Membership
The Membership Committee is charged with ensuring that the Glebe Community Association has a large committed membership, important for our influence when we speak to City Council or other decision-making bodies. Membership also provides the GCA’s only source of revenue, which allows us to support projects such as the Great Glebe Garage Sale, donate money to needy causes such as to residents affected by Glebe fires, and print brochures, posters etc. for a number of GCA activities.
To maintain and grow our membership each year, the Membership Committee is responsible for organizing and conducting the annual GCA Membership Campaign for the Association, collecting $5 membership fees per household and all data results from the door-to-door canvass each May, and ensuring that all membership data is kept up-to-date on a computerized membership database. An important element in the canvass planning is recruiting Area Representatives for the 11 areas of the Glebe, and working with them to recruit well over 200 Block Representatives each year for the canvass.
While the membership canvass for the past year started in May 2009, in the winter of 2009, we had difficulties with an obsolete computer, and could not update the computerized membership data from the prior year – so data was updated by hand (over 1000 pages of data) by a very committed membership support team. Our apologies to Block canvassers who had to do their canvass with handwritten updates! The good news is that despite these technical problems, we increased our membership by over 200 households from 2008, raising some $7000 for the GCA, minus some campaign costs.
Other good news is that in September of 2009, The GCA purchased a $500 second-hand laptop computer for the membership database (and other GCA needs). With the printer already owned by the GCA, this has meant that this year, all membership data is on a computerized system, and all canvassers are currently doing the 2010 membership canvass with up-to-date printed reports. And despite a number of Area Representative resignations this spring from the GCA Board, we managed to find three new full-time Area Representatives, and two Acting Area Reps for the spring canvass.
The Membership Committee hopes to be involved at a number of GCA events throughout the coming year, to increase our membership even more. For this purpose, and to spread the word further about the GCA, we have printed extra copies of our GCA information brochure.
We would welcome more Committee members to our membership team. Please email membership@glebeca.ca to let us know your interest.
Visit the "Join the GCA" page for further information...