Membership Region Leader Duties
About Regional Leaders
Regional leaders are volunteers who help to organize events and members in their respective regions. Each region has one leader but may also have others in their region that assist them. The following duties and recommendations are provided to help the regional leader. The leaders & regional members should decide their region's goals and activites. Leaders should enroll the help of other members in their region. Leaders should feel free to contact KNPS and other regional leaders if they need help in their region. The membership regions contain leader contact information and county groupings.
Regions do not have officers or elections. Regions are simply local members working together to offer local events and attract members.
Interested in leading your region? Contact us to volunteer.
Leader Goals
Each membership region will help to create local events and involvement. Goals of the Membership regions are:
- Develop local events in each region
- Recruit new members in each region
- Create a local community of members
Leaders may set specific goals such as:
- Encourage a representative for each county in your region
- Develop at least one event in each county of your region
- Attract members in each county in your region
- Increase region membership by a set amount
- Encourage others in your region to help
Planning Meeting
Organize a planning meeting with fellow members in your region. Contact KNPS for a list of members in the region. A planning meeting is a fantastic way for those in the region to meet one another. It also can get more people involved to help. Consider the following topics of discussion.
Consider the following topics for discussion.
- How often to meet
- Ideas for indoor programs
- Ideas for field trips
- Places to hold meetings
- Ways to attract the public to events
- How to encourage new members
Field Trips
Organize field trips. Field trips are popular among members. Consider visiting one the following areas. Ask you members for ideas of places to visit.
- State fishing lake or wildlife area
- Federal reservoir property
- City or county park
- Arboretums and public gardens
- Private property, by permission only
- Private gardens, by permission only
If organizing a major tour, use the KNPS's Guide to hosting a wildflower tour.
Workshops
Consider offering workshops for the region's members. The following could be offered.
- Plant identification
- Seed collecting
- Growing native plants from seed
- Pressing plants
Speakers
Consider having a speaker present to the region's members. Use local speakers if possible. Contact KNPS for a list of possible speakers. Some ideas for topics are the following.
- Gardening with native plants
- Restoring or Managing prairies or woodlands
- Local wildflower slide show
Encouraging Membership
A region is only as strong as the members that make up the region. Regions should try to attract new members and encourage member involvement. This is best accomplished at each event.
We suggest doing the following at any event held in your region.
- State the mission and/or goals of KNPS
- Use the KNPS Event Sign-in Sheet (PDF) and collect name & email. Send the sign-in sheet to KNPS.
- Alternatively you can use the Email Group Sign Up Sheet to gather emails that KNPS can add to our email list.
- Attendees who supply their email address will be invited to join the KNPS email list so they can receive weekly events announcements
- Offer KNPS brochures or business cards
- Mention that members can request our wildflower poster when they join.
- Mention the KNPS quarterly color newsletter that members receive
- Have everyone in attendance introduce themselves. This is a great way to get people talking to one another. Starting with the leader have everyone state the following.
- Their name and city
- If they are a member of KNPS
- Their interest in native plants
Publicizing Events
Once events have been determined, they should be publicized to both our members and to the public.
- To publicize with KNPS, Submit Event to the Events Calendar.
Publicize your events locally. Consider contacting the following entities for help publicizing, especially if the event will be held on their property.
- Public Libraries
- Extension Offices
- Conservation Districts
- State Parks
- City Parks or Nature Areas
- Federal Reservoir Parks
- National Parks
Use local publications when possible. Consider the following publications.
- Local newspapers
- Grass & Grain publication
- Local Rural Electric Cooperative publication
- Kansas Traveler Publication
Groups to Invite
When looking for potential attendees for events, other organizations may have interested people. Consider contacting the following.
- Garden Clubs
- Master Gardeners
- Audubon Groups
- Sierra Club
- Ranchers
- Biology Groups (e.g. Butterflies)
- Scout Troops
KNPS Duties for Leaders
KNPS will help leaders by supplying materials and guidance. Contact us for the following.
- Supply a list of members in the region along with contact information.
- Supply KNPS brochures and KNPS business cards for your events.
- List your events in our Events Calendar.
- Notify people of your events through the Email List.
- Supply a list of potential speakers
- Offer guidance
