Taken from The Thoroughbred
by Bob Kinney
Co-Consultant: Joe Livingston
Every organization has some kind of membership drive. Organizations from churches to political parties. Unions to Lions clubs. We as a pigeon sport have so much to offer either adults or youth and we do so little. The sport is not just enjoyable to watch our birds fly but has the thrill of victory, the heartbreak of defeat, the admiration for the birds when they break the horizon and make that dive for the loft.
They are the only animal that we can send away from home, turn loose in the wild and they come home "without fail" on their own because they are able and want to.
The sport teaches discipline, time schedule, nutrition, conditioning and requires continuing education.
It has built in a hobbyist level for those that enjoy just watching the birds return and the competitor level for the fancier that drives himself to win. (These two levels should be broke into two different competitions the new fanciers can compete in by his choice with separate race sheets each week. In no other competitive sport are beginners, the less skilled, the kids required to come in and at once compete against the champions.)
Recruitment Techniques:
What are the three most pleasurable things in the sport to us?
Once we answer that, we have what may be the key to getting new members.
- Watching birds return from a race
- Watching birds fly around the loft and return from training
- Watching the birds in the loft
One or two, or three of these are required for us to even be keeping racing pigeons. Yet the best we do when trying to recruit members is to give them a brochure, show a video or tell them about it.
It is the difference of going and watching a horse race or being told about it. "These 9 horses run around a 1/2 mile track and one wins". When you watch it happen, it is sure a lot more exciting.
The number one recruitment technique should be birds returning to the loft.
It doesn't matter if they are only coming from 2, 3, or 5 miles.
Set up a small loft. Put in about 20 youngsters a month before and settle them. Then for one weekend have a race every two hours or every hour. This can be done at a community function, an advertised weekend or at a fair. At specific times, like 5 minutes to the hour, club members will release the birds 5 miles away. They only need to release 5 or 10 birds. Small numbers and small loft. They will all be back in a few minutes.
It doesn't matter if they all come at once, if one doesn't trap etc. They MUST ALL RETURN. That is critical. It doesn't matter if it is 2 miles or 5 or 10, they must all return. The public doesn't know and will be thrilled just to see them come back. Run this with a community charity fund raiser and you not only get new members, you promote good will in the community.
The loft should be small, 4' x 6' or so, anyone can put it in their back yard. It must be clean, should be white. When you sign them up, assign them a mentor, veteran in the club that not only does win races but can advise the beginner step by step on how to do it. One with a small neat loft himself. The membership should be involved but watch as one bone head can mess it up for you.
Use the brochures, flyers etc that are available or make some up, but also use what has hooked us and keeps us hooked.
The birds coming home!!