At this year’s Chapter Leadership Summit, sponsored by Wisely by ADP, some superb conversations were had about managing your chapter’s affairs. Let's recap what took place.
On the evening of May12th, a relaxed reception was held for chapter leaders where they could come and catch-up.
The following morning, bright and early on May 13th we got down to business. The first exercise was a snowball fight. The snowballs were made of paper upon which the attendees jotted down their biggest challenge for their chapter or for them, as a chapter leader. These snowballs were then collected and taken back to the APA office. They will be used to help guide the Chapter Relations department with future topics for this blog, for the chapter column in PAYTECH, and, if needed, guidance documents for chapters.
The following morning, bright and early on May 13th we got down to business. The first exercise was a snowball fight. The snowballs were made of paper upon which the attendees jotted down their biggest challenge for their chapter or for them, as a chapter leader. These snowballs were then collected and taken back to the APA office. They will be used to help guide the Chapter Relations department with future topics for this blog, for the chapter column in PAYTECH, and, if need, guidance documents for chapters.
The first session titled, “Be Stage Ready... Tips for Chapter Operations and Marketing to Be Ready for The Big Show” was presented by Michelle Ganzer, CPP and Stephanie Ernsting, CPP. They spoke candidly about their experiences in leading a chapter or two, sharing lessons they have learned, and efforts that were successful and those that were not. Those in attendance asked pertinent questions and great conversations were had with outstanding feedback and shared experiences. You can view their presentation here.
The second session was a panel discussion, moderated by none other than George Mavrantzas of Wisely by ADP. He’s a natural by the way!! The panel was comprised of four members of APA’s Board of Advisors. Representing Regions 2, 3, 7 and 8 was Charlotte Hodges, CPP, Carlanna Livingstone, CPP, Kevin Valuet, CPP, and Ansleigh Smith, CPP respectively. They were asked to provide answers, Newlywed Game style, to the following questions:
- What is the best method for recruiting members?
- True or False? Should you charge for study groups?
- What is the best method for recruiting future chapter leaders?
- Chapter events- in-person, stay virtual, go hybrid – pick one.
- What is the best way to attract speakers to your events?
Can you guess how they answered?
- Through member-get-a-member efforts and social media marketing.
- True – you should charge for study groups.
- By asking members to take on smaller tasks. This shows interest and ability and gets them invested in the chapter.
- Go hybrid.
- Through outreach to vendors and using APA’s Request a Speaker.
The final session was one you can use at your chapter. Titled “Skillful Collaboration – Working Together for Success”, it was presented by APA’s Director of Learning and Development, Steve Hodgson, CPP, CPTD. No joke, all the materials you need to present this at a chapter event can be found below. This session is pre-approved for 1 RCH.
All in all, presentations and content were well received by the attendees, and many commented “we need more of this”. Whether you were there or not, we hope you too will come to this blog to find more content, guidance, and shared experiences to help you with leading your chapter. And, one last, huge thank you to this event's sponsor, Wisely by ADP!
Share below if you were you at the Chapter Leadership Summit, your answers to any of the questions presented to the panelists, or whether you will be presenting the pre-approved RCH session, “Skillful Collaboration – Working Together for Success” at any of your chapter events.
