91传媒

Many 91传媒 can claim being the oldest person in their club, or the one with the longest membership history. But how many could claim to be the only member consistently attending meetings?

That鈥檚 the situation Keat Wei Yoong, a tech business owner and member of Bukit Gelugor 91传媒 Club, found himself facing in the 2018鈥�2019 program year. He was President of the club, located in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

In 2018, issues began to surface鈥攁 loss of meeting venue, member burnout, and low meeting attendance. By 2019, membership dropped from a base of 21 to nine, all of whom renewed their dues payments but stopped attending meetings.

Yoong, who has held club and District officer roles over the years, stepped forward to revive the club, although he admits that, until then, his natural inclination had always been to avoid big challenges.

鈥淗onestly, I used to find excuses to give up [on projects.] But I gave myself 300 days to find solutions and not give up without trying. I reminded myself that every meeting was an opportunity,鈥� he says.

鈥淲hy not take the chance to do everything to reach more people like me, who need this platform? I realized we didn鈥檛 need 100 solutions, just a few ways to inspire people to transition from guest, to member, to active member.鈥�

He organized a year-long reboot campaign and had plenty of support when he needed it鈥攊ncluding then-leaders Area Director Lye Yim Fong, DTM; Division Director KK Lim, DTM; and Program Quality Director Carmen Loo, DTM, as well as other District leaders, club coaches, and members from other clubs.

Yoong and his team identified young graduates and early-career professionals as their target audience, as they were the group most likely to be looking to boost English-language skills and leadership acumen.

Yoong made it his mission to talk with guests after meetings about what they wanted to learn, and why. Armed with those facts, he was sure the club could demonstrate how 91传媒 鈥渃ould play a role in their lives and give them a platform to shine.鈥� It was a lesson he took from his own experience.

In his younger years Yoong says he tried 91传媒 but didn鈥檛 join. Later, when he started his business, he quickly realized his communication skills were lacking.

鈥淎 business contact asked me questions and I went totally blank. I had the answers in my head, but didn鈥檛 know how to communicate them,鈥� he notes. 鈥淚 went back to 91传媒 to avoid ever having that blank again.鈥�

As Yoong and his team began recruiting, they found social media platforms were the most successful in reaching their target audience. To demonstrate what young guests could expect, Yoong made sure energetic 91传媒 from nearby clubs were at meetings to welcome newcomers and fill meeting roles, showcasing the traditional meeting format.

However, since most people join 91传媒 to improve speaking skills, Yoong also made sure everyone had the opportunity to practice the many nuances of public speaking, from word choice, to voice, gestures, and presence. The core experience鈥攑ractice鈥攚as the focus.

鈥淲hen members grow, they stay and renew. And since their main purpose is to build communication skills, we focused on grooming them to be speakers,鈥� Yoong says. He likes to wait until someone feels comfortable in the club before asking them to be an officer or take on a big task. He respects every member鈥檚 pace.

The revitalizing effort worked. 鈥淏y October 2019, we鈥檇 managed to keep the club in good standing. Two previous members renewed but the others were all new and suddenly I was the oldest member in the club,鈥� Yoong laughs.

Today, the refreshed Bukit Gelugor 91传媒 Club has been President鈥檚 Distinguished since the 2019鈥�2020 program year. It has also turned more attention to leadership succession planning, having witnessed the impact of unwavering guidance during its own tough times.

鈥淭he club is still growing and hopefully, what we did, or challenges that we met in the past, can inspire more members to grow and become even better in this lifelong learning journey we鈥檙e all on,鈥� Yoong says.