Greater Lake Michigan Urantia Association (GLMUA) is a Local Association of the United States Urantia Association (UAUS). Recently we hosted a New Membership Invitation Meeting and as a result, we are now welcoming two new people into our ranks. For organizations like the many Urantia associations around the world that make participation in events open to all, it is difficult to express the benefits of membership. This meeting gave GLMUA an opportunity to pointedly convey who we are, what our goals are, and how it serves the individual and the community when people become members.
This meeting has been a long-time coming. As president, I’ve had it on my mind for a couple of years but wanted to build up to it with a record of maintaining our regular activities (planning various gatherings throughout the year) while also taking on some unique activities which grab people’s attention and get them excited. GLMUA members worked together to give a talk at a Urantiathon and a group was formed to support people in reaching their personal goals. This build-up paid off, as one of the new members stated that the reason why he was joining, even though he is a self-professed non-joiner, is because of how active we have been.
The meeting itself was open to all readers who wanted to learn more about GLMUA. It attracted 17 people, some of whom were non-members while others were members who just wanted a refresher on the organization. I co-hosted the meeting with Rick Lyon, and we took turns talking about:
- GLMUA’s purpose.
- GLMUA’s relationship to Urantia Association of the United States and to Urantia Association International.
- Inspiring anecdotes about how joining GLMUA means joining the larger, world-wide organization.
- Its friendly relationship with other local Urantia societies.
- Why having a healthy structure is important for future waves of growth.
- Introduction to GLMUA’s charter and by-laws, and how to join.
Two new members may not seem like a whole lot, but for us, it is a year’s worth of new members. I feel confident that if we keep going along the route that we have been—if we keep holding steady to the projects that people have come to expect from us, and if we continue to engage people in novel activities that help people to live the teachings more fully, then in a just a few years’ time I hope to be able to host another successful New Membership Invitation Meeting.