America’s Boating Club | United States Power Squadrons has announced the recipients of the William D. Selden, Member Involvement Retention Award (MIRA) during its fall Governing Board meeting. The national award recognizes local squadrons that demonstrate exceptional success in engaging and retaining members through structured, innovative programming.
Established in memory of Past Chief Commander William D. Selden, and his wife Audrey, the MIRA program honors squadrons that create measurable, sustained pathways for member participation, leadership development, and community outreach.
Taking first place this year was Savannah Sail & Power Squadron, recognized for its comprehensive approach to member retention. The squadron implemented an active mentorship program pairing new members with guides within their first three to six months, complemented by engaging in social events like local sports outings, cruises, and structured participation tracking. Key highlights of their winning initiative include:
- Structured Mentorship: Each new member was paired with a dedicated mentor and encouraged to take on active roles within three to six months of joining.
- Engaging Social Programming: The squadron built deep personal connections through a diverse event calendar, including cruises, Ghost Pirates hockey games, Savannah Bananas baseball games, sunset cruises, and a shark fishing contest.
- Proactive Participation Tracking: Squadrons monitored involvement using Merit Marks and the SARS program to identify disengaged members early and initiate targeted follow-ups.
- Education & Community Integration: Boating education courses were leveraged to support active engagement and build broader community connections.
Second place was awarded to Toledo Sail & Power Squadron. Toledo was honored for embedding retention directly into all aspects of squadron operations, rapidly integrating new members into meaningful operational and leadership roles. Key achievements include:
- Immediate Operational Integration: Rather than treating recruitment as a standalone function, Toledo integrated new members into meaningful roles right away. Starting them with simple tasks and quickly advancing them into leadership responsibilities to foster a strong sense of belonging.
- Robust Year-Round Programming: The squadron maintained a busy calendar featuring multiple boating education courses, vessel safety checks, high-visibility community outreach, charitable partnerships, and social gatherings.
- Leadership Development: By using public outreach, safety programs, and social events as vehicles for active participation, Toledo successfully built long-term retention while cultivating the organization’s future leaders
Third place went to Fort Macon Sail & Power Squadron. Fort Macon provided a comprehensive and sustained approach to recruitment, involvement, and retention through consistent communication and targeted follow-up. Highlights of their strategy include:
- Multiple Pathways to Connect: The squadron hosted monthly “Brunch for Boaters” gatherings, published an active newsletter, utilized localized seminar promotions, and offered a balanced mix of boating and non-boating activities.
- Data-Driven Retention: Retention efforts were backed by daily renewal monitoring, timely reminder notices, thank-you messages, and direct personal follow-ups with members who had not yet renewed.
- Educational Outreach & Value Creation: Well-attended boating and water-related seminars supported by targeted Facebook advertising created high conversion rates from non-member attendees, while the establishment of a new education fund strengthened membership value by including ABC3 as part of membership.
“Attracting new members must always be matched by equally strong efforts to retain and engage our existing membership,” said Priscilla Clark who presented the award. “These winning squadrons demonstrate that sustained engagement, inclusive participation, and strong community focus are key to building lasting connections and future leaders within our organization.”
First-, second-, and third-place winners were presented with trophies donated by William D. Selden, along with official certificates. All other participating squadrons across the country will receive certificates of achievement at their respective fall district conferences.
