Post By Chapter Leadership Council Member Leslie Krauz Stambaugh

The NSA Chapters of the Future white paper raises many important questions.  Unfortunately, we will have a relatively short time to discuss them at the Chapter Summit next week and there will inevitably be some pressure to make decisions quickly. I met with thirteen past, present, and future Presidents of the Michigan Chapter a few weeks ago to discuss the white paper and, while many of the solutions proposed in the White Paper look great short-term, the group of us had a lot of concern about the long-term implications of some of them for NSA and its Chapters. 

 

I would like to suggest two things going into the Summit.  First, that Presidents-Elect and others who will be representing their Chapters at the Summit contact one or two trusted, experienced leaders in your Chapter, let them know about the proposals you are considering supporting, and ask them for their input.  They may well have some insights you weren’t expecting that might broaden your ability to contribute at this event.  Second, I hope we think in terms of how each of the proposals we consider will work in the long run.  Will a given proposal enable Chapter members to exercise and reinforce their professional skills?  Will it allow them to continue to have meaningful participation in their local association?  Will it give Chapters the flexibility to provide for the unique needs of the local community of professionals?   Finally, in the long run, will a given proposal result in both greater value for Chapter members and greater value for the National association? 

 

 

Leslie Krauz Stambaugh

NSA/ North Texas Response to the NSA Chapter Re-charter Position Paper

 The majority of the NSA/North Texas Board of Directors has concerns regarding a number of the issues found in the Chapter Re-Charter Position Paper.  In particular, we find what has been outlined regarding dues and speaker selection will profoundly affect our operating revenues and meeting quality. 

Over the years, NSA/ North Texas has provided outstanding service, continuously reinforced the NSA brand, promoted NSA events and programs and stayed fiscally sound.  Our plans are to continue these efforts going forward.  In order to so, we want to collaborate with NSA to make changes that will positively affect all the chapters and members in the midst of turmoil for the speaking industry.  Therefore, we have highlighted the main changes outlined in the Charter Re-Charter Position Paper and outlined what we see as the upside and downside of each of the proposed changes as a way to contribute to the dialogue that is underway.   

The main issues from our perspective are:

1. Make All Chapter Dues The Same
2. Require All Affiliates To Join The NSA Academy
3. National To Host/Support Chapter Websites
4. Synergize Meeting Schedules
5. Partner With Large Chapters To Produce Regional Meetings And Share Revenues
6. Require All National Members To Join A Chapter
7. National Should Actively Recruit At The Local Level For Chapter Benefit
8. National To Coordinate Chapter Programming
9. Offer Virtual Assistant To Chapters With Standardized Services

NSA/North Texas Responses

1. 1.      Make All The Dues The Same For All The Chapters 

Although this might be beneficial to some, there is little upside.  Dues are determined by what the local market will bear and the value of the programming/member benefits.  NSA/North Texas believes that setting a nationally prescribed dues amount might cause some chapters to see a decline in membership while others experience a weakening of the program offerings.  It could result in significantly fewer dollars available to NSA/North Texas chapter meetings.   Our forecast with the proposed $75.00 dues is that NSA/North Texas would no longer be able to support the current meeting location or the level of speakers we have grown accustomed to over the past years.  Currently our members pay $180 a year for dues and our affiliates pay $280.00.  Any drop in these figures would seriously affect our financial health. 

1. 2.      Require All Affiliates To Join The NSA Academy

There may be some synergy here.  Details will spell success or failure. The cost of joining the Academy for Professional Speaking could be viewed as expensive – $175 initiation + $49 per month.  Affiliates get to come to all national events at member rates, free registration to the Cavett Institute, monthly teleseminars, VOE, Speaker Magazine, and a variety of other benefits.  This might work if chapters received a portion of the income from the national academy and used it to offer local seminars for just the Academy members emphasizing platform delivery and mastermind groups.  We believe this decision is better left to local control to safeguard the quality of the programs and the mentoring as well as the personalized attention we currently offer those enrolled in the Charbonneau Speakers Academy.   

The fee for Affiliates in the NSA/North Texas Charbonneau Speakers Academy includes:

 

AFFILIATE	MEMBER
Academy registration                        $400.00	Academy registration                         $400.00
Nine sessions and special activities    included	Nine sessions and special activities    included
Affiliate Dues                                      $280.00	Member Dues                                     $180.00
11 Chapter meetings                          $297.00	11 Chapter meetings                          $297.00
TOTAL                                     $977.00	TOTAL                                     $877.00
Bonus:  33% discount off four PM workshops	Bonus:  33% discount off four PM workshops

 

1. 3.      National To Host/Support Chapter Websites

This could be very useful as long as this does not affect content choices.  The important caveat is that the local chapters must have the independence to create the content. While we support programs similar to espeakers, NSA/North Texas invested $5,000 to upgrade our web presence so this investment must be enhanced, not superseded by this proposal.

 

1. 4.      Synergize Meeting Schedules

This could be an interesting idea.  Imagine what it would be like if NSA/North Texas offered a big event again as we have in the past (Michael Porter, Doug Stevenson, Sam Horn, Patricia Fripp, etc.) and had National helping promote it to the rest of the country.  It would also provide more information to all of us about some of the big events going on in other chapters.  One concern is that the burden of staffing the event and the meeting planning does not fall completely on the local chapter.

1. 5.      Partner With Large Chapters To Produce Regional Meetings and Share Revenues

This is another proposal with lots of details to be ironed out before NSA/North Texas can support it.  For example, if we were to have a Texas-wide event once a year and share the profits, expenses and workload between the three chapters, this might be a good thing.  We’ve wanted to do something like this before but have never found the right formula to make it work.  However, if having this event would mean just sharing our operating profits with the smaller chapters in the area, there is no upside.

1. 6.      Require All National Members To Join A Chapter

This is a perennial issue as some members join a chapter even though they receive little benefit from being a member but they believe in supporting the chapter.  Other national members do not.  If membership in a local chapter became an automatic part of their annual national renewal, it might help the chapter but the extent may be negatively affected by “nationalization” of dues.  Once again, if the national board decides an amount for dues that is below what NSA/North Texas currently charges the effects would cause a dramatic change in the meeting location and caliber of speakers. 

1. 7.      National Actively Recruits At The Local Level For Chapter Benefit

How practical can this be and how well can it work? 

1. 8.      National To Coordinate Chapter Programming

One of the NSA/North Texas cornerstones is our program offerings.  National may offer advice to assist smaller chapters with their programming needs and it might be helpful to have a repository or clearinghouse of speakers that other chapter leaders have said met the mark to consider as we plan local programs. As proposed, NSA/North Texas would lose a great deal of independence and autonomy.  NSA/North Texas has used the NSA competencies as a guideline for the selection of speakers.  We pride ourselves on providing programming to help speakers grow their business.  Our concern is that NSA/North Texas would lose the high level of motivation that we’ve seen from the chapter president as s/he coordinates, promotes and projects an individualized theme.  This is a significant issue for NSA/North Texas. 

While local leaders wouldn’t be forced to use those speakers, it would be good to know how they were valuable, that the speakers presented what was promised and that another chapter recommended them.

 

1. 9.      Offer Virtual Assistant To Chapters With Standardized Services

Details are sparse on how this would work.  As much as we’ve had issues over the years with using an association management company, the big benefit has been the local presence and personalized service.  However, it’s certainly a major budget component, so we can see where this might be an interesting area to evaluate.

******************************************************************************

Potential Business Models

1. 1.      Status Quo

It is certainly in our chapter’s best interest to keep things as they are now.  Even if some of the changes suggested above were to occur, we could still function extremely effectively with the current model.

1. 2.      National Will Administer Specific Functions On Behalf Of The Chapter For Per Member Fee

This is a troubled solution, at best.  Details of how it would work make the possibility of any cost/benefit calculation a toss-up.

1. 3.      Major Metropolitan Chapters Will Be Regional Chapters Who Provide Support To Smaller Local Groups (Hub and Spoke Model)

The cost/benefit is not clear.  Assuming this model, Texas probably wouldn’t change. There may be two or three chapters that remain – however we’d potentially add members to chapters from folks who live further away.  It could mean that there is a small Shreveport “spoke” who are under either Dallas or New Orleans but this is not clear.   

1. 4.      Collect Dues Nationally – Remit To Chapter In Various Amounts Depending On Benefits Provided By National

This has potential up and down sides.  It assumes that everyone in NSA must join a chapter (the upside) but that NSA will set what chapters get based on some set of criteria (downside).  Loss of chapter autonomy will result, certainly not viewed as a positive move by NSA/North Texas.  We would be concerned on the timeliness of the distribution of monies from national to the chapters as well as the possibility of additional national staff to orchestrate this process. 

Prepared by the NSA/ North Texas Board of Directors
Robert Menard, VP Finance, compiling editor

From NSA Carolinas

In his message of September 23 Stacy Techsner stated, Our ultimate goal with this process is to ensure that chapters of the National Speakers Association are designed to best serve NSA members in their local community markets. As representatives of the Carolinas Chapter of NSA we could not agree more. We are committed to adhering to the standards of chapter conduct and to serving our members across two states.

We view the rechartering process with concern. We understand several proposals have been put forth to revalidate what an NSA chapter should look like and how it should act going forward. Yet, we have not received official communication from national as to what is in these proposals.

We continue to adhere to the current guidelines and continue to enjoy success as a chapter. So, we confess to some confusion as to all this talk about weak chapters. The attempt to develop a new one size fits all charter may be misguided. As Stacy stated, the goal is to best serve members in their local communities and we feel we know our locale better than anyone can possibly know from Arizona. Moves to centralize administration sound easy but they will wreak havoc on a number of chapters while adding a cost and staffing burden at the national level that must be addressed. In the face of tight budgets we wonder if increasing overhead is the best course of action for the national association.

To be clear

• We do not support a centralizing of administration and dues
• We support a blackout on programming that conflicts with a national event.
• We support efforts to protect the quality of the brand
• We support that holders of chapter board positions are members of NSA
• We support a wider dialogue on this issue.
• We wonder why targeted intervention for non-conforming chapters has not been taken 

Our representatives at the chapter summit will be able to elaborate on these issues.

We look forward to positive resolution of this important issue.

NSA Carolinas Board

So, what’s it worth to you?

At the Chapter level, volunteers and sometimes paid staff provide administrative support. If the NSA staff assumes any or all of this support, i.e. website hosting, event planning, creating/mailing newsletters, balancing the check book, etc., what’s it worth to you?

If membership dues increase and/or affiliate fees increase, how much can you/will you pay for these services to be transferred from the chapter level to the national level?

Benefits a Partnership Approach Could Yield

In the very near future, a partnership approach between NSA national and NSA chapters might could also include these benefits:

On a required basis for new chapters and a staged implementation basis for existing chapters, at no additional charge:

–Annual co-branded renewal invoice/’benefits of membership’ statement mailing (paper or electronic) sent from NSA national to all chapter members.
–Annual conversion invoice/’benefits of membership’ statement mailing sent from national to all chapter “apprentices”, with a copy of the national membership application.
–Annual chapter membership invoice/benefits statement mailing sent from national to all NSA members living within a chapter’s impact area who are not on the latest chapter membership list (already provided by chapters to NSA at rechartering time).
–Chapter membership invoice/benefits statement sent by national to all new NSA members who join throughout the year with the welcome packet that already goes out.

Chapter membership is not required, but national only members are going to get a systematic opportunity to join a local chapter every tear.

On an opt-in basis, at no additional cost–

–Provide a detailed system of policies and procedures that are offered free to all chapters (and highly recommended to new chapters). This might include a model bylaws, policy & procedure manual, membership application, event registration from, chapter benefits summary, and a recommended list of national vendors for insurance, services, web hosting, teleconferencing, webcasting, etc (all of whom could be national vendor members or sponsors).
–Web code that could be pasted into any chapter site to facilitate program payment & registration/RSVPs for chapter events.
–Web code/link that could be pasted into any chapter site to facilitate annual membership renewals for members and apprentices.
–Use of a NSA shopping cart that would allow chapters to sell NSA products or registration for national workshops on their site for a 10% profit share. This yeilds greater sales for national NSA and certainly extends the brand.

On an opt-in basis, at an additional charge–

–Three to five website templates that have everything a chapter would NEED to have a professional, NSA brand-consistent, and efficient chapter web presence. Chapters could pay once for use of this template (to cover national’s development costs) and give it to their own web hosting company to modify, update, and maintain.
–Centralized chapter management services a chapter COULD CHOOSE ALA CART according to their needs and finances. These might include a virtual assistant, program promotion, graphic design, meeting registration services, monthly program emailing, direct mail campaigns, PO Box services, consistent virtual phone and fax numbers (that don’t change each year with the new president), travel services for guest presenters, basic bookkeeping services, annual state and tax filing services (inc renewals, state sales tax returns, IRS reporting if over $25k), etc.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a start when we come to eavy, low-controversy, steps we can begin taking now. They are opt in or staged implementation steps for existing chapters which allows current chapters to choose to participate. This allows them to prove their worth to other chapters BEFORE anyone is required to do anything.

Keep Smilin’
Marty

Marty Val Hill
NSA Mt West Immediate Past President
Chapter Leadership Council (CLC) Member

202-470-4225

Open Mic Session Notes (from Sept 9th Open Mic)

Greetings!  Thank you for participating on the Open Mic Session on Sept. 9th!  We had a lively discussion and thank NSA’s President Elect  Kristin Arnold, CSP for being a part of the call and answering questions related to the Summit.  The Chapter Leadership Council hosted this call and we appreciate all the great questions! As promised, below are the summary of highlights from the call. (For more details, be sure to listen to the recording on this Blog ).

•  The Summit is an opportunity for a transformational dialogue for chapters to share to  the NSA BOD how to help chapters in the future.   The question to be answered is this – How can chapters extend the NSA brand to the local level?  Truly, this is a collaborative effort. The BOD does not have any answers related to the summit already formulated and indeed, even the “non-negotiables”  are open to being revised based upon feedback.
• This BLOG forum is the best way to get your feedback and issues out NOW – the comments are being compiled by the Chapter Summit Leadership Team (CSLT) – an intact working team within the Chapter Leadership Council (CLC), led by Dale Collie. 
• During the Summit (Friday, November 20th from 10-2), delegates will be making recommendations on a number of attributes (such as governance, recruiting, programming, collateral, governing documents, etc) .
• These recommendations will have the following timeframe:  (Now /In the next year / In the next 2-3 years/In the next 4-5 years
• Delegates will sit at tables discussing a specific topic and along with their recommendations, will also share resources to implement, funding, budget line item required to implement.   The best way to look at some of these issues is to imagine that there is a “blank slate”  so that ideas can be based on the future and what would best serve the chapters and National. Indeed, the question to be answered is the following, “What would be a ‘win’ for chapters and a ‘win’ for National?

Here are some of the questions and issues that came up during the call: 

What was the impetus for the Summit?  The NSA BOD is not saying “something is wrong,” but rather, they have seen opportunities to strengthen the ties between chapter and National.  Last year, in one of their strategic planning sessions, the NSA BOD wanted to look at the role of a chapter and see if there were better ways to optimize resources and energies. (Given the fact that the chapter model was created back in the 1980’s and things are different now – this is a very good thing).  This effort  is a collaborative process where every voice can be heard – ( posting on the BLOG,  calling NSA headquarters, going to Phoenix and attending the Summit or making sure your delegate from your chapter who will be attending the summit knows your viewpoints). 

How will the Summit Be conducted?   The Summit will be conducted very similar to a “United Nations” whereby delegates will make recommendations (based upon some of the topics as described above), and straw votes will be conducted.  A working committe will then analyze the data and compile all the recommendations to present to the NSA BOD a full document of all the recommendations.  The working committee is composed of Executive Vice President of NSA, Stacy Tetschner, Manager of Member Services, Heilee O’Quinn, Kristin Arnold, NSA Vice President, Ron Karr, NSA Board of Director, CLC Chair, Jan Dwyer, CLC Vice Chair, Pam Burks, Past President’s Council Chair, Monica Wofford, and Newly Elected (at this year’s Camp NSA) President’s Council Chair.

Other issues included questions related to membership, some of the non-negotiables (No chapter events will be held within one week before or after a scheduled National meeting), the term “non-negotiables,” a decentralized vs centralized system of governance).

Thank you again for a great call!  It is my pleasure to serve you as the CLC Chair this year!  The CLC is working “arm in arm” with the NSA BOD in helping to make the Summit a productive and transformational dialogue and we appreciate all of your input and ideas!

Warmly, Jan Dwyer (Almost Bang) (I’m getting married on October 10th so will be “off-line” until October 23rd!!! )

Chapter Leadership Council Chair 2009-2010 

 

Chapter Collateral Materials

What are the relevant functions that a chapter needs to have to operate efficiently? 

 I’ve listed a few functions that were mentioned at the Chapter Leadership Session at Convention:

1. Website (for on-line registration/marketing chapter programs, etc)
2. Programming calendar schedules
3. Logos
4. Membership Directory (on-line or print)
5. Billing (all centralized)
6. Large chapters to mentor smaller, more emerging chapters
7. Other?

As you think about these functions, what functions make sense for National to create and maintain?  And what functions make sense for chapters to handle themselves? 

I would love your input and feedback on this topic!

Warmly,

Jan Dwyer, MBA, CSP

Chapter Leadership Council (CLC) Chair 2009-2010

www.JanDwyer.com

Chapter Recharter Success Story

Hello Team,

Here is a fantastic article posted by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) about a chapter recharter success story written by Adrienne A. Bien (CAE) and Cynthia D’Amour (NSA Member).  It is an interview which focuses on an association who decided to re-examine the current structure, value and support the association provided its chapters.  It is very interesting.  Below is an excerpt from the article.  Your comments and insights are welcome.

“How do you view your components? What type of relationship do your policies and plans create? Are your components children to be told what to do, teens who constantly challenge and roll their eyes, or are they colleagues and partners working side-by-side with you to achieve your association’s mission?

If your answer is anything but partner, it may be time to redefine your relationship and allow your components to reach their potential with you on their team. Like any life change, shifting from parents to partners can be frustrating, puzzling, and exciting all at once.”

To read more click on the link below:  http://www.asaecenter.org/PublicationsResources/AMMagArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=11098

Affiliate Programming Continued

What if NSA (nationally AND locally) simply stopped ALL affiliate/
apprentice/pro-track activities? (Question from David Newman of
Philadelphia)

What is your feedback on the white paper?

If you have had a chance to read the white paper that was shared after last night’s call, you may have some questions. Here is your opportunity to post ideas, comments and feedback. What do you see as the pros & cons of some of the models, roles, & responsibilities as offered in the White Paper? We look forward to your comments.  (Thanks Susan Sabo for posing this question).