| Nothing is more important to a chapter's vitality good
programs (along with the mechanisms to inform many people about them).
Successful chapters put their best people on the program committee and
make sure they represent all interests of the chapter. Some chapter have
an advisory board whose only job is to meet once or twice a year to plan
the programs. Often they are "senior members: who have good contacts
and know about past programs, but NYC reports asking younger members to
serve as a way of getting them involved and bringing in fresh, new ideas.
The single best way to get an overview of the many possibilities for programs is to study the Chapter Profiles listing which describes the programs and activities of LERA's chapters. The National Office also compiles a list of chapter programs, topics and speakers taken from the meeting notices. Chapters are encouraged to use the Board Speakers List to invite national officers and Executive Board members to speak at local meetings. In addition to scheduling good speakers and interesting topics, each chapter needs to consider the time and place of meeting that is best for the majority of members. Polling the membership as it changes through the years may be helpful. Most chapters prefer the same time-same place structure. Some chapters alternate between luncheon and dinner meetings, and a few chapters have tried breakfast meetings. Some chapters change the day of the week, some have meetings consistently on the same day of the week. The value of having meetings on the same day of each month is that people can regularly schedule on their calendar well in advance of the actual meeting. Hotels/restaurants are most practical when public transit is nearby or low-cost parking is adjacent. Cities that draw people from surrounding areas during the workday seem best for meeting locations. Other chapter meeting sites may include a university of faculty club, or a training or conference center. Chapters that cover a wide geographic may alternate sites to attract a wider membership. The more chapters can make arrangements in advance and in a series, the better able they are able to draw a good crowd and negotiate a lower price for meals, etc. Getting out the word requires careful attention to the choice of speakers. Good attendance requires something more-making sure that everyone on the mailing list receives timely and informative notices. Some chapters send notices via email to their members. Include enough details about the meeting/speaker(s) t arouse interest, perhaps a clipping from a newspaper or journal, a picture or other background information about the speaker(s). Some chapters use brightly colored paper to catch viewer's attention. Listing future chapter meetings with the date, speakers, and topic is also important. Some chapters plan the programs for the entire year, usually during the summer, and then present the plan to members in the fall. Other chapters plan only a few meetings ahead on their schedule. A few chapters schedule only a month or two ahead so they can address timely topics and get speakers who might be visiting their area. Contacts and arrangements for speakers is generally done by the Program Chair or assigned to a Program Committee. Program planning should be delegated to members who are aware of the need to schedule to meet the interest of all constituencies sometime during the year. some chapters include past officers, especially the Past-president on the Program Committee because often they have been active in the chapter over time. These leaders should be able to entice the top people for presentations. Chapters that have developed financial reserves over the years may offer to pay the travel expenses of speakers. |
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