Setting the stage for ongoing membership recruitment at ACA International.
12/4/2019 9:00
ACA International’s membership recruitment is built on encouraging everyone to bring in new members. In ACA’s early years, you could even say members wore their recruitment efforts on their sleeves. In 1968, ACA gave out “emblem blazers” to the three people who had recruited the most new members that year; a program that eventually grew into the official Red Coat Club for those who brought in five or more new recruits in one fiscal year.
In 1975, member Ernie Silva was awarded a red blazer in recognition of his recruitment efforts at an association meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho. The following year, ACA officially launched the Red Coat Club at its annual convention in Orlando, Florida, with William Watson taking home the award. Many ACA members went on to win the award multiple times.
In this photo, members pose with the red coats they received at the 1988 Maui convention. By ACA’s 50th Anniversary Convention in 1989, 19 members qualified for the Red Coat Club for the eighth time.
Signing on five new members per person was clearly a manageable task and one members remained dedicated to throughout ACA’s history. The Red Coat Club set the stage for ongoing member-to-member recruitment at ACA.
As the association’s 80th anniversary year ends, membership recruitment has transformed to “Every member, get a member” (#EMGAM) under the leadership of CEO Mark Neeb and President Roger Weiss, IFCCE.
Members can now help grow the association through word-of-mouth and showcasing the benefits of membership on their individual careers and businesses. “Every member, get a member” also includes reengaging dormant members in the association, events and learning opportunities.
ACA is reigniting our membership with new and improved opportunities to encourage members to stay involved and extend an invitation to their fellow accounts receivable management industry professionals about the long-lasting benefits of joining the association.
If you’re interested in joining ACA International, visit acainternational.org/membership.
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