Committee Minutes

Membership Committee Meeting

November 12, 2009

Atlanta, Georgia

Omni Hotel

Members Present: Amy Valerio, Syd Golston, Jennifer Levin-Goldberg, Brandon Butler, Jerome Hoynes, Pam Danielson, Karen Muir, Su Hickenbottom, Cassandra Roberts, Leslie Skinner, Carolyn Herbst, Ashley Lucas, Susan Griffin, Michael Koren, chair.

1. The meeting was called to order at 4:00 P.M.

2. Introductions were made, and Leslie Skinner volunteered to take the minutes.

3. Membership statistics were reviewed. Membership is down. We then discussed our membership action plan and ways to increase NCSS members.

The NCSS Membership Action plan includes three main points. One of them is the brokering process. Members who join NCSS and their state/local council pay only NCSS dues. NCSS then rebates $31.00 back to the state/local council. The brokering arrangement is for new members to NCSS and the state/local council. The second point involves preservice teachers. This includes having campus affiliates of NCSS. Finally, the third part of the plan involves the enhanced used of the NCSS website.

Our committee generated additional ideas to increase membership. These included:

(a) developing business partnerships where NCSS members would receive, as a benefit of NCSS membership, travel, book, and teaching material discounts,

(b) sending NCSS materials to state social studies coordinators, departments of education, or superintendents,

(c) outreach to preservice teachers by creating campus affiliates, offering students free members and entry into the conference in return for working at the conference, enhancing the job center section on the website, and offering sessions aimed at preservice teachers,

(d) enhancing the members only section,

(e) putting free lessons on the website and announcing summer opportunities and workshops,

(f) having a student on the membership committee,

(g) developing an ask an expert section of the website.

4. We brainstormed a list of reasons why people should join NCSS. About twenty different ideas were developed. Some of these included the annual conference, the publications we receive, continued professional development, networking, and opportunities for leadership and involvement in the field.

(5) We discussed inexpensive ways to share materials. These included online materials such as lesson plans, newsletters, TSSP, and journals. Discussion also centered around a student e-membership (for less than $33.00) and an online membership for international members.

(6) We discussed using email to thank the first timers for coming and to offer them a very early incentive to sign up for next year’s conference (right after the current conference ends) at a discounted rate.

(7) There was further discussion about allowing members to join both NCSS and the state council from the NCSS website. The inconvenience in registering was a recurring theme in our discussion.

(8) Jerome shared information about the NEA registration process.

(9) Jennifer Levin-Goldberg and Brandon Butler agreed to be the co- chairs of the committee. Karen Muir will assume the chair on July 1, 2010 by Board of Directors policy.

(10) We discussed the arrangements for the First Timer’s Breakfast on Friday morning and the First Timer’s Reception on Saturday afternoon.

(11) A very productive meeting adjourned at 5:55 P.M.

Michael Koren

Membership Committee Chair