in your division by: Bringing in guest speakers from Key Club partnerships that may be present at DCON
Having members who attended the last DCON talk about their experience in detail.
Financial issues and transportation can also be big concerns for rural clubs. You should be the support when your clubs begin fundraising for DCON, and encourage them to utilize the PNW D-FIT when brainstorming fundraising ideas. The last section of this resource includes additional, more specific fundraising tips.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION CONNECTION BEFORE GROWTH
In addition to Key Club connections, these events, especially DCON, can provide members and officers with opportunities on a district level as well. Club officers could:
Apply for an award specific to their position, and could have the opportunity to get recognition at DCON’s closing session!
Run for a higher office, such as LTG, District Executive, or even International Board. Through service projects organized by their LTG, clubs could learn about organizations, which they could work well with. They can also learn about district competitions and other opportunities through these events.
When leading smaller, more rural clubs, it is oftentimes our first instinct to immediately strategize growth and expansion to eliminate this issue. However, in environments such as these, it’s important to remember that growth comes from connection. It is only when a community is functioning properly within itself that it can focus on expanding. A community that is not only focused on service and leadership but also supports its members and remains close-knit will be attractive to high school students, particularly incoming freshmen looking for something to be part of. Some community-building project ideas include:
1.A potluck where everyone brings something to share and can mingle or participate in team building activities. To include a service element, have members also bring a hygiene or food donation for a local charity!
2.Award ceremonies. Bring the division together to recognize exceptional officers, members, or outgoing seniors. The choice is yours! This will also encourage officers to work for an award of their own. This can be made virtual for clubs that are farther away by inviting them to join over Zoom.
3.Talent shows/competitions. Adding a competitive element to your project will encourage members to participate and be invested! If needed, some club members could submit a video performance. Competitions could also be modified to be something that clubs can work for/ participate in independently, and the project can be the award presentation.
4.Plan service projects inclusively. Invite all officers to collaborate with you on planning a service-focused project and gather input from their members as well, making sure everyone’s voice is heard! Make it known that Key Club is centered on service, and that they can play a part in changing the community, not just participating in service projects, but also helping to plan them.
MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
When focusing on membership growth, it's important to remember a few key tips:
1.Look for current member feedback. Explore what your current members enjoy most about Key Club, and use this insight to create more diverse promotions! Everyone joins Key Club for their own unique reasons. Look for feedback at club, division, and district meetings.
2.Make sure members understand why they should join Key Club. Use the The Importance of Service section below to help them understand how they can feel more connected and benefit from serving their community.
3.To enhance Key Club's marketing and engagement, coordinate with your ASB Director to include club meeting announcements in the morning intercom. Use Canva to create vibrant posters that draw in potential members. Post event recaps with photos and tags on Instagram, creating reels to highlight impact and maintain a regularly updated page. Utilize platforms like Instagram, GroupMe, and Remind to ensure all members stay connected. Additionally, send personalized messages to remind members of upcoming events, fostering continued participation.
4.Class Representatives are a vital tool to use. Utilizing class representatives can provide updates to the club on current events and activities. They can also share information from Key Club at the House of Delegates meeting.
TREACH
As stated before, leading a rural division can be difficult, especially without a support source to go to for specific rural needs. The Membership Growth and Reactivation Committee wants to support you through personally scheduled appointments, where we can discuss the happenings of your division and any support you may need. Feel free to reach out to the MGRC chair at membership@pnwkeyclub.org to discuss scheduling such appointments.
THEIMPORTANCEOFSERVICE
Being a part of Key Club, you most likely have a strong passion for service and your community. The reason that we want members in the first place is not purely about numbers. It’s about the health of your club, school, and community.
Think about it this way: many rural areas struggle with social isolation and a lack of connection. Through service and volunteer work, we can build a closer, more driven community, brought together by a single mission: to serve. It is also important to make sure that your club understands this as well. If a club does not understand the importance of ndation and is more likely to be absent from dis
OSITIVE CLU
1.Reach out to event coordinators at your high school to see how your club can help out around your own school, which can increase your club’s reputation and awareness of Key Club!
Don’t stop at your high school! Reach out to middle and elementary schools in your district to see if they need assistance with any events.
2.Plan appreciation events, like card-making, for school faculty and club advisors.
3.Ask your Kiwanis advisor about their meeting schedule and attend to strengthen your relationship with your Kiwanis!
4 Reach out to local businesses and organizations within your community that can help out/host service events! This will help spread the word of Key Club throughout your area and create a positive reputation, which can help your club stay strong.
MEMBER RETENTION
For your club to have members coming back week after week, there is one extremely important thing: INCLUSIVENESS! This is important because members who feel excluded are less likely to attend and may inform others that your club is not inclusive, which can hinder your membership growth throughout the year. Making new members your friends.
An easy way to do this is by saying hello to them every morning in the hallway or by waving. This small gesture goes a long way, and shows you are not just an officer they see once a week. Other ideas include showing respect, being open to your club, offering equal opportunities, and accepting feedback from your members.
1.Keep your meetings fun and engaging. Tailor meetings to club needs, give shout-outs to members, engage in icebreaker activities, and include snacks at your meetings as an incentive. These small changes will have a big impact on your club’s membership in the long run! Here is a link to PNW Key Club Icebreakers PDF: Icebreakers - Google Docs.pdf
2.Build a sense of belonging. Take time to get to know your members, sell club gear, and consider pairing members together for a “buddy” activity to get to know each other.
3.Keep service fun and varied. Offer various time-flexible activities and service projects, to give everyone a chance to engage. If possible in your rural area, consider pairing with other clubs from your school or town to expand social opportunities!
4.Include leadership opportunities. Consider offering low-effort roles to members to keep them more engaged, such as club photographer or meeting door greeter
FUNDRAISIN UB
For many clubs, generating fundraising ideas can be pretty challenging. Not to fear, though! Thanks to members and advisors from across the PNW District, we've collected a variety of fundraising ideas for you to consider! Please note that all clubs may have different rules or regulations within their school system that may prohibit them from pursuing certain fundraisers. Please check in with your school's Bookkeeper or student leaders to discuss any rules and regulations your school may have that pertain to your specific event.
LOW EFFORT IDEAS
Restaurant percentage nights – Partner with places like Chipotle, Panera, Panda Express, or local diners for a night where they donate 15–25% of sales to your club. Chipotle offers a fundraiser where 25% of sales, during a selected period, go towards funding your club. *This is an amazing fundraiser opportunity for clubs that currently have no money, as you don't need any funds to complete this fundraiser! All you need are friends and family to type in a code during a selected period of time for your club to receive the funding. You can learn more about the Chip here! https://community.chipotle.com/? ga=1.125064458.1612815424.1487002996
Miracle Minute - Miracle Minutes is where you go around (at an event or meeting) and collect Monetary donations for 1 minute. Typically, Miracle Minutes are used to raise awareness for a specific cause. Miracle Minutes are perfect ways to collect monetary donations for the district Project! It’s essential to remind members/guests to bring cash before the Miracle Minute occurs.
Baked goods/snack sales – Sell cookies, brownies, or popcorn at lunch or after school. Seasonal treats (Valentine’s, fall, holiday) tend to sell better.
Hot chocolate or coffee mornings – Set up near the school entrance in winter.
Candy grams – Sell and deliver candy with a note during lunch or class. Works great around holidays.
MEDIUM EFFORT IDEAS
Car Wash – Works best when sponsored by a local business that provides supplies.
Penny Wars – Classes compete to collect the most change. Silver coins subtract from totals, so there’s a strategy involved.
For example, Bremerton High School: Division 19/36 stated, “We set up four clear jars representing each class. Every penny donated would add one point. Any silver change donated would DEDUCT points. (For example, one nickel = 5 points). This encouraged students to put silver change in the jars of the other class.”
Raffle Baskets – Ask local businesses for donations and make themed baskets (self-care, movie night, local eats).
Spiritwear Sales – Sell DCON or Key Club–themed shirts/hoodies.
Trivia Night – Hosted at the school or a community center, with a charge per team.