The Summer Strategy Behind Howell DECA's Membership Growth

By Joshua Pozo | Howell High School, NJ

The strongest DECA chapters don’t recruit harder; they plan earlier.

While many students are enjoying their summer, chapter officers and leaders have the opportunity to plan something that can completely change the upcoming school year.

During Howell High School DECA’s first year as a chapter in New Jersey, our officer team learned valuable lessons through both successes and mistakes, but by far the biggest regret we encountered after our first year‚ and one many veteran chapters still fall into‚ was not putting enough thought into membership growth.

As presidents and officers of DECA chapters, we all understand the feeling of someone asking to join after the membership deadline has passed, and having to tell them they’ll have to wait another year. To solve this problem, Howell High School’s officer team spent the summer developing three recruitment strategies designed to help more students discover DECA before registration deadlines.

Strategy 1: Unique Poster Designs

Students see many posters throughout the school year. When the same design is repeated over and over again, people naturally begin to ignore it. Marketing works best when it captures attention. Since marketing is one of DECA’s career clusters, our chapter should strive to have one of the strongest marketing presences in the school. Rather than hanging dozens of identical flyers, create several unique poster designs and strategically place them where the message fits the environment. A creative, well-placed poster is more likely to spark interest than a generic flyer.

• Step 1: Identify high-traffic areas throughout your school where students naturally spend the most time (cafeterias, stairwells, main hallways, or water fountains)
• Step 2: Design posters that match each location (e.g., “Take the Next Step Toward Success” in stairwells or “Thirsty for Success?” near water fountains).
• Step 3: Add a QR code linking directly to your Google Classroom, interest form, or chapter website so students can immediately take the next step.
• Step 4: Use multiple unique designs instead of repeating the same flyer to keep your marketing fresh and memorable.

Strategy 2: Interactive Recruitment Booth

Marketing should do more than make students aware of your chapter‚ it should create opportunities to interact with it. While posters generate curiosity, a recruitment booth gives students the chance to ask questions, meet members, and take immediate action. Instead of hoping students remember your interest meeting, bring DECA directly to them. An interactive booth increases visibility while allowing your chapter to connect with potential members.

• Step 1: Reserve a high-traffic location during lunch the week before your first interest meeting.
• Step 2: Create an eye-catching booth using decorations such as a DECA tablecloth, banners, balloon columns, trophies, or chapter displays.
• Step 3: Include an interactive activity, such as a spin-the-wheel with inexpensive prizes, to encourage students to stop.
• Step 4: Collect students' contact information via a QR code or a Google Form.
• Step 5: Have officers actively start conversations with students, answer questions, explain DECA opportunities, and personally invite them to an upcoming interest meeting. The goal is to build a personal connection rather than simply handing out information.
• Step 6: Follow up through Google Classroom or email with reminders and important updates.
  

Strategy 3: Member Referral Program

One of the best ways to grow a chapter is by turning every member into a recruiter. Students are far more likely to join a club when invited by a friend than when discovering it on their own. Instead of placing the responsibility for recruitment solely on officers, create a referral program that rewards members for helping the chapter grow and creates excitement throughout the registration period.

• Step 1: Introduce the referral program after your first official member meeting.
• Step 2: Add a referral question to your registration form asking, “Who referred you to DECA?”
• Step 3: Allow registered members to begin referring friends immediately after completing their registration. A referral only counts if both the referring member and the new member submit their DECA dues before the membership deadline. Once both students have paid, the referring member earns one official raffle entry.
• Step 4: Reward each successful referral with one raffle entry. Unlimited entries encourage continued recruiting.
• Step 5: Announce the winner after membership closes by reimbursing one member‚Äôs dues or awarding another meaningful prize.
• Step 6: Continue promoting the referral program until the membership deadline to maximize participation.
  

Every chapter is different, but one lesson applies to all of us: don’t wait until the school year begins to start building your chapter. Reflect, plan, and prepare now. The work you do over the summer may become the reason another student never has to say, “I wish I had joined DECA.”