Fountain of youth

“Make it sexy,” says A.A. André Jansen. That, he says, is how the Netherlands’ oldest Kiwanis club’s recruits young members.

André is president of the Amsterdam Kiwanis club, one of two Netherlands District clubs that recently inducted young men and women to carry the torch of Kiwanis service to new generations.

The two clubs, however, didn’t rely on just appearances. Both groups analyzed their operations, made operational changes, and planned their recruiting strategies. Take a look.

Venlo-Joemerdal

“The club created two boards,” reports International President Case Van Kleef, who visited the club this past May. “The ‘junior’ board consists of the officers and is responsible for the club’s operations and projects. The ‘senior’ board keeps old customs alive and plans get-togethers. As a club, they all meet together and work together to serve their community.”

Amsterdam

Before approaching prospective members, the Amsterdam club decided to relax some of its rules. Recruits, for example, are encouraged to attend 50 percent of the club’s twice-monthly meetings, rather than requiring 80 percent attendance.

“What you’ll find,” André says, “is that they will reach 60, 65, or even 75 percent, which is great.”

The club also recruits in groups.

“We wait until we have four or five candidates, and we invite them into a nice, friendly environment to talk about Kiwanis,” André says. “They see other people their age, people with the same interests and aspirations, and they feel at ease. Then, we invite them together to attend their first club meeting, where they will meet people of all ages.”

And the club’s “sex appeal”? The Amsterdam club willingly changes its routines. The club, for example, literally is on the move.

“One of our meetings is all business, but the other meeting is more than just sitting in a restaurant eating and drinking, like we traditionally have done,” André says. “Now, we have field visits. We had an excursion to the fire department. They had this pole. The bell goes off, the firemen grab the pole, and down they go. I thought it would be a piece of cake. It isn’t.”

With such changes, the Netherlands’ oldest Kiwanis club inducted three young members this past May.