Summer is here—and so is the period of low interaction with your members outside of the college campus. The weather is hot, and homework is non-existent, so we can sometimes slip away from our commitment to the DECA Diamond. But fear not! I am here to provide ways your chapter and association teams can stay engaged with members over the summer months. It may take some elbow grease, but your chapter can stay a well-oiled machine while off campus with just the right amount of work.
Summer of DECA
A simple but fun way to get involved over the summer with Collegiate DECA is to take part in #SummerofDECA. Each year, DECA provides exciting ways to stay involved as members during summer. Last year included Bingo cards to keep up on, allowing your members to stay connected with other chapters and associations. Keep an eye out on DECA Direct and our social media pages to learn more about this year’s festivities. Staying involved has never been more fun!
Student Organization Fair Preparation
Now is the perfect time to prepare your chapter for recruitment in the fall. Many colleges offer fairs for students to pick and choose their organizations for the year. The summer is a great time to get a head start on materials, ideas and booth setups to bring in as many students as possible. Create sign-up lists for your members to reactivate their membership while trying to promote our organization to new students. It’s an even better time to develop relationships with incoming freshmen by promoting your chapter on newsletters and incoming student orientation guides. If possible, work with your university to garner attention early, even before the first students return to campus in the fall.
Professional Member Outreach
Not only is the summer a great time to drum up business with our student members, but now is the perfect time to begin recruiting professional members within your campus community. Professional members can be administration, staff or professors on your campus, as well as business leaders around the local area. These contacts can become paid members of DECA and provide resources to your membership throughout the year. This is not only a great way to have mentorship around your chapter, but it can also help your members find new internships and job opportunities as the new membership year begins.
Early Start on Fundraising
The summer can give your chapter leadership more time and opportunities to get those funds rolling for the upcoming year. Set a budget for the year, and then set your goals and standards for fundraising as the summer progresses. Check with your school during the summer months to see if they have options for fundraising links through the advancement office. Some colleges will even allow your chapter to start endowment funds, allowing the money you raise to work for you in the long run. If you have a strong alumni and professional member network within your chapter and your college, reaching out to these members and their companies can be a great way to start your fundraising efforts. In addition, work with your chapter members to create lists of contacts each person has. You never know what kind of people your members may know - it could lead to a great relationship for your chapter down the road!
Advocate Early, Advocate Often
There’s never a better time than now to start advocating for Collegiate DECA on campus and worldwide. Contact your local government officials and find ways to get your chapter or association involved. You may never know how much a simple meeting or call could do for you. Getting involved now over the summer will lead you to have even better relationships with your elected officials as your chapter celebrates major milestones over the course of the membership year.
No matter what your summer looks like, there are many other ways to stay engaged with your members, local communities and businesses. Keep your eye out for our upcoming DECA Direct articles to stay up to date on all things Collegiate DECA. Your Collegiate Executive Officer Team is looking forward to a wonderful year ahead!
