CONGRATULATIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS.

WHAT AN OPEN HOUSE!!!!!

HOW ABOUT 330 NEW MEMBERS AND COUNTING?

EVERY CLUB HAD THE MOST AMAZING TURNOUT. IN ALL, OVER 2000 PEOPLE VISITED OUR CLUBS.

ONCE AGAIN, MANY MANY THANKS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.

NOW WE NEED TO NURTURE AND RETAIN. SOME CLUBS HAVE ALREADY ARRANGED “NEW MEMBER” ORIENTATION AND WELCOME PARTIES.

HOPE YOUR CLUB IS!

MERT

Here are some highlights:

MacKenzie Park 47 new members

Newport Harbor 37 new members

Laguna Beach 23 new members

Hermosa Beach 19 new members

Guidelines for Conducting an Open House Guidelines

Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club

Click the link below to download Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club's 14 page Guidelines for Conducting an Open House.
Newport Harbor has grown it's membership from 92 members at the begining of 2006 to 200 members in December 2007.

Click Here

MAY 10^th OPEN HOUSE.

Are you participating?????       GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER is!!!!!!!

I have just been informed that GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER has approved and is issuing a PROCLAMATION that MAY 10^th is LAWN BOWLS DAY in Southern California.

Are you going to be left out of this exciting event, an event that is only for you and your clubs benefit?  Please, if you are not involved, do so now.  It’s not too late.  Give back a little of what you have received from the game you love.  Tournament players, social bowlers everybody, get involved.  JUST DO IT!

At the beginning of February I gave you a “to do” list of seven different tasks.   Many clubs have taken us up on our offer to add your Club logo, City logo to your individual clubs advertising.   Alas, some clubs have not yet woken up.  What do we need to do to help you help yourself?  If your Club is not yet involved, I invite the members to shake the tree and insist on your clubs participation.

The following are items that should be in the works by now.  If you haven’t started, start now.  It can still be pulled together. 

Some of this may be repetitive, some is new, but it is necessary to make sure you have covered every item.

1)      Committees

 Start “dishing” out the tasks so that only a small number of people are left doing all the work. 

A)      Somebody must be in charge of setting up the Greens.

B)      Somebody must take care of the catering.

C)      Somebody must take care of decorations/balloons etc.

D)      The TV or Computer with the DVD must be set up.

E)       Make sure your club house is clean, may even need a paint job.

F)       Make sure back boards are painted and weeds cleaned from ditches.

G)      Is your club information up to date.  Appoint someone to get your own house in order.  It will help you and your visitors.

H)      Somebody with a pleasant smile must be in charge of registration.  We can give you samples of what you need, but as a minimum, an obvious list of attendees and stick on name tags.  Make sure your name tags are in tip top condition.

I)        Start putting flyers in local stores.

J)        Contact local Newspapers.  With the City involved, you should get free advertising.  With the GOVERNOR involved you will get free editorial. (I will send you the editorial in the next week or so.)

K)      Form committees for the OPEN HOUSE DAY.

                             Assign members to help on the day with specific tasks.

                             1) Greeters  2) Registration 3) Instruction 4) Kid’s activities 5) Membership

                             6) Ambassadors 7) Food and drinks 8) Photography 9)  Payment options

                             10) Set up DVD system 11) Chairs and Tables 12) Directional signs for Parking

                             13) Photo Displays 

2)      City Sponsorship:

The City Parks and Recreation Dept can still be approached to cosponsor the Open House.  They may ask how much and take what you can get, but mostly they will agree to be the cosponsor without funding.  That’s fine because you can use their name and Logo on the Flyers, Advertising and Banners and it will also make it easy for permits if you require them.  They should be more than willing to help because it will benefit their citizens and families living in the area.  They can

include a write up in their monthly newsletter, calendar of events, as well as on the web site.  Ask for all of this.   It must happen in April.   Ask for their assistance with placing advertising in your local newspaper. They will probably have influence that you don’t. We have given you one example of an advert in your booklet, but have others, so if you want a different look each time, let me know and I will get it to you.

3)      Media Support and Advertising:

Your booklet that you received at the AGM (and now on our web site) covers this in detail. Now is the time to take your City sponsorship to your local newspaper and get them ready for the adverts that you want them to run for you and the “City.”   We are now going to make available our advert that we had previously given to you, but now with the GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER INCLUDED.  (Len and Myrna are working on this). Arrange to have 5 x 8 spaces run as often as possible starting at least three weeks out.  This is not difficult to do. You are a Non-Profit organization and you are jointly sponsoring this with the City.  All they want is copy ready for printing, which if you need we will provide for you. However to help you we need your City Logo and Name.   

4)      Flyers:

An appropriate flyer should be made and distribution to local stores should start NOW.  Place them on notice boards; ask Homeowners associations to include it in their April or early May mail.  Ask the Utility Companies to include it in their mail.  Distribute to local apartments complexes and schools.  The more you distribute the bigger the event you will have.  Let your members distribute them on your morning walk.

5)      Banners:

With or without City Sponsorship, you need to start making the banners that you will start displaying several weeks before the event.  We have provided a layout for you in the booklet.  All you have to do is to show it to your local Banner/sign maker.  You may ask the City if they can make these for you.  They may have such a capability.  If you need a more detailed layout, let me know.

6)      Troops:

It is time to put your TROOPS together.  Word of mouth is still the best.  Let each person invite all their friends to the Open House.  Send them an e-mail invitation. It costs nothing. Send them monthly reminders.  Ask them to invite their friends and so on.

7)      Credit Cards:

Now is the time to investigate your credit card requirements.  You do not have to register now, but don’t leave it to the end. Know how to do it. The whole process is explained in your booklet.

Please feel free to contact us if you need help.

Be part of this, join in today!!!!!

Good Bowling.

Mert.