Program Manual

Recruitment

Recruitment
Brad Meyer, Chairman
No doubt you have heard the expression “We haven’t seen our best year yet”, and past experiences have shown that May and June are historically our strongest recruitment months. Normally, July 1st means that we start all over again, However, I would like to change our mindset to continue the momentum from the previous two months and continue our strong recruitment efforts.
Recruiting new members and their participation in the First Degree is essential to the continued growth and well-being of each council and the Order. Offering a Catholic man membership in the Knights of Columbus gives him the opportunity to improve his own life, his Church, and his community. While growing closer to his family and faith, membership allows him to experience the fraternal bond that Knights share. For a council’s recruiting efforts to succeed, a council needs to develop a plan of action and follow through on it. A standard action plan that can be used to develop recruitment strategy, and reflect a council’s strengths, and execute a successful recruitment campaign over the twelve months of the fraternal year includes the following:

JULY - “Officers Challenge” Month
At the start of the new fraternal year, during this normally slow summer month, the council officers are encouraged to issue the challenge for the council to recruit three new members. A single recruiter will receive a silver recruitment badge for recruiting three new members and will receive a gold recruitment badge for recruiting five or more new members.

AUGUST - “Join Our Family” and the “Knights of Columbus” Month
The Knights of Columbus is all about families and our Order’s celebration of “Family Week” is a terrific opportunity to bring not only the council’s families together, but to also invite the families of prospective members. Conduct a First Degree honoring our founder, Father Michael J. McGivney, especially around the anniversary of his birth (August 12) and his death (August 14).

SEPTEMBER - “Prospect Awareness” Month
In anticipation for the Order-wide Recruitment BLITZ in October, begin advertising the event or any council event that will encourage prospects to take a look and consider joining the Knights of Columbus. Contact the local newspaper, cable television, and radio stations and ask them to consider running an article about the upcoming BLITZ event.

OCTOBER - “BLITZ” Month … Part 1
The Knights of Columbus Membership Recruitment BLITZ is a proven strategy for successful recruitment. For more information on how to plan and conduct a BLITZ program, refer to the section under the BLITZ Chairman.

NOVEMBER - “Turn Those Prospects Into Members” Month
Every council is asked through the “All Councils Active” challenge to recruit and have a net gain of one new member during the month of November. Follow up on the list of prospects developed during the BLITZ recruitment drive and make sure that those prospects get to a First Degree as soon as possible.

DECEMBER - “First Degree” Month
The Supreme Council encourages every council in the Order to share the joy of the Christmas season with an Order-wide First Degree. Plan a Christmas social and invite all prospects and their families to come and get acquainted. Provide information about all the great things the council does and provide them with the date of the First Degree. Make sure that the prospects still remaining on the October BLITZ are invited.

JANUARY - “A New Year, A New Knight” Month
What better way to kick off the new calendar year than by hosting a New Year’s party, recruiting a new member, and hosting a First Degree.

FEBRUARY - “Form 100” Month
How many times have you been caught in a situation where you have a prospect that is interested in joining the Knights of Columbus but didn’t have a Form 100? Every member is encouraged to have two Form 100’s with them at all times—one to recruit with and one for another member to use who doesn’t have one. Also begin planning in anticipation of the March BLITZ and the Recruitment Madness month.

MARCH - “BLITZ” Month ... Part 2 (Founders Month)
March is designated as “Founders” month and “Recruitment Madness” month. What better way to honor Father McGivney and to help achieve his vision than to host an open house or some other special council event for prospects and then host a First Degree on Founders Day (March 29).

APRIL - “RCIA” Month
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is the means by which adults look into joining the Church. RCIA candidates learn about the Church and how service to one’s fellow man is the best way to enact the faith. Invite these new Catholics to join the Knights of Columbus.

MAY - “Open House” Month
As the end of the fraternal year nears, now is a great time for the council to host an open house and invite all the candidates still remaining on the prospect list from the March BLITZ, all prospects on the RCIA list, and all high school seniors who are 18 years of age or nearing their 18th birthday.

JUNE - “Calling All Fathers” Month
On Father’s Day, always the third Sunday in June, we honor our fathers and the role they play in our development as persons. Honor these men who are leaders of our families by asking them to join an organization that is focused on serving the Family, the Church, and the Community. And don’t forget to extend this invitation to our priests, our spiritual fathers, and to college students who have returned home for the summer.