Joining is only the beginning. Regular, natural conversations help clubs find out how a new member is experiencing Lions, whether it is matching what they hoped for, and whether anything needs attention before a small issue becomes a reason to leave.
These follow-ups are conversations, not reviews or assessments. They can happen over coffee, after a Lions activity, on the phone or wherever a natural conversation works.
Choose someone who already has, or can build, a good connection with the new member to follow up with them. That might be their sponsor, the Membership Chair or another member.
You don't need to ask every question in this plan. Use the prompts that fit, listen to where the conversation goes and follow up on what matters.
The first month is about settling in. A new member may still be learning names, working out how things happen and finding where they fit.
This conversation is a chance to find out how their first few weeks have felt, clear up anything they're unsure about and make sure they've had opportunities to be involved.
“You've been with us for about a month now, so I wanted to see how you're finding everything. Is there anything you're still unsure about, or anything you'd like to get involved with that hasn't happened yet?”
What have you enjoyed so far?
Is there anything about the club or Lions that you're still unsure about?
Have you had a chance to get involved in something you wanted to do?
Is there anything you expected when you joined that hasn't happened yet?
Is there anything we could do to help you settle in?
Listen for more than problems. You might hear about something they've particularly enjoyed, people they've connected with, something they'd like to try, or a skill or interest the club didn't know about.
Also listen for signs that they're still on the edges of the club, aren't sure how to get involved, or haven't yet had the experience they expected when they joined.
Act on anything that needs attention. That might mean introducing them to someone, explaining something that wasn't clear, connecting them with a project they're interested in or making sure they're personally invited to an upcoming activity.
If they've told you something they would like to do, remember it and follow it up. Asking is only useful if something happens afterwards.
By two months, a new member has had more time to experience the club, meet people and take part in activities. They may also be starting to work out which parts of Lions interest them and which don't.
This conversation is about finding out what they're enjoying, whether they're beginning to feel part of the club and whether there are opportunities they'd like to explore.
“You've had a bit more time with us now. How are you finding it? What have you enjoyed most so far, and is there anything you'd like to get more involved in?”
What have you enjoyed most since joining?
Are you getting to know people in the club?
Is there anything you've seen the club doing that you'd like to be part of?
Have you discovered anything about Lions that you didn't know before you joined?
Is there anything you'd like to do that we haven't given you the opportunity to try yet?
Listen for where their enthusiasm is. A new member may light up when they talk about a particular project, type of volunteering or part of the club. That's useful information about what might keep Lions interesting and worthwhile for them.
Also notice whether they're beginning to build connections with more than one person. A member who only really knows their sponsor or the person who recruited them may still feel like a visitor rather than part of the club.
Help turn their interests into opportunities. If they've mentioned something they'd like to try, connect them with the people involved and make the introduction rather than leaving them to find their own way in.
Help them build connections across the club too. Invite them into conversations, introduce them to members they haven't spent much time with and include them in activities where those relationships can develop naturally.
By three months, a new member has had enough experience to form a much clearer view of the club. What they imagined Lions would be like before joining may or may not match what they've actually experienced.
This is a good time for a more open conversation about what's working for them, what isn't, and whether they're getting what they hoped for from being a member.
“You've been with us for about three months now, so you've had a pretty good chance to see what the club is really like. How has it compared with what you expected when you joined? What's been good, and is there anything you wish was different?”
Has being part of Lions been what you expected so far?
Do you feel like you're part of the club?
Have you had opportunities to contribute in ways that feel worthwhile to you?
Is there anything making it harder for you to be involved than you expected?
Is there anything about the club that you think could work better?
If you could change one thing about your experience so far, what would it be?
Listen for gaps between what they expected and what they've experienced. They may enjoy Lions but find meetings difficult to attend, want more hands-on volunteering, feel unsure about where they fit, or have expected opportunities that haven't eventuated.
Pay attention to what they say about belonging as well as volunteering. Feeling useful matters, but so does feeling comfortable, included and valued as part of the club.
If they tell you something isn't working, resist the urge to immediately explain why the club does things that way.
Their experience doesn't become less valid because there's a reason behind it. Ask more about what isn't working and what might make it better. There may be a practical solution, or their feedback may identify something the club genuinely needs to look at.
By now, there may be things worth following up beyond the conversation itself. Agree on any next steps, make sure the right person knows about them and come back to the member afterwards.
If something can't be changed, tell them. A genuine explanation after listening is very different from immediately defending the status quo.
By six months, a member has had time to experience different parts of club life and develop a better idea of what they enjoy. Their interests may also have changed as they've learned more about what Lions offers.
This conversation is about whether their current level and type of involvement are working for them, and whether they'd like more, less or something different.
“You've been with us for about six months now and you've had the chance to try a few things. How are you feeling about your involvement? Is there anything you'd like to do more of, less of, or something different you'd like to try?”
What parts of Lions are you enjoying most?
Is there anything you've been doing that isn't really your thing?
Is there something you'd like to try that you haven't had the opportunity to do yet?
Is the amount of time you're giving to Lions working for you?
Is there something you'd like to learn or a skill you'd like to develop?
Are there skills or interests you have that we haven't really tapped into yet?
Listen for what gives the member energy and what feels like an obligation. Someone may love volunteering at projects but have little interest in meetings, enjoy organising things behind the scenes, want more responsibility, or be perfectly happy with the amount they're already doing.
Their preferred level of involvement doesn't need to look like somebody else's. More involvement isn't automatically better involvement.
If someone says they'd like to try something, don't immediately turn that interest into a permanent job.
Let them help, shadow someone, try one part of a project or take something on for a limited time. People are more likely to explore new opportunities when saying yes once doesn't mean they've accidentally acquired the role for the next twelve years. 😂
Look for practical ways to match their involvement with what they've told you. That might mean introducing them to another project, giving them the chance to learn something new, reducing something they aren't enjoying or leaving things exactly as they are because they're happy.
The aim isn't to increase their workload. It's to help them build a Lions experience they want to continue.
When the next membership dues are approaching, it is a good time to find out how the member is feeling about Lions. If there are things they aren't enjoying or that are making it difficult to stay involved, it's much better to know before they are deciding whether to pay their next dues.
This shouldn't be a sales pitch to convince them to stay. It's an opportunity to understand their experience and whether anything needs attention.
“Your next membership dues will be coming up soon, so I thought it was a good time to see how you're finding Lions. What are you enjoying, and is there anything that isn't working so well for you?”
What are you enjoying most about being a Lion?
Is the amount and type of involvement working for you?
Is there anything you hoped to get from Lions that hasn't happened yet?
Is anything making it difficult for you to stay involved?
Is there anything you'd like to change about your involvement?
Is there anything the club could do differently that would improve your experience?
Listen for hesitation as well as direct answers. Someone may not say they're considering leaving, but they might talk about being too busy, not enjoying certain parts of club life, feeling disconnected, struggling with the cost or not getting much from their involvement.
Don't assume every concern means they want to leave. Sometimes a member is quite happy to stay but needs their involvement to work differently.
If someone raises a concern, don't immediately treat it as something that needs to be overcome so they'll pay their dues.
Find out what's behind it. Some things may be straightforward to address, some may need a wider club conversation, and some may not be within the club's control. The member should be able to speak honestly without feeling pressured to stay.
If something can be addressed, agree on what will happen and who will follow it up. If the member needs more flexibility, talk about what that could look like rather than assuming their only choices are to continue exactly as they are or leave.
If they do decide not to continue, ask what the club can learn from their experience. Their reasons may help the club improve the experience for other members.
After a year, a member has experienced a good slice of club life. They've seen projects, meetings, fundraising and social activities, built relationships and probably worked out which parts of Lions matter most to them.
This conversation is about looking forward. What would they like to keep doing, explore, learn or change as they move beyond their first year?
“You've been a Lion for a year now! Looking back, what have you enjoyed most? And looking ahead, what would you like your involvement in Lions to look like from here?”
What have been the best parts of your first year?
Is there anything you'd definitely like to keep doing?
Is there anything you'd like to do less of or differently?
Is there something in Lions you'd like to learn more about or have a go at?
Would you like the opportunity to take on more responsibility, or are you happy with the level of involvement you have now?
Is there anything you think the club could do better for its members?
Listen for how they want their involvement to develop, without assuming that development means taking on a position or doing more.
They might want to lead a project, learn a new skill or become more involved. They might prefer hands-on volunteering, helping occasionally when they can, contributing behind the scenes or continuing exactly as they are.
A year of membership doesn't mean someone should now be heading towards a committee position or taking on more responsibility.
For some members, that will be exactly what they want. For others, a satisfying Lions experience may look completely different. The useful question is what they want from Lions next, not what the club thinks they should do next.
Where possible, help create opportunities that match what they've told you. If they want to learn something, connect them with someone who can show them. If they're interested in taking on responsibility, give them opportunities to build experience rather than dropping an entire role in their lap.
And if they're happy with what they're already doing, that's useful information too. Not every conversation needs to result in a change.
The purpose of these conversations isn't only to hear what's going well. Sometimes a member will tell you about something that is frustrating them, making it harder to participate or affecting how they feel about the club.
What happens next can matter as much as the conversation itself.
Give them the chance to explain what has happened and how it is affecting them. Ask questions if you need to understand more, but don't immediately explain, defend or dismiss what they're telling you.
You don't have to agree with everything they say to take their experience seriously.
Sometimes the solution may be quite different from what you expect. Ask:
“What do you think would make this work better for you?”
“Is there something we could do differently?”
“Would you like me to help with this, or did you mainly want me to know about it?”
That last question can be particularly useful. Sometimes a member wants help with an issue, and sometimes they mainly want the opportunity to be heard.
Some things can be fixed quickly. Others may need to be discussed with another member, the Board or the whole club. And sometimes the club won't be able to give the member exactly what they want.
Don't promise an outcome you can't deliver. Be clear about what you can do and what will happen next.
If you've said you'll do something, do it. If you've said you'll find something out, get back to them.
Even if the answer ends up being “we can't change that”, following up shows the member that what they said was heard and taken seriously.
After the first year, there doesn't need to be another set of scheduled conversations at 18 months, two years or three years. By then, checking in with members should become part of the way the club operates.
People's lives change. So do their interests, available time and what they want from Lions. Someone who was keen to be involved in everything during their first year may need to do less later. Someone who started cautiously may discover an interest in a project, role or area of Lions they hadn't previously considered.
You don't need a special occasion to ask an established member:
“How are you finding things at the moment?”
“Are you still enjoying what you're doing?”
“Is there anything you'd like to do differently?”
“Is there something you'd like to get involved with?”
“Is the amount you're doing still working for you?”
These conversations can happen naturally throughout the year, particularly when you notice that someone's involvement, circumstances or enthusiasm have changed.
The longer someone has been a member, the easier it can be to assume we know what they enjoy, what they're willing to do and what they want from Lions.
Keep asking. The answer they give after five years may be very different from the answer they gave after one.
The first year of follow-up may be finished, but retention isn't.
As members become more established, the focus shifts from helping them find their place in Lions to making sure there is room for their involvement to change as they do.
For more ideas about that next stage, see Keeping Established Members in Lions.
Someone in the club should have a simple way of knowing whether the follow-up conversations have happened and whether anything still needs attention.
You don't need detailed reports about every conversation. In fact, members should be able to talk openly without feeling as though everything they say is being recorded.
A simple record could include:
the member's name
the date each follow-up happened
anything the member has asked the club to follow up
who has agreed to do it
whether that follow-up has been completed
If a conversation raises something personal or sensitive, don't record details that don't need to be recorded. Keep the focus on what the club needs to do next, not a record of everything the member said.
Decide who will keep an eye on the follow-up schedule. It might be the Membership Chair, the member's sponsor or another member who has taken responsibility for supporting newer members.
The important part is that somebody knows when a conversation is due and makes sure any agreed follow-up actually happens.
The dates in this plan are useful reminders, but they aren't the reason the follow-up matters. The important part is making sure someone takes the time to ask a new member how they're going and genuinely listens to the answer.
Not every conversation will uncover a problem or lead to a change. Sometimes you'll find out that the member is happy, enjoying what they're doing and wouldn't change a thing. That's worth knowing too.
When something does need attention, responding to it shows the member that their experience matters. Over time, these conversations should become less about following a schedule and more about being part of a club where members notice, ask, listen and follow up.