In furtherance of this philosophy, District and Region leaders, working in concert with the Executive Committee and Sertoma Headquarters, shall conduct an annual strategic planning session to develop and update a plan of action for growth which will include: (a) targeting new club development sites; (b) identifying potential new club development sponsors and new club builders; (c) setting in motion hands-on action to successfully meet the new club development objectives of the philosophy; and (d) focusing on special membership expansion and conservation needs of clubs and Districts. This policy is of paramount importance to Sertomans everywhere.

Another important aspect of the plan is a timetable or calendar. The first quarter "Early Bird GEMhunt" sets the pace of the year. Don't stop there, though, as the GEMhunt Award can be earned each quarter.

Growth is a year-round process – based on a plan. Each segment of our growth endeavor will require the formation of special committees. Before setting your club's growth goals in cement, the incoming president, just prior to the start of the year, should meet with each committee to discuss ideas and develop a written plan of action. Once finalized, the president must share it with the board of directors, as the success of the plan hinges on board support. Club growth goals must also be shared and adopted by the club membership at the beginning of the administrative year.

Service organizations all over the world expend a great amount of time and effort addressing their greatest need and concern: MEMBERSHIP! The membership development challenge includes: recruitment, orientation, retention and club building. It begins with recruitment as a MUST for every Sertoma club if it is to survive or grow. Once the new member is recruited, he or she must be given a positive start. The New Member Orientation is an important tool to assist clubs in this area. Each New Member Kit contains the New Member Orientation disk. Encourage your new members to view the disk, as it contains interesting and important facts about Sertoma's history.

Your club should also consider the challenge of building a new club. Recruiting Charter Members for a nonexistent club is no easy task. Various club-building methods have been tried. Not one of them is necessarily wrong. There are, however, established approaches on how to make it all happen quickly and more easily. Contact Sertoma Headquarters for a new club development manual if your club is pursuing a new club development project.

The key to a successful growth program at the club level is simply this: Set a specific goal. What is it that the club wants to accomplish? Clubs should identify specific needs in the area of membership development. Consider a new club development project during the year. This section, along with the listed reference materials, is not a cure-all. Positive results require the commitment of the club members. Leaders must expend extra energy to achieve success in the area of membership development and growth. Sertoma's future depends on this important effort.