Dora -

I think it depends - if he/she is a newbie or a returning AV lover.

For the newbie - can be the printout of the basic instructions, a copy of a not really old AV magazine and may be a starter or 2.

Returning AV lover- would possibly like to have some leaves and cuttings to increase his/her collection. You can just ask this person what he/she is interested in.

I.

I have joined (or not) several clubs. A packet could contain seeds or leaves of a variety of gesneriads, for a little surprise. As a newbie, I got first pick at the plant exchange table, which was nice. The most important thing, I think, is not just introducing the newbie, but being interested. Ask what they grow, and introduce them to others in the club who grow the same things. Leave room at each meeting for all members to ask questions. Have time in the meeting for interaction. We go there for fellowship, the opportunity to talk about plants, more even than to get plants. I have never been to a club that understood that. Don't let the members feel lonely.
Carol

Carol,
You are verbalizing my thoughts and expectations EXACTLY!

Fred was gracious enough to share his 'basic av care' handout and with his permission, I am going to use that to give to visitors. I'm just talking about visitors here...not new members (that is coming in another thread).

I want them to have a basic care handout, information about when our club meets (and the fact that there are no requirements except that you have an interest in the plants and want to be with other people who share the same)

since our study group always plays in the dirt and exchanges plants, visitors go home with anywhere from 2 to 4 plants that they have repotted themselves. I have created a specific place in our agenda for focus on our visitors and specific questions that they may have come with.

I have just planned out the next 8 months of programming (mostly based on what our current membership requested) and that topic will always go in the community calendar every day beginning 10 days before the meeting.

We are in the process of meeting with one of the reporters to our local paper and having an article in the Sunday paper.

My thoughts are that if the visitor will share their mailing address on our visitor's information card (which is very basic) then I would like to send them a handwritten note card thanking them for coming and inviting them to the next gathering.

I want it to be light, inviting, fun and non threatening so that they can get to the joy of the hobby. The environment of our club is in a transition and I want to faciitate new members and making sure they feel welcomed and valued.

It's great to have feedback about what people like as a visitor and what they don't. thanks.

Dora

Hi, Dora,

Our new members get a large deli 'clamshell' that contains a quantity of potting mix, small amount of fertilizer, some leaves, and some solo cups to pot the leaves. There is also a basic care sheet included.

Barbara

Barbara,
that's for members - do you do anything for people who just show up at your meetings as visitors?

I'm tackling new members next month and love your idea.

Dora

Hi, Dora,
I have been thinking a bit more about this. In an ideal world, as a newbie I would have liked:
1. Not having to initiate every conversation.
2. A list of web sites that members found useful.
3. If you have a publication, a sample copy.
4. Email addresses, so that conversations could be started or continued. Even better would be a group email, like with gesneriphiles, so that the club felt like a club all month, between meetings, with discussions on-going through the month. That would give a real connection between all members, a sense of belonging and continuing interest.
Carol

ok Carol, those are some solid ideas.
I like the one about the web addresses.
we don't have a publication copy (yet)

I would be ok w/ the email addresses; however, I would anticipate that some of our members might not want that so soon.

The challenge that I have witnessed in the past 8 months is that many people will come once but not return. I have spoken wtih many of them and it was related to a person who is no longer in the position that they were. We have addressed our programming issues and now I really want to focus on getting the visitor to return (and hopefully join).

Here's what I'm thinking about as phase 1 (and going to present to our group today at the meeting)
I want to have a member who would volunteer to be a Greeter. They could volunteer more than once but it would rotate each month. They would be responsible for welcoming any new faces, introducing themselves, helping them get a nametag (because I believe that calling someone by their name over and over as you talk with them is the absolute best way to make them feel special), make sure that they complete the visitor information card (basic contact info and what prompted them to come and how they heard about us) and then the greeter would introduce the visitor by name during the welcoming portion of the agenda and if the visitor wants to briefly say something, they can.

I want to encourage current members to ENGAGE with the visitor about the hobby and their life without overwhelming them and making them feel interrogated/embarrassed because they only have 3 NOIDs from Walmart that have never bloomed.

Then.....because I have witnessed so many visitors get totally ignored and be overwhelmed and lost during the play in teh dirt segment, the greeter would be responsible for giving a VERY basic orientation about how the repotting process happens and how we set up the planting system and actually walking them through it and why these thing are important. Visitor would be able to ask questions and if the greeter couldn't answer, she/he could refer it upward. This way - the visitor has a designated person to make sure that the needs/questions of the visitor is addressed and that they are welcomed and not ignored...which has happened in the past. This would take place at a designated "VIP Table" alongside the current members who repot as second nature.

I have actually seen members who were unaware that any visitors were there (we usually have about 12 members at the daytime meetings).

I want visitors to leave with something simple and informative in their hands and more importantly, I want them to leave with a pleasant and non threatening experience in their heart. If both these are positive, there is a much greater possibility that they will return. My hope and goal for the next 12 months is that we bring in new life under a new leadership and that this breath of fresh air (internally and those coming in) will transform the environment of the group and move us forward.

Am I on target or is this just wasteful energy?

Dora

From my experience, you are absolutely on target.

Hey Dora,
I like your idea of a greeter, however it should be an outgoing person who does not seem threatening. Don't pick a clod and ask for volunteers. Nothing is worse than having someone forced to do a job. If your group is having a session about repotting or putting down leaves, have an extra cup or leaf on hand to give to the visitor. We are having a session tonight on design. I am bringing extra leaves, blossoms and material to use in a design with me just in case someone shows up. Keep the info sheet short and general. Let the visitor know how much it costs to join the club and tell them to think about joining over the next month. Don't force the issue. We all have known people who came to one meeting, paid their dues and never came back. Tell them about your plans for future meetings and you show or exhibit and/or sale.
Keep up the good work.
Fred in NJ

Dora,
I like Fred's ideas.
I would never put a visitor at their own table. It would make me feel like an outcast, not special. The greeter should work next to the visitor at the table with everyone else. That way, more conversations can be joined into. The greeter could facilitate conversations - like, hey, Fred, you're an old hand at Chirita's. Our visitor, Carol, needs an ID. Can you help?
It could help integrate the visitor into the club, and make it more likely that they would come again.
The greeter needs to assess the visitors abilities so as not to give very basic info if not needed or give help if it is. I think, if the greeter doesn't know an answer, the feeling should be that the question if referred outward, not upward.
The most positive experience a visitor could have would be to feel that all of the members were glad the visitor came. Each member has some responsibility to reach out.
Carol

"We are having a session tonight on design. I am bringing extra leaves, blossoms and material to use in a design with me just in case someone shows up."

And looky there--I did show up, and also had fun trying to make a design! Thanks Fred it was a great meeting :-)

Ok, (been out of town so just now getting back)

I want to make sure that I understand everyone's point about the visitor's table.

I want to have special seating (like reserved seating) for visitors. This will only be after we break as a group to play in the dirt. There will be at least 1 greeter for each 2 visitors. If there are more than 2 visitors, we will have more people assigned to the visitor's table.

The visitors will get a VERY BASIC orientation about repotting and wicking (like: add the yarn, a bit of gravel (and why), then the soilless mix (and why) and then divide up some plants and plant them and what to do with them when you get home in the next few weeks until you come back next month). Greeters will engage in pleasant and non threatening conversation about the love of violets.

The members will be at another table within a few feet and they will be just doing their thing. Several had mentioned that they don't want to sit through month after month of explanation to visitors and hear the same thing over and over again. They can sit at that table and repot their plants.
*The rest of us want to engage with visitors and people who are gracious and outgoing and want to share the hobby with others. My goal is to address both groups and continue to add new members.

With that explanation - do you (generally speaking) still think that a visitor's table is not a good idea?

Dora

Dora--seems to me that would separate the visitor from the group so they would not have a good representation of what a club does. I think having someone with good people skills partner with the newbe for the first couple of meetings is a good idea. Potential club members usually come with their own agenda/goals, perhaps the orienting club member could tap into that and provide new member/visitor with resources available through the club. I know I was waaay past the learning how to pot stage by the time I joined. I did not return after 2 meetings for reasons other than those mentioned. Good luck--just being tuned in as you are, on needing to identify and meet the needs of visitors, will have a positive outcome for your club!

dora, i think your idea about greeters is good, but how about the visitors sit w/ the greeter at any table, kinda in amongest the members, not feeling like an outsider.keep up w/ all these ideas, i might need them soon, if i have to start a group. molly

Molly,
I have considered that (everyone sitting together) and I may still choose that option.

At the risk of sounding negative and critical, we have some members who attend regularly who are honestly a huge turn off to visitors. They are snobby, self righteous and look down their nose at anyone who doesn't own over a hundred plants and grow for show. I believe they are so insecure that they have to choke everyone with all their knowledge and the most unsuspecting targets are our visitors. I've witnessed it and it is very unpleasant and embarrassing.

My goal is to not make them leave but to put all our energy into welcoming new blood/visitors and treating them like gold. I believe you get more of what you focus on. We have more members who are welcoming and inviting and those are the ones who will be our greeters.

We'll have more greeters and visitors than we will have the sour oldies and I think eventually they will either stop coming or modify their attitudes/behaviors.

Dora

Hi Dora,
Whenever we get a visitor or are lucky enough to add a new member, I always make sure to follow up the next day with an email telling them how much we enjoyed meeting them, etc and encourage them to come again etc. I also ask them if they have any questions about the club or questions about violet care in general and I try to set up a dialogue with them so they feel welcome and encouraged to come to the next meeting. Usually they respond with some question about a specific problem plant in their collection and ask for advice. I am happy to respond and encourage them to bring the problem plant to the next meeting so we can all give an opinion. This quite often brings them back a second time at least!