Fall 2009 issue
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Gene Ann Behrens, PhD, MT-BC
We are only as strong as our members!
Your 2010 Membership fees are due at the end of December – Please pay ASAP in 2009!
Your membership fee increases our region’s ability to serve you.
Don’t forget about taking advantage of the Membership Support Fund for your 2010 fees if needed.
Due date extended to November 15.
One of my jobs as Vice-president of Membership in the MAR is to maintain and analyze the trends in membership based on the quarter reports. At of the end of the second quarter, July 7, there were 852 members in the MAR. This total is a 14.82% increase since the first quarter, April report, but a 2.75% decrease from that same time last year. Although the total number is less than this time last year, we did have a slightly larger first-to-second-quarter increase than in 2008. The number of professionals increased by 14.02% from the first quarter, but this number is 4.29% less from this same time last year. The number of students increased by 20.39% from the first quarter. Although this is still a 3.88% decrease from last year, this percent is less of a decrease than during the first quarter. The number of graduate students increased by 21.13% from the first quarter and they have now increased by 11.69% from last year. A review of these numbers associated with the membership types now indicates that the greatest decrease is within the professional members, closely followed by the student membership.
Based on the continued decreasing trends in the student and professional membership data and on comments from new professionals, I still believe there is a need to focus on encouraging new professionals to join and then mentor them to stay involved during their first few years. I also believe getting more students involved within the regional professional organizations is an important step to getting them involved as professionals. With the start up of classes, I will be re-contacting directors of programs and internship sites to solicit their assistance in encouraging students and new professionals to join AMTA. Our $75 discount coupon for the next regional conference appears to be attractive to people as they learn about it. However, I believe more coordinated work with educators and internship directors needs to take place. In other words, the region really needs everyone’s assistance! Please encourage new professionals to go online and complete the new professional form (http://www.mar-amta.org/membership/).
The national membership committee also collected feedback information via a questionnaire on survey monkey from members and from non-members. The survey was created by Ginny Driscoll, co-chair of the national membership committee. From my perspective as a statistician, I am concerned that we only received an approximate 17% return rate based on the reported 2116 members in 2008, and that over 50% of the members responding to the survey reported attending a national conference and regional conference. Based on my discussions with people during the callathon, I believe the two percents indicate that we were not able to obtain information from the many people in each region who cannot attend regional and national conferences for one reason or another. I believe these are the people with whom we need increase our connection. Based on the survey results, most members joined due to membership benefits and conference discounts. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents believe that it is important for students to be members; this echoes my belief in getting more students involved. Conferences, journals, and information at the members-only-website are valued most by members. Fifty percent of the respondents indicated they were satisfied with their membership, but a slight majority rated membership fees as only moderately reasonable. Fifty percent of the non-members identified the cost of membership as the reason for not joining; this outcome was supported by the many part-time music therapists with whom I talked during the callathon.
A few reminders to MAR members:
- If you need support for your 2010 membership dues, complete the application on the MAR website under Opportunities – due date extended to November 15, 2009
- Continue to check out AMTA. Pro, an on-line symposium that will allow you to view podcasts of lectures that highlight experienced music therapists
- Remind new professionals to send in their new professional forms
- Let me know when music therapists move into our region
- Drop me an email when you hear about an accomplishment or challenging situation for any of our members. We want to give them our support.
- Contact Brian Abrams, our past president, to volunteer for a variety of tasks within our region
We are only as strong as our members!
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