I recently joined the AAW and this forum. As I was reading through some of the threads, I discovered that some people seem to be disgruntled with the organization. As a new member, I’m certainly not disgruntled, but I have been thinking about some suggestions that might make the AAW an even better organization. Rather than “piling onâ€Â, I thought I might be able to locate a suggestion box through the website, but have not been able to find one. In lieu of that, I thought I would list some suggestions in this forum from a new member perspective. Perhaps other members, new and old, may want to add constructive suggestions of their own for consideration by the board. Here’s my list:
- Feedback - As I mentioned above, there should be a simple way through the website for members to provide feedback via some type of suggestion form or email address.
- Welcome Packet - Since joining, all I have received to date is a current copy of the American Woodturner Journal. Based on experience in other organizations, I guess I was expecting some type of welcome packet. It could include a welcome letter from the president and/or membership director, a past copy of the magazine and directory, some discounts/coupons, a membership card, and a list of membership benefits.
- Benefits - Speaking of membership benefits, I feel there should be more. For an average member like me, essentially all I’m getting is a quarterly magazine, a directory, and some discounts on AAW activities and merchandise. I’m a member of a photography organization and their list of benefits is huge and grows every year. Benefits that provide real value every month, such as discounts to retail stores and websites, would certainly drive up the AAW membership. For example, if the AAW negotiated with Craft Supplies to provide free shipping on all orders from AAW members, that would be a huge benefit. To retain business, Penn State might say, "fine, 10% off every order for AAW members", and the list of benefits would eventually begin to snowball. There could also be a “members only†portion of the website giving members access to valuable, timely, and constantly updated resources such as short video clips of turning tips and techniques, how-to documents, and past articles from the American Woodturner.
- Membership Card – Don’t make me request it or try to decipher my number from a magazine label. This should be automatic and absolutely necessary should the previous bullet ever take hold.
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