Grow

“The concept of loyalty is distorted when it is understood to be blind acceptance.” (Dag Hammarskjöld)

Every political party wants to grow. A party becomes stronger and its policies more legitimate when it has a lot of active members. Especially if those members are a reflection of the society as a whole.

Membership
Recruiting members is an important task for any party and members should be trained and equipped for this task. The party at national level should ensure that there is a coherent system for recruitment.

For any individual who wants to contribute to the development of society in a certain direction, becoming a member of a party should be the best option. Party membership should give a person a more direct opportunity to influence what decisions are made than that given by the simple right to vote for a predetermined program.


Recruitment
The party will gain in legitimacy and strength if its membership is a reflection of the society as a whole. When a Branch recruits new members it should have a strategy for recruitment that take this aim into account.

Recruiting members is an ongoing activity in the party. A crucial part of the recruitment strategy is the party’s message. The Branch needs to decide on a short message to potential members answering one question – why should they join the party?

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Keeping members active
Many branches lose members as fast as they recruit them. This is a common problem for most parties. Membership in the party must provide a value beyond mere voting. Members are motivated when they feel valued by the party. They want to be a part of a team, to belong and engage in activities with others in the party.

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Education and training
Members want to learn about and work with issues that interest them. So one important task for the Branch is to organize education programs for the members and for the community. The goal is to empower people to become active contributors to the process of change in the community.

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In a progressive party and a progressive society, we want members and citizens to continually learn and develop as human beings and as party members. This benefits the individual and the society as a whole.

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This section is a summary of the information found on pages 24 to 28 in the book.

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Check my knowledge!

  • 1
    What is the task of the Political Education Committee?
    • A. To draw up financial reports
    • B. To write handbooks
    • C. To identify areas in which the Branch members would benefit from political education
  • 2
    Discuss: How can your Branch work with education and training for the broader community?
    • A. Click here when done
  • 3
    What is a study circle?
    • A. A series of handbooks
    • B. An informal and democratic way of learning together
    • C. A college course
  • 4
    Why is it important to offer education for members?
    • A. To empower the members to become active contributors to the process of change in the community
    • B. To make the members think in a correct way
    • C. To improve their manners
  • 5
    How can you make members feel valued by the party?
    • A. By asking them to contact you next year
    • B. By making them part of the team
    • C. By ignoring them
  • 6
    Discuss: Which are your best ideas for recruiting members to your party?
    • A. Click here when done
  • 7
    Which of these methods is best for recruiting new members?
    • A. To wait for new members in the party office
    • B. To ask members of other parties if they want to change party
    • C. To make a recruitment plan and implement it
  • 8
    Why is it important that new members are introduced into the Branch's activities as soon as possible?
    • A. To inquire them about personal matters
    • B. To have many people listening to the leaders‚ speeches
    • C. To find out what kind of work the new members would like to be involved in
  • 9
    Discuss: Why should people join your party?
    • A. Click here when done
  • 10
    How often should the membership in the party be renewed?
    • A. Every month
    • B. Every year
    • C. Every ten years

My score: 0