DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – One of the effective recruiters for the British Columbia Women’s Institute is the young husband who encourages his new wife to join.
As a dozen members of BCWI rose to tell the convention what worked in their district to bring in new members, one noted the contribution of rural husbands who were familiar with the women’s group through their mother’s membership.
Another said “we invite them to the sewing first so they have fun before the work of the meeting.”
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More seriously, the main messages were to be accessible so potential members know how to get to a WI meeting and to be visible in local issues so women are attracted to the group.
BCWI has a membership of 1,800. Recruitment chair Isolde Long said in the past three years with a strong membership drive, three new branches and 149 new members were signed up.
Alice Johnson, outgoing president, said groups like the Fort Langley Women’s Institute will grow “because the members are making their own decisions about what they want to do. Young members are project oriented. They want stuff to do.”
BCWI’s public relations chair Jean Johnson outlined the past three years of effort to make the provincial media aware of the group. That included sending press releases four times a year to over 100 newspapers, radio and television stations in communities without women’s institutes, on issues such as child care, budgets and health care. Johnson said her outreach also included government agencies, women’s centres, school districts and chambers of commerce.
“One concern I have is are we what we say we are?”
Johnson said she had been selling the BCWI as focused on individual activity, community and family.
“We have a foot in the door now,” with the media, she said. She noted public relations thrives on information but the job has grown too big for one volunteer to handle. She urged the new board to consider whether to hire a person to do the work with a budget for a 1-800 number, a computer and fax machine.
