I think it will be pretty easy to implement a good plan to ensure that 1st year members renew and it involves the Membership Director (Mike Nawrocki) and Mentor Director (Bob Miksztal).

1st Stage: New member sign-up
Bob Miksztal is just getting started in the position of Mentor Director but I know for a fact that he's been very proactive at reaching out to every single new member by email and calling and speaking with them, which is a HUGE touchpoint with any customer service effort. Whether a new member gets paired up or not is not as important as the fact that we took the time to take interest in them and their desires for participation in the club. Part of the early stages of any relationship is engagement. Is there something they can volunteer for right away? Can they help volunteer at the convention? Are there ad-hoc tasks like the storage unit inventory or making phone calls or writing articles or creating a presentation that we can get them involved in? Every touchpoint we can create between the new member and the club amplifies the new person's desire and willingness to make involvement in the club a lifelong one.

2nd Stage: Periodic check-ins
These are equally critical as long as it's not overcooked. Constant contact reaching out with a message once in a while (newbies can be put into a group list to make this task easier). Members should be monitored to see how engaged they are with the club. Are they posting on the club forums? On the Chip Board? On facebook? Elsewhere? Or are they lurkers/watchers? Did they sign up for the convention? EVERY NEW MEMBER SHOULD BE CONTACTED SPECIFICALLY TO GET THEM TO ATTEND as it's got to be one of the defining moments most of us would cite as a reason to remain. Fellowship is kind of an antique word, but it's what most of us say is one of the main benefits of the club. Association with like minded degenerates, LOL.

3rd Stage: Getting to "YES"
Two months before their first year is up, someone (probably the Mentor Director or an actual mentor if a relationship was established) CALLS the new member to see how things have gone and make the "ask". "So, will you be remaining with us next year?" If the answer is no or wishy washy, we need to probe for reasons why they're not inclined to renew. Maybe they had specific problems that we can address (hopefully the check-ins will help avoid this). Maybe someone in the club rubs them the wrong way (it's probably me, but hey...). Maybe its financial or a change in their life (job loss, loss of a loved one, etc). Are they a good candidate for financial assistance? Like it or not, handling objections is a sales skill that needs to be inherent in anyone tasked with member retention.

4th Stage: Rinse and repeat
As was pointed out, getting new members to sign up for their 2nd year is often the key to the 20th renewal. We don't need to "touch" them as often and often just a single check-in (Stage 3) to see how their year is going is enough to keep them engaged and renewing.

So, there's a specific game plan we can follow. I know Bob and Mike will read this and hate me for "volunteering" them. Each of them can engage 1st and 2nd assistants to help them with their tasks, so it's not like this has to fall solely on their shoulders.

I would suggest anyone reading this and thinking "Dang, I'd be really good at that as long as I don't have to be in charge of it" should reach out to me and let's see how we can plug you in. It would be REALLY helpful to the club to have more involvement from the rank and file. This club isn't just for the officers, ya know.

-- barry