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