All 3-digit WBCCI Big Red Numbers™
are only awarded to members who have managed to elevate themselves to Region officers or higher, as a perk for their service to the club. New members can't get one; they're all stuck with 4-digit or 5-digit membership numbers.
Personally, I'm not big on prestige and pretense, so I even refused to accept a "past president" flag upon completion of my term as a Unit president. So I don't really understand the big deal about members giving up their old 4- or 5-digit numbers to get a new 3-digit number when they achieve high club office. But that's the way they do it.
If you ask when you join, you
might be able to get 1691X (where the X is any digit not already in use by another member). It's worth a try…