As the new school year begins, look at these easy-to-implement tips to take your chapter meetings to the next level. With engaging chapter meetings, you can build your chapter’s recruitment and member involvement on your chapter’s journey to Be the One.
1. Keep First Meetings Concise
Simplify content in introductory meetings aimed at new members. DECA has a lot of resources and information, but streamlining your presentations by focusing on topics such as major conferences, competitive event clusters, DECA’s mission and core values, and chapter events can make new member recruitment easier. Spend time becoming more specific with targeted content in future meetings to convey all that DECA offers.
2. Include Interactive Elements
Fun ways to gain members' attention at the beginning of the year include ideas like raffles, Kahoot competitions and social media competitions. By integrating interactive elements into your chapter meetings, long presentations will become exciting conversations. Often, chapter meetings are where the DECA community is first formed, making these elements just as essential as content.
3. Share Member & Officer Experiences
Have any ICDC qualifiers or stand-out leaders in your chapter? Invite them to share their DECA stories at meetings to help provide a different perspective to your chapter meetings. Providing members with other voices to hear from creates an environment where everyone can learn from one another.
4. Invite Association & Executive Officer Teams
Whether to support a program of leadership initiatives, spread DECA’s mission or advocate for CTE education, association officer teams and the 2024-2025 Executive Officers are available as a resource. By submitting a request for a chapter visit, officers can share knowledge from a broader scope with your chapter. You can invite the DECA High School Division Executive Officer Team via deca.org.
These additions to your chapter’s current meeting plans can elevate your communication and effectiveness throughout the year. Through positive chapter meetings, members often feel encouraged to maximize opportunities in DECA, and we can’t wait to see your chapters reach new heights.
