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- Call Enesco at 1-800-4-ENESCO: This is your first step. Tell them you would like to talk to someone
about getting a packet of info for starting a local club. They will switch you over and you will give
them your name and address. It takes about 6 - 8 weeks to get the info from them.
- Find a Sponsor Store: You will also need to start looking for a sponsor store? In choosing
a sponsor store, you need one that is interested in a club forming and one that will help you with
donating items for raffles, door prizes and one that will become involved with you. Also, being an
Adoption center or NALED would be nice too, because generally they would guarentee special pieces to
club membears.
- Get The Word Out: Ask local stores for their mailing lists of other Cherished Teddies Collectors,
and start by sending fliers announcing the formation of the club. You can also ask your local stores to
post notices in their stores.
- Club Name and Logo Bears: While you are waiting for the information packet to arrive you can
begin to think of a club name. Also you can begin to think of Cherished Teddies figurines that you would
like to be on a t-shirt and/or club pin when you are ready to do that. The club name, and Cherished
Teddies figures that you would like to use on club items (pins/t-shirts, etc) will all be information that
will be needed to fill out on the application they send you. They will also send you bi-laws and
copyright regulations for you to read over. You may also apply for tax-exempt status after your club
is official. (You may want the sponsor store and a few other interested collectors help you make these
decisions as a group).
- Fill Out The Application Form: You will fill out the club application and the store that is
sponsoring you will sign it also and then send it in to Enesco. It took several months before we got a
letter stating that we were approved. They will then send you local club pins for your membears and
also some of the Enesco Club Newsletters (they come out 4x year).
- Joining other clubs (out of state) helps to get more ideas. Especially ideas on how you will do your
newsletters, meeting ideas, etc.
- It may sound like a lot of work but it is really a whole lot of fun and worth any work involved!!!
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