Let’s Keep the Membership Ball Rolling
By Jimmy Warden
NAPS Secretary/Treasurer
I realize, as you read this column, many of you will say, “Jimmy, you told us that already!” And my reply is, “Yea, yea, but?” Reminders can be a good thing. And, yes, the topic is membership. We need to treat membership not as the hot topic of the month, but as a daily priority. Why? Because it is the right thing to do. Nonmembers need to know about our association and the benefits of being a member. Afford them the choice of becoming a member by speaking with them.
I recently heard about a branch president who was assisting another branch with recruiting. When they called a nonmember at their office, the nonmember said they had been a supervisor for four years; no one informed or asked them to be a member of NAPS.
That two-minute phone call turned a nonmember into a member and gave that supervisor a feeling of now being part of the great family of NAPS members. They no longer feel alone in their career and now have the confidence and sense of security as they have the NAPS family to turn to when in need.
So, why am I writing this reminder to everyone? Because I need your help! Many are doing a fantastic job recruiting members. This past fiscal year—June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023—NAPS Headquarters paid $80,225 in sponsor checks and “High-Five Club” member recipients.
When you compare this to the previous year—June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022—NAPS Headquarters paid $22,850 in sponsor checks. Last fiscal year, we had an incredible year thanks to all of you. Presently, we have 25,054 active members and 1,456 associate members. Total membership as of June was 26,510, which is the highest number of members in over two years.
Why is this such a great positive? In June, we lost approximately 275 members through retirements. June usually is the time of year many retire. Understandably, they want to enjoy the summer. But, this June, not only did you recruit enough new members to retain our overall membership number, the number of active members increased by 326.
Now, back to the reminder. There are four ways to submit an 1187. The first way is by mailing the original copy to NAPS Headquarters; only one copy is needed. Many times, we receive two copies of the same application in the same envelope. We only need one, good, clear copy.
The second way is by scanning a copy and emailing it as an attachment to JOIN@naps.org. Place the new member’s name in the subject box of the email. This allows us to save and track the application much easier. Also, attach only one application per email as we track the application by the name in the subject box.
Please, do not send the application to NAPSHQ@naps.org. This delays the process and hampers the tracking process.
The third way is using the new QR code.
I included the code in my July column and am including it again here. A new member can scan the code and complete the 1187 online and click “submit.” The application will be emailed to JOIN@naps.org. If you sign a new member using the QR code, remember to add your sponsor information before they submit the 1187.
The fourth and last way is to hand the 1187s to one of the NAPS resident officers. When Ivan, Chuck or I attend a training seminar or state convention, bring the 1187s with you and we will gladly take them back to NAPS Headquarters for processing. Also, remember we no longer need the full Social Security number—only the last four digits.
Please, do not send us photos of an 1187; they become distorted and the HRSSC will reject them. Mail or scan the original 1187. This greatly helps us and the HRSSC expedite processing.
Your hard work and dedication are not going unnoticed. Thank you! Increasing membership demonstrates leadership.
Stay safe!
Categories: The Postal Supervisor
