AITP

AITP Chapter Operations Bulletin COB #6 Past Officer Involvement Association of Information Technology Professionals 315 South Northwest Hwy., Ste. 200 Park Ridge, IL 60068-4278 847/825-8124  800/224-9371  FAX 847/825-1693 AITP-HQ@aitp.org  URL http://www.aitp.org Issued March 1976 Revised May 1989 Revised Year 2002 PAST OFFICER INVOLVEMENT Introduction If your chapter isn't putting to good use the experience and know-how of your past officers, it's missing a golden opportunity for making the chapter a more effective organization. The purpose of this bulletin is to provide guidelines for all AITP chapters on how to capitalize on the knowledge and services of past officers. These former officers can save the chapter many man-hours of work and frustration. With their help you don't have to re-invent the wheel. They know which ideas may work and which won't. They have been willing to serve in a leadership capacity in the past, and, if properly approached may be willing to serve in the future as valuable advisors or counselors. This manual consists of three sections. The first is a reprint of an article which first appeared In INFORMATION EXECUTIVE on the subject of recycling past chapter presidents. It is authored by Ray Spurr. The second is authored by J. Crawford Turner, Jr. on the subject of retention of past presidents. The third consists of a summary of responses by a number of AITP chapters to a questionnaire on the subject "how does your chapter involve past officers so they contribute to more effective chapter operation?" While much here specifically addresses Past Chapter Presidents, similar efforts should be considered for retention of other long standing chapter officers. RECYCLE YOUR PAST CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Keep Active or Lose Them It is a well established fact that inactive members soon become former members. This is especially true of individuals who are ambitious, busy, and established leaders. Our past chapter presidents are such individuals. Having worked their way through the various chapter committees and offices to the chapter presidency, they suddenly find themselves inactive and dying on the "chapter vine." The ultimate result is less and less attendance at chapter meetings until they lose interest completely and eventually discontinue their chapter membership. Where else can a chapter find such a reservoir of know how and experience on how to run a chapter and keep it progressive than they have in their past chapter presidents? Every effort should be made to keep these individuals active and interested. When such a way has been found, the past presidents, the chapters, and AITP overall will profit immeasurably through the effort. One chapter realizing the need for keeping the past presidents interested and active has formed a Past Presidents Committee. Among other projects under consideration are: Compiling data for a chapter nomination for the computer man of the year award; programs to enhance the image of AITP throughout industry and government in the local area. The committee intends to include several social events during Retain Wealth of Experience . the year to inject a little fun into a lot of work. There are practically unlimited areas that a committee of this type can get into which will contribute tremendously to the growth, depth, and enhancement of AITP everywhere. Committee Must Be Active In Worthwhile Endeavors Having a committee merely as a social group or as a mediocre work group engaged in "fighting chapter fires" is not sufficient and will most likely be unsuccessful. The committee must be active and must produce results that will bring a satisfaction of accomplishment to its members if it is to progress and endure. The committee should not get involved in work areas that are normally a responsibility of standing committees. It should not take on projects simply to "bail" out a regular committee nor should it take on projects that would tend to supersede, demean, or criticize the efforts of standing committees. There are many projects particularly of a long range and developmental nature with which committees of this type should concern themselves. Organizing a Past Presidents’ Committee One chapter formed a steering committee to develop objectives, operating rules, controls and the necessary bylaw changes to allow for the operation of the Past Presidents’ committee. Safeguards for Cooperation and Continual Good Relationships with All Chapter Officers and Committees Realizing that a group of individuals, with the tenure and experience of the past presidents, could, if misdirected or misunderstood, become a source of discontent and uncertainty among operating officials and committee chairmen, the steering committee established certain policies, operating rules and controls to keep this from happening. Highlights of Past Presidents’ Committee Principles of Operation  Committee members must be past presidents and in a current membership status.  Committee officers are elected by the committee.  Committee is permanent.  The committee can provide continuity of committee members and projects from one chapter year to the next.  Committee projects must have approval of current chapter president.  Committee retains the prerogative to accept or decline projects recommended by the chapter president or chapter board.  Committee recommendations must be in writing and are to be submitted to or through the chapter president. RETENTION OF PAST-PRESIDENTS Past-Presidents being proven workers and leaders with considerable knowledge in all areas of Chapter activities are probably the most valuable members any organization has. Recognizing this and the need for retaining them, the Short and Long Range Planning Committee adopted as a project the formulation of recommendations and guidelines for Chapters to help them in this area. The following list was compiled from an examination of what various organizations are doing to retain their Past-Presidents and it is submitted with the hope that AITP Chapters will be able to put some of them to use to improve their own organization. Immediate Past President Establish an automatic progression to another job so that the Past-President does not have the opportunity to become inactive. 1. An Advisor to the Board of Directors. In this advisory position it would be necessary to stay in the habit of coming to the Directors meetings and although not be a voting member of the Board the past president could serve in an advisory capacity. 2. Chairman of the Past-Presidents Committee. This would be a committee formulated of Past-Presidents and will be discussed later. 3. Chairman of the Nominating Committee. Having been President of the organization he/she should be the authority on what is required of an individual to be a good officer and thereby would be a logical choice. 4. Chairman of the Awards Committee. Here again past president experience would be invaluable in working on the committee. 5. Chairman of the Planning Committee. 6. Chairman of other committees, particularly standing committees, taking care not to put him/her in a position of repeating duties which fell to him/her during the year as President. Previous Past-Presidents A. Organize a Past-Presidents Committee made up of all Past-Presidents. Their primary purpose can be working on special projects, outlined by or at the request of the Board of Directors. As suggested in the earlier section the presiding officer or Chairman of this committee could be your immediate Past-President. B. Organize an Advisory Committee. Here again it would be made up of all Past-Presidents and in this case their function would primarily be to advise the Board of Directors such as the individual advisor in the earlier section. C. Organize a Planning Committee. Most Chapters fall short in long-range planning. Organizing a group such as this could give the Chapters continuity from one administration to the next as this would be an on-going committee and would be in a better position to map out the direction the Chapter should take. Here again your immediate Past-President could each year become the Chairman of this committee. D. Let your Past-Presidents be your Nominating Committee. As mentioned in the earlier section, who better would be in a position to select nominees for the various offices in the Chapter than your Past-Presidents. All Past-Presidents After giving a year of service to an organization it is desirable for the organization to show its gratitude both immediately upon completion of the term and thereafter as well.  Give your Past-President a memento or gift when he/she leaves office.  Keep the immediate Past President before the Chapter by always seating him/her at the head table.  Recognize your immediate Past-President every time the current officers are recognized.  List all Past-Presidents in the Chapter Newsletter.  Have one regular meeting a year in honor of Chapter Past-Presidents and have one of them as the principal speaker.  Have a special dinner meeting or cocktail party in honor of your Past-Presidents.  Make them life-time members of your Chapters. SURVEY RESULTS Here's what past officers are doing in a number of AITP chapters: Take an active part in organizing annual two-day conference. Serve as co-chairmen of various committees to help inexperienced members. Scholarship Administration and Selection Committee includes four past presidents, as does the Nominating Committee with immediate past-president as chairman. Special committee and responsibility for surveys have proved to be ideal assignments. Past presidents also are effective as official greeters and hosts for new members. All past presidents serve on some committee or capacity Past president serves on the board of directors and handles the COPA awards. Other past presidents sit at each table at regular monthly meetings. Each year they are recognized at "Past Presidents' Night." They wear color-coded meeting badges, as do members of the board of directors. Nominating committee is made up of past presidents serving on a rotating basis and these officers give advice to Finance Committee. Those who have served as presidents over the past 10 years serve as chapter liaisons, chapter secretaries, and membership retention secretaries. All past presidents serve on a committee that works with the Membership Committee in making initial contacts with companies in the area not represented in the chapter membership. Also, this committee is putting together the chapter history. Past presidents work as a committee on special projects requested by the board of directors or the current president. This year, they are working on Bylaws and Standing Rules Changes. They serve as advisors on special projects and seminars, and as chairman for special events, such as CDP Review Course, Annual Dinner, Dance, etc. They also are involved with work of Nominating and Audits committees. They are on the board of directors, Nominating Committee, special committees, instructors for courses, speakers at high schools or technical seminars. The chapter is attempting for the first time a Past Presidents' Coordinating Council on which each member is assigned to a committee to serve as an advisor to the committee chairmen. A Special Advisory Committee is being formed to include former presidents who will serve in advisory capacity to committees such as program, education and membership. Chapter executive vice president is chairman of this committee. The Nominating Committee is made up of past presidents. Past officers return to the board occasionally to serve in other capacities. The Past-Presidents' Council serves as an advisory body chaired by the immediate past president who sits on the board. The PPC is encouraged to actively participate in Research and Development Committee projects and to direct annual social activities. They are asked to fill vacant board positions until replacements are found; they serve as chairmen of special committees, such as Bylaws Review, Internal Audit, and CDP Review. As host of the next Region meeting, the chapter will have an Arrangements Committee made up of many past officers. The chapter has considered, but not actively supported, the proposal of having past officers remain on the board. It is felt that it is important to bring new ideas and new members on the board, therefore, past officers usually do not get recycled back onto the board. The immediate past president chairs the Nominating Committee. Past officers are selected for committee work, which requires a historical perspective and in-depth knowledge of chapter and board operations. All past presidents and Individual Performance Award recipients serve on the Presidents' Committee for Special Projects. Other past officers serve as advisors, give talks on I/T topics to other organizations and to schools, and serve on other committees. Past presidents arranged the past Region Conference. They also work on seminars, workshops. With the implementation of the Individual Performance awards, they plan to get past officers involved in the Awards Committee. Currently the past president is becoming totally involved in membership promotion. His experience as president is valuable in promoting AITP benefits to prospective members, and answering the big question - What do I get from AITP?