The NSA -Wisconsin Chapter Board has decided to withhold completing the Chapter affiliation agreement. The board will wait for the final results of the Chapter of the Future task force and NSA board before reaching a final decision. The original proposal had numerous onerous provisions that if implemented, would have a major impact on the Wisconsin chapter and future relationship with NSA. We await the final report from the NSA board and hope for a favorable and positive set of recommendations. All comments and questions on this should be directed to Jim Morrison through any of the outlets listed below.

Jim Morrison
James N Morrison & Associates
PO Box 10801
Green Bay WI 54307-0801

Web Site: w ww.jimmorrisonspeaks.com
E-mail: jnmspeaks@aol.com
Phone: 920-434-4540
Cell: 920-621-2083
Fax: 920-494-4075

 To all NSA Chapter Presidents,

I am writing you today from the 2010 NSA Winter Conference.  Despite the many winter weather challenges that have befallen various sections of the United States in recent days, almost 300 of our professional colleagues, including, hopefully, several of your local chapter members, have converged on Nashville for a weekend of professional education, interaction and inspiration. 

In advance of the arrival of the general membership, your NSA national Board of Directors met for our annual winter board meeting yesterday.  As you well know, there are currently many unique pressures facing our industry, and by extension our members.  Our board agenda was packed with issues that have the potential to affect NSA, as an organization, for good or for bad, for years to come.  Included in these critical issues for consideration was the “Chapters of the Future” proposal.

While I don’t need to revisit here all that has gone on in past days regarding this particular issue, each of you, as leaders of your local chapters have been intimately involved in this on-going discussion, on one level or another, for several months now.  I know it’s an important issue to you.  How do I know?  I know, based on the face-to-face conversations that I have had with many of you during my Presidential visits to your chapters.  I also know based on the dozens of emails and phone calls I have received from chapter leaders around the country.  (So many, that I could not possibly respond in detail to each and every one.  Please forgive me if you were offended by a lack of personal response from me, your President.)  Believe me, your national board of directors and I have heard you.

Just a few short weeks ago, on November 19th, in advance of the 2009 Fall Conference, a NSA Chapter Summit was held.  To our knowledge, it was the first time in the almost 40-year history of the National Speakers Association that such an initiative had been undertaken.  Dozens of chapter leaders were invited to Phoenix to share their unique input and insights.  Facilitated by NSA President-Elect Kristin Arnold and supported by various volunteers, including members of the Chapter Leadership Council, the half day-long Summit yielded what was hoped for…and what was dreaded. 

We hoped to solicit chapter leader thoughts—good and bad—regarding chapter-related issues facing the future.  You, as a group, did not disappoint on either account.  We heard what you liked and what you disliked; what you wanted from NSA national and what you wanted NSA national to stay away from. 

But, we also got what we dreaded.  Dreaded was the thought that some of you might question our motives for undertaking this issue in the first place.  Let me say clearly that your national board’s motives have been and continue to be pure.  We accept our responsibility to strategically face the future of our association with realism, while working to advance the NSA brand nationally and locally, thereby advancing the professional opportunities of NSA members everywhere. 

That brings us to our winter NSA board meeting.  The results from the Chapter Summit and the eleven proposals in question were presented for board consideration and action.  After an extended period of thoughtful and passionate discourse, it became apparent to all of us that this issue was too important to rush through any or all of the proposals in short order.  We came to the realization that more time was needed to carefully evaluate all the information that is now available to us.  As is my Presidential prerogative, I decided to take the following actions:

• In the days ahead, I will appoint a five (5) member task force made up of current NSA national board members, each of whom will possess extensive local chapter experience. 
• This task force will be charged with the responsibility of considering input received during the Phoenix Chapter Summit, coupled with the strategic necessity and intent of advancing NSA’s vision and mission on the national and local levels. 
• The task force will have available all comments that have been posted on the chapter one blog, as well as the various messages and concerns that have been shared with Kristin Arnold and others, by many of you, subsequent to the Chapter Summit.
• This task force will be responsible for submitting their findings and recommendations in proposal form directly to me.
• In turn, I will present these findings to the national board for consideration and appropriate action during our July 2010 national board meeting. 

I want to thank every chapter leader for your individual contributions to this initiative.  The information and perspective that each of you has offered is invaluable as we join hands in our continued efforts to advance the cause of NSA and its members as we move purposefully forward into the future.

I want to thank Kristin Arnold for her time and efforts.  In consideration of her many responsibilities leading up to assuming her NSA Presidency this coming summer, she has given more of herself than should be reasonably expected.  That is why I am freeing Kristin from service on this soon-to-be appointed task force in order to allow her the ability to focus solely on preparing for her work ahead. 

 Like me, I’m sure you all are anxious for these pending issues to be resolved and to have your many questions answered regarding the future working relationship between NSA national and the local chapters.  As anxious as we all are to complete this work, I simply ask for your patience in the months ahead.  I ask you to let this task force do the work they have been assigned.  I have the utmost confidence they will serve to the best of their ability.  I look forward to reporting their findings in the months ahead.

It is my honor to serve as the President of the National Speakers Association.  I look forward to seeing you all in Orlando in July.

All the best!

Phillip Van Hooser, MBA, CSP, CPAE
President, National Speakers Association (2009-2010)

I don’t know if there is still an opportunity to have a ‘voice’ in the discussion before the very hasty final decision time, but this is important enough to at least attempt to be heard.    

First, I am glad to see Leslie Stambaugh’s comment regarding the Chapter Summit that ‘we must not have been in the same room’ because it reflects so perfectly our Chapter Summit representatives’ feelings – the summary is completely opposite to the sense and expressed wishes of the chapter summit discussion on the most fundamental issues.  All of the chapters have put a lot of time, money and effort into this entire process. To say that seeing ‘results’ which do not reflect the input, efforts, written comments or phone discussions is frustrating to say the least.   

Without repeating the very eloquent and passionate comments of others who have already weighed in, here is a side-by-side comparison of Chapter Leadership and Summit input vs what is up for a decision.  

Is NSA facing challenges in membership?  Of course.

Does that mean that there are fundamental flaws in structure?  Of course not! Every national organization that I am aware of is facing similar challenges.

Do these challenges justify wholesale, drastic changes to an organization that we all feel very strongly about?  Not unless you want to drive away many who will no longer feel a connection and commitment to a top down, controlling organization.  

In closing, one central question:

                Does this reflect the spirit of Cavett?