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A Q&A Session with the ASC Advancement Committee
Q: With a membership of over 400, why is the Advancement Committee working to bring in new members?
A: A group in the Advancement Committee is focused on community outreach with the goal of expanding ASC's presence. And members can benefit from multiple learning experiences and perspectives.
Q: What kinds of things are you doing?
A: We've developed a new rack-sized card to distribute at ASC and community events. We hope members will have cards handy to give to others who express an interest. The card gives people a general idea of who we are and what we do, providing links to the ASC website.
We’ve also developed a relationship with “The Bar Harbor Story” online newsletter – so newsworthy ASC happenings are being posted there. We're planning some outreach to other MDI organizations, such as Rotary, who may not be familiar with us.
Q: What is your goal with this outreach effort?
A: We are hoping to attract and connect with MDI residents beyond our current demographic. First would be younger people.
Q: Young? For Senior College?
A: We need to build up a new generation of members and leaders. Admittedly, some ASC courses may not work for people who are still working full-time, as most of our classes are in the daytime. But anyone over 50 can join, and we hope to make people looking to retire in the near future more aware of us.
Q: ASC seems very well-run as it is.
A: Absolutely! As a membership organization, we are always on the lookout for new member volunteers to work in our committees and to teach classes. We need to be reaching out to Island residents who are newly retired, about to retire or have recently moved here.
Q: You said “first” – Do you have another target group in mind?
A: Most of our members are “from away.” We'd also like to connect more with folks who have been MDI year-round or seasonal residents with multiple generations of history. We have a number of members who grew up here, moved away for college and careers, and have returned in retirement. These people would be valuable in helping us reach out to local Islanders who have deep roots here and personal historical insights.
Q: These measures sound great. I learned about ASC from my neighbor when I first moved here fifteen years ago. Have you found that word-of-mouth is an effective way to bring new members to ASC?
A: Word-of-Mouth is absolutely the best way to reach people! Every one of us should be communicating with friends, neighbors – especially newcomers and the newly retired – about how ASC enhances our lives. We can invite people to come with us to a social event or a program such as Food for Thought. We can hand them the rack card and encourage them to browse our website.
Q: Thanks! This talk made me realize how important it is for all of us to support ASC by reaching out to others in our community when the opportunity arises. Can I take a few of these rack cards?
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