Chatelaine Information - Helping Your Group Accept New Members

This is a very important part of the Chatelain's job. If the new people are not accepted, they probably will not stay in the group. Here are a few ideas on helping your group to accept new members:

1. Have a populace meeting before recruiting, and make sure the populace is willing to help the new people. Encourage everyone to talk to the new people.
2. Print up a range of suggestions for established members on how to help newcomers stick around. Include ideas such as:
   - If you see someone you do not know, go up and say HELLO!
   - Introduce the new person to other people.
   - Offer to explain what is going on.
   - Find out what the new person is interested in.
   - Help the person get involved.
3. Ask for volunteers to be "buddies" to the new people for a little while.
4. Once new people arrive, plan activities that will encourage the interaction of the old and new members.
5. Put up a written introduction in the local newsletter, to introduce the new person to the populace. Also include some contact information (check for the permission of the new person first). This gives the populace an extra connection with the new person.
6. Ask established members what helped them to feel welcome when they were new to the SCA. This may give you ideas, and it helps remind the established members what it is like to be new.
   Retaining new members cannot be a one person job. Simply talking about it may help the populace to realise how important it is to make the new people feel welcome.

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