Kleagles were the individuals, responsible for recruiting potential Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...

 (KKK) members. Kleagle

Kleagle

A Kleagle is an officer of the Ku Klux Klan whose main role is to recruit new members.-Kleagles:*Edgar Ray Killen, a Mississippi Klansman long suspected of involvement in a notorious civil rights movement murder that were the subject of the movie Mississippi Burning...

s, as defined by the Ku Klux Klan: An Encyclopedia, were organizers or recruiters, “appointed by imperial wizard or his imperial representative to ‘sell’ the KKK among non-members”. These members were paid typically by commission and received a portion of each new member’s initiation fee.
Recruitment of new KKK members entailed framing economic, political and social structural changes in favor of and in line with KKK goals. These goals promoted “100 percent Americanism” and benefits for white native-born Protestants. Informal ways Klansmen recruited members included “with eligible co-workers and personal friends and try to enlist them”. Protestant teachers were also targeted for Klan membership.

Bloc Recruitment

This term was coined by sociologist Anthony Oberschall. Bloc recruitment refers to “the way in which social movement organizers often recruit members and participants among groups of individuals already organized for some other purpose.” This strategy was advantageous to the Klan because it allowed them to recruit large groups of members from one source instead of being faced with the difficult task of recruiting individuals one by one. This strategy was also effective because it allowed the Klan to build upon the solidarity already in place from other organizations.
The organizations that the KKK targeted for bloc recruitment were usually fraternal lodges and Protestant churches. Protestant ministers were offered free membership and powerful Chaplain status within the KKK. Recruitment also involved recruitment drives that toured the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Members of organizations like churches and fraternal lodges, were easily accessible by Kleagles or Klan recruiters because they were already socially active in public issues through their involvement in these organizations.
These recruitment efforts were very successful, as such, Klan membership soared. A primary recruitment leader during the 1920s, Edward Young Clark

Edward Young Clark

Edward Young Clarke was an advertising executive from Louisiana and the Imperial Wizard pro tempore of the Ku Klux Klan who devised the "kluxing" system of payments to the hierarchy within the Klan...

, supposedly reported that the Klan had gained 48,000 members in just three months. Klan leaders took advantage of this success and used membership fees to finance large purchases such as the Klux Krest, a new home for Imperial Wizard William J. Simmons

William J. Simmons

William Joseph Simmons was the founder of the second Ku Klux Klan on Thanksgiving Night of 1915.-Early life:Simmons was born in Harpersville, Alabama, to Calvin Henry Simmons, a physician; and Lavonia David. He served in the Spanish-American War and later claimed to have studied medicine at Johns...

 (founder of the 2nd KKK).

Violence

In addition to recruitment drives and alliances with fraternal lodges and Protestant churches the Klan also used controlled instances of violence to attract members. Violence was pronounced in areas of high KKK activity. This intimidated opponents of the KKK and impressed future members. Violence was a method to demonstrate commitment to the Klan philosophy. Violence was used, however monitored closely by Klan Leaders to discourage government intervention and to “avoid a backlash from the general public that could damage recruiting efforts”.

Charity Work and Recruitment

To off-set violent acts, the KKK participated in charitable activities. In 1922, the Klan “contributed $25 each to the Volunteers of America

Volunteers of America

Volunteers of America, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is a national, nonprofit, faith-based human services organization providing support programs to more than two million people throughout the United States each year...

 and to the African Methodist Episcopal Church

African Methodist Episcopal Church

The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...

, an offer which Webster said proved that the Klan was not anti-black”. The charitable activities demonstrated that the KKK was committed to the welfare of the nation and also “served as an effective public relations device by creating a more favor- able opinion of the secret order and attracting new members”.

Other Recruitment Factors

The allure of the “invisible empire” and its public anonymity were also appeals for potential Klansmen. In addition to the empowerment of membership in an empire that was secretive, Klansmen also enjoyed a kinship-like bond from membership. The activities and events Klan members were impressive to future recruits as they included family picnics and other social events that built solidarity. As other fraternal like organizations the activities reinforced ideals but were also typical social events. These and many other factors made the Klan very appealing to white native-born Protestants during the 1920s.