Have Dispatch Will Travel

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

Every month The Army and Navy Club features at least one photo of members holding our monthly magazine, The Dispatch, on their travels to various reciprocal clubs, cities, and monuments around the world.

The idea of asking members to take photos of themselves with our monthly magazine came about as a way to not only connect members to each other by sharing experiences, but to also give non-resident members a way of feeling like they are contributing to, and are really a part of, the Club. Given the nature of or membership, 90% active duty and retired military, over two-thirds live outside of the Washington, DC area and are scattered around the globe, which makes creating a sense of community and connection all the more important.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

We started this initiative with a small ad in the fall/winter of 2015 asking members to send in their photos of themselves traveling with The Dispatch for the “Member News” section of the magazine. January 2016 was the debut of the travel photos, and since then we have had at least one submission in every issue of The Dispatch. Members seem to genuinely enjoy participating and often send enthusiastic descriptions of where they stayed and what they did. We’ve even had members try to out-do each other by picking exotic and unique locations, such as a WWII fighter plane, to take their pictures. Their big smiles as they proudly display the magazine shows us that they take pride in their membership, and that they are paying attention to the communications pieces we create for them.