new 



AAAY REACH 125,000 



IN 1946 



HOPES for lAA membership reach- 

 ing the 125,000 mark in 1946 was 

 expressed at the annual organiza- 

 tion-information conference in Chicago 

 Nov. 28, by O. D. Brissenden, lAA or- 

 ganization director. 



The conference was held in conjunc- 

 tion with the annual meeting of the 

 lAA at Hotel Sherman. 



"For the past four years," Brissen- 

 den said, "we have had a net annual 

 gain of 10,000 members. We may well 

 expect a similar gain in 1946. The 

 membership banner may well carry the 

 figure 125,000. 



"I believe it will if those who be- 

 lieve in the Farm Bureau live up to 

 their opportunities. 



"A strong membership," he ex- 

 plained, "will be necessary if we would 

 live up to our future. Last year it 

 stood at 105,057. As of Sept. 30 it 

 was 115,657. Let's make it 125,000 

 next year!" 



Theme of the conference was "Sell- 

 ing, Serving and Saving Farm Bureau 

 membership." The selling point was 

 discussed by Orville Helms, president 

 of the St. Clair County Farm Bureau, 

 the serving by Lester Day, president of 

 the Kankakee County Farm Bureau, and 

 Dave Mieher, manager of Country Life 

 Insurance Company, and the saving by 

 A. E. James, president of the White- 

 side County Farm Bureau, and by C. 

 H. Becker, manager of the Illinois 

 Farm Supply Company. 



Helms stressed the importance of 

 contact with the individual farmer and 

 urged county organization directors to 

 plan and conduct a well-organized 

 membership campaign at least once a 

 year. 



Day pointed out to all Farm Bureau 

 officers the importance of service. If 

 we serve the member as he should be 

 served, he said, we won't need to worry 

 about saving them. 



Mieher advised the C.O.D.'s not to 

 consider their jobs done as soon as the 

 farmer has signed his contract. The 

 big selling job, he said, is to see that 

 the member gets the benefit of all the 

 services to which he is entitled. 



Mieher pointed out that the new 



Farm Bureau member, remembering the 

 points of service stressed when he was 

 being asked to join, is in a mood to 

 challenge somebody to prove that he 

 did not make a mistake when he signed 

 a membership contract. 



"We recognize our responsibility," 

 Mieher said, "as representatives of the 

 Farm Bureau insurance program to be 

 one of providing for all of the insur- 

 ance needs of Farm Bureau members. 



A. E. lames, prMident. Whiteside County 

 Fann Bureau. 



We believe that our insurance com- 

 panies are in a position to provide these 

 needs with a superior service offered 

 at a low cost." 



James reminded Farm Bureau officers 

 to recognize the fact that each member 

 doesn't look to his organization for the 

 same thing. So build your program, 

 he said, so it will reach and interest 

 all membership. To some, insurance is 

 the big feature, to others service and 

 educational programs are of paramount 

 importance. Plan your program to 

 give the farmer what he needs, and see 

 that he gets it. 



Becker urged the participation of all 

 in Farm Bureau affairs to save it from 

 membership apathy and defection. "If 

 you want to lose your members," Becker 

 told his audience, "just ignore them. 

 To be ignored hurts more than to be 

 insulted. 



"When the Farm Bureau does not 

 have good public relations and good 

 membership relations, it hasn't very 

 much left," he continued. "When farm 

 people cannot reach out and touch the 

 organization and be conscious of the 

 fact that it is theirs, we have failed. 



"We have a democratic set-up with 

 2,900 farmer officials operating Farm 

 Bureau and its cooperatives in Illinois. 

 As long as we keep this kind of demo- 

 cratic machinery operating we will save 

 membership effectively." 



The meeting was presided over by 

 Otto Steffey, Henderson, who also 

 asked the membership to "talk Farm 

 Bureau every chance you get." Farm 

 Bureau leaders especially, he said, 

 should get acquainted with as many 

 farmers as possible, letting them know 

 the advantages of belonging to our 

 organization. Others introduced on the 

 program were the new vice president 

 of the lAA, Floyd E. Morris, Sanga- 

 mon, and August Eggerding, Randolph. 



Five county organization directors, 

 L. W. Braham, Will; R. L. Montavon. 

 Lee; H. Zeis Gumm, Edgar; C. H. 

 Mills, Cook, and John C. Bigelow, 

 Marion, were singled out by the organi- 

 zation department for special mention. 



Braham reported a gain of 265 mem- 

 bers for the largest numerical gain in 

 the state. Montavon was a close sec- 

 ond, reporting a net numerical gain of 

 259. Gumm had 351 per cent of his 

 new member quota, which was state 

 high on a percentage basis. He was 

 closely followed by Bigelow with 349 

 per cent. Mills reported 380 new mem- 

 bers signed, which was the highest 

 number reported. 



Director Brissenden also commended 

 the fine records of his district assistants 

 — L. B. Hornbeck, John C. Moore and 

 Harry Claar. 



During the past year, two ^ew 

 county Farm Bureaus were organized 

 in Hamilton and Perry counties. The 

 new Farm Bureaus were set up ifter 

 the reorganization of the Franklin - 

 Hamilton and Jackson-Perry Farm Bu- 

 reaus. Both of the new organizations 

 have experienced splendid growth dur- 

 ing the past several months, Brissenden 

 reported. 



HOLD FARM AND HOMi 

 WEEK, FEB. 12-14 



Farm and Home Week, highlight of 

 the year's University of Illinois college 

 of agriculture activities, will be held on 

 the Urbana campus Feb. 12-14, Dean H. 

 P. Rusk of the college of agriculture has 

 announced. 



Dean Rusk warned all farm people to 

 get rooming accommodations far in ad- 

 vance if they plan to attend Farm and 

 Home Week. 



"The housing situation in Urbana- 

 Champaign is extremely critical," he said, 

 "and visitors will experience difficult)' 

 if they come to stay overnight without 

 reservations." 



DECEMBER. 1945 



23 



