Membership Is UP!

Loyal Order of Moose UP -- 61,151
Women of the Moose UP -- 33,593
Moose Legion UP -- 5,385

An exuberant Darrell O’Brien delivered a very happy Membership Department report.

> There was absolutely no need to massage the message that Director of Membership Darrell O’Brien had to deliver to the Peabody Hotel Plaza International Ballroom crowd in Monday’s Joint General Session.

Membership numbers are up. That’s right: UP!

“While 2006-2007 will not rank among the greatest production years of all time,” O’Brien said, “I believe, it will be remembered as the year that, we, the Moose fraternity, began a new ascent to the prominent levels we enjoyed in years gone by.”

O’Brien reported that Loyal Order of Moose applications increased 16% over 2005-06 to 105,366 in 2006-07. Women of the Moose applications increased 15% to 59,044.

“This exciting gain was the result of hard work and perseverance by membership committees in Lodges, Chapters and Associations across this great continent,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said the “Pass it On” campaign initiated at the 2006 Convention paid dividends. During the campaign, 42,453 men and 23,533 Women of the Moose sponsored at least one member.

“We asked you to pass on the gift of Moose membership by extending invitations to your friends to join with you in our fine fraternity. You did!” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said membership numbers are up roughly 9% across the board based on 2006-07 efforts.

The Moose Legion increased active members by 5,385, the Women of the Moose by 33,593 and the Loyal Order of Moose boosted active memberships by 61,151.

Overall, 75% of Lodges had more members on April 30, 2007 than they had on May 1, 2006.

And O’Brien added that 93 percent of existing members renewed their dues.

“The ‘Pass It On’ campaign year proved to be historic in regards to active memberships,” O’Brien said, “positive in nearly aspect and is sure to provide a strong foundation from which to build.”

O’Brien added that the increased activity helped bring new membership in the 25 Club near its normal level of 1,000 per year. In 2006-07, 941 LOOM members qualified for the 25 Club, more than double the number from 2005-06.

That increase in activity showed itself across the board. A total of 191 members joined the Director General’s Circle of Distinction in 2006-07.

O’Brien reported the top sponsor for the Women of the Moose in the past year was Karen Sue Gray from Charleston, WV Chapter 317, who had 86 applications to her credit in 2006-07.

The top sponsor for the Loyal Order of Moose was Arthur C. Peterson of Sioux Land, NE Lodge 2411 with 132 applications reported.

In total, 164,410 applications were reported to the Membership Department as part of the ‘Pass it On’ campaign.

“Your efforts do not go unrecognized,” O’Brien said. “And on behalf of everyone at Moose International and a grateful fraternity, we thank each and every one of you.”

The top sponsoring Lodge from 2006-07 was Nitro,WV Lodge 565, whose members submitted 870 applications.

The top sponsoring chapter was Middletown, OH Chapter 183, which reported 431 applications.

Of 629 Lodges that completed at least one new-membr quota in 2006, the Whitehouse-Waterville, OH Lodge 2537 led the way with 37 quotas.

While Moose International computers are unable to provide quota numbers for WOTM Chapters, O’Brien said 51.4 % of all Chapters achieved at least one quota in 2006-07, while 34.7 percent of LOOM Lodges achieved the same standard.

O’Brien said Pennsylvania’s Lodges collectively submitted 1,646 applications above what they submitted in 2005-06, making them the Association with the largest increase in applications in the past year.

But when it came to naming the Top Association for 2006-07, the name read last remained the same: Arkansas. This year, the Arkansas Moose Association scored 347 points to edge the Missouri Moose Association, which scored 346 points.

O’Brien announced that a new membership application will be available by Aug. 1; the Loyal Order of Moose and Women of the Moose versions will be identical.

As detailed during the Supreme Council’s report, attendance at an enrollment ceremony is no longer a requirement for a new memeber. New members must still attend an orientation to become familiar with the fraternity.

Full text of the report of the Membership Department is available at www.mooseintl.org/portal/ Convention/2007Orlando/pdf/MembershipReport.pdf.

For the second consecutive year, the Arkansas Moose Association earned the titleof “Top Association.” But to claim the banner on the Peabody Hotel ballroom stage at Saturday’s Joint Session, Arkansas learned it had just edged the Missouri Moose Association by one solitary point!