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The New Membership Application--
and the Changes
it Brings
With the enrollment process streamlined, proper orientation of new members becomes much more important
> As you know (if you were either in attendance at this past summer’s International Convention in Orlando or read the Aug./Sept./Oct. edition of Moose Magazine), the Convention approved a change to the fraternity’s General Laws that allowed for new members to come into the Order via either the traditional Enrollment Ceremony--or, a newly streamlined method, involving the standard approval of an applicant by the Application Review Committee, then the signing of an Obligation of Membership.
This change was put to a vote of the Supreme Lodge at the Convention only after several years of thought and deliberation. Part of this involved the fact that a great majority of our Lodges did not maintain a qualified Ritual staff. But a much larger concern centered on the fact that too often, a candidate would submit his application, be accepted by the Lodge--then would have to wait up to a month, or more, between the time he applied and the next scheduled Enrollment Ceremony.
In today’s world, in which younger people especially seem accustomed to “instant gratification,” that long a wait seemed too long for many applicants. Their initial enthusiasm and excitement about joining the Moose too often waned, and, our Lodges told us, many hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants simply never showed for their enrollment--and dropped away, lost to the fraternity.
Not without some reluctance, the Supreme Council and Grand Council (many of whom are former or current Moose Ritualists) concluded that the enrollment process must be streamlined --and Convention delegates agreed for both the men and women, as they approved this change to the General Laws in Orlando. As a result, a completely new Official Membership Application for both the Loyal Order of Moose and Women of the Moose is now available, both on the Members Only home page of www.mooseintl.org and in print form from every Lodge and Chapter. This application form includes wording for the applicant’s acceptance of a written obligation, which is conditioned upon approval of the Application Review Committee and a favorable vote of the respective Lodge or Chapter membership.
This joint application contains checkable boxes to indicate whether the applicant is a male applying for membership in the Loyal Order of Moose, or a woman applying to the Women of the Moose. And, please note: the General Laws continue to require a male sponsor for Loyal Order of Moose applicants, and a female sponsor for Women of the Moose applicants.
The application design provides for one-third of the tri-fold document to be separated and retained by the applicant. This applicant’s portion contains his/her receipt--and a brief overview of the philanthropic, service and social endeavors of the Moose fraternity.
Step-by-step: Orientation of new members is important -- but when a Lodge or Chapter chooses to forego Ritual, it’s absolutely essential.
Beginning this past Aug. 1, the alternative enrollment was made available to all Lodges and Chapters, and their applicants. The completed and signed Application/ Obligation form is presented to the Lodge Administrator or Chapter Recorder as appropriate, along with the applicable enrollment fee. First year’s dues may also be remitted, but aren’t required at this point.
The application is then turned over to the Application Review Committee for its investigation and subsequent recommendation on acceptance of the applicant. Names of applicants found acceptable by the Committee are then presented to the Lodge or Chapter membership for a vote at the next regular meeting. (Members are not to reject a candidate “without just cause.”)
On the date that both a favorable vote has been received from the Lodge or Chapter Membership, and the applicant’s first-year dues have been received, the Administrator or Recorder may report the applicant as enrolled. This completes the enrollment process, begins the applicant’s membership in the Order and triggers the issuance of a membership card. The new member receives a membership card at his/her home address in about three weeks. While attendance at a traditional Enrollment Ritual is no longer necessary (at the discretion of the Lodge), the General Laws require Lodges/Chapters to either provide either an orientation program or orientation materials to new members. Our reliance on veteran Moose members to adequately inform new members about the fraternity they’ve joined is now greater than ever. How to do this? Start by simply answering the questions a new member is most likely to have: When does our Lodge/Chapter conduct meetings? How do I invite my friends to become Moose members? What meal functions, sports leagues and other social activities are available to my family and me? What activities and services do the Lodge and Chapter conduct to benefit the community, and how can I become involved? What is the Private Policy and why is it important? These questions, you can readily answer. For the questions on fraternity-wide Moose endeavors, you can reference the “This Is Mooseheart” and “This Is Moosehaven” presentations available in streaming video on the home page of www.mooseintl.org, www.mooseheart.org and www.moosehaven.org. Or, they’re available on a single DVD from Moose International Catalog Sales.
The orientation at your Moose Center may include different information pertinent to your location. While it’s preferable to convey this information in a relaxed face-to-face setting, it also may be incorporated into printed materials and mailed to each new member. Your successful education of your new members will build a strong foundation to build your Lodge’s and Chapter’s membership growth and retention programs upon.
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November/December/January 2007-2008
