|
 |
ACM chapters are charged with meeting the needs of their members, members of the Association, and members of the larger community in which they operate. ACM chapters are responsible to their members and their community for maintaining a high level and quality of activity in the area they serve, and for identifying and promoting those activities of specific interest to their members.
ACM chapters also have responsibilities to the Association. ACM chapters must communicate with the Association; submit annual financial and activity reports; report changes in officers, or addresses; and adhere to ACM policies concerning chapter membership, meeting sponsorship, and management of funds.
The following sections outline the chapter officers' responsibilities to the chapter and to the Association. It is suggested that all new officers review the entire handbook upon taking office, but specific consideration should be given to the section outlining each officer's responsibilities. All chapter officers should feel free to contact the Local Activities Coordinator with any questions or comments at local_activities@acm.org.
It should be noted that some officer's responsibilities overlap, other officer's duties (as described in this toolkit) may be combined. For example, the responsibilities of "publicity chairperson" may fall to the publications chair in some chapters; and the responsibilities of the "arrangements chairperson" may fall on the program Chairperson.
In addition to the specific responsibilities discussed on the following pages, some general comments about chapter responsibilities may be in order. Most chapters have an executive council, which includes elected chapter officers, the past Chairperson and, in many cases, the chairpersons of the standing committees. The chapter's executive council is generally responsible for managing the chapter's affairs (with the explicit exception of electing officers and amending bylaws). It is essential for the executive council to be as open as possible to the suggestions and feedback of the chapter membership, and should always be open to member's suggestions and offers of help.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER CHAIRPERSON
The chapter Chairperson has the overall responsibility for leadership in developing chapter programs, for ensuring that plans and assignments are carried out, and for seeing that the chapter fulfills its obligations to the Association. The Chairperson should be familiar with the policies and procedures of the Association, with the chapter's bylaws, and with the duties of all the other chapter officers and committee chairpersons.
Upon assuming the office, it is recommended that the chapter Chairperson do the following:
1. Contact the ACM Local Activities Coordinator at local_activities@acm.org to introduce yourself; 2. Review chapter bylaws and policies and procedures; 3. Review the events of the past year with your predecessor. S/he should hand over the file of correspondence and pending business. (A similar meeting is recommended for the new and outgoing chapter Treasurers. It will be helpful for you to attend that meeting as well.); 4. Review this toolkit, paying special attention to excerpts from the Policy and Procedure guidelines regarding chapters. Contact the Local Activities Coordinator, local_activities@acm.org, if you have any questions. The newly-elected Chairperson should schedule an executive committee meeting which should include the outgoing officers as well. At that time, the Chairperson may want to schedule executive council meetings for the entire year; keep in mind the advantages of scheduling the meeting at the same time each month.
Before getting too far along in the chapter's year, the Chairperson should do the following: appoint or establish nominating committee according to bylaws for next year's elections; contact the regional representative; arrange to send representatives to a chapters workshop; communicate activities of the chapter to the local membership (many chapter chairpersons write a column in the chapter newsletter); set audit procedures in motion at year end for financial records turnover; and plan a budget with the chapter Treasurer, to be reviewed and approved by the entire executive council.
If the chapter's area includes other local ACM groups, the Chairperson should contact the other group's chairpersons and suggest a meeting. At the meeting, the chairpersons should discuss the possibilities for cooperative efforts, such as joint meetings, reciprocal advertising agreements, sharing membership lists, lectureship tour planning, etc. They should also discuss meeting times, and make every effort to ensure that one group's meetings do not conflict with meetings of other ACM chapters in the area.
It is especially helpful to contact the ACM student chapters in the area. A complete reference guide of student ACM chapters is available on the web at http://www.acm.org/chapters/stu/maps/. Most of these students chapters (who have both a student chairperson and a chapter advisor -- usually a faculty member or computer services staff member) are small, and few have the funds necessary to plan large-scale programs with out-of-town speakers. As such, professional chapters may offer themselves as a source of speakers for Student Chapter meetings, and as an introduction to profession chapters as the students prepare to graduate.
Student ACM Chapters look to professional chapters for advice and assistance. Student Chapter members can assist professional chapters at professional development seminars and other large events; students are usually willing to trade a half-days work for free registration. By fostering cooperation between professional chapters and the Student ACM Chapters in your area, both the chapter and the Student Chapter (and the Association) benefit.
One of the most important duties of the chapter Chairperson is finding enthusiastic and qualified members to serve as committee chairpersons. The Chairperson should strive to bring new people into the committee structure to provide training for future chapter leaders. The job of chapter chairperson will be much more enjoyable and (much less exhausting) once responsible and reliable volunteers are found to take on various duties. It is strongly recommended that the chapter chairperson take the time at general meetings to acknowledge those chapter volunteers whose help has been valuable. This positive feedback and public recognition of good works is often just the encouragement an active volunteer needs to commit to a longer-term leadership position in the chapter in future years.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER VICE CHAIRPERSON
The chapter Vice Chairperson should be prepared to assume the office of Chairperson or temporarily act in that position at any time. The Vice Chairperson should be familiar with the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson, and of the other elected officers and committee chairpersons.
The Vice Chairperson can be integral component of the chapter's operation. In most cases, the Vice Chairperson is responsible for overseeing the activities and progress of the various committee and chapter programs. In many chapters, the Vice Chairperson, or education chairperson.
Upon assuming office, it is recommended that the Vice Chairperson do the following:
1. Review chapter bylaws and policies and procedures;
2. Review the events of the past year with your predecessor. S/he should hand over the file of pending business. Ask for a general outline of how the chapter affairs were conducted;
3. Review this toolkit, paying special attention to excerpts from the Policy and Procedure guidelines regarding chapters (appendix 2). Also if the chapter does not have an activity chairperson, program chairperson, or education chairperson, read those sections of this handbook carefully as well. Contact the Local Activities Coordinator if you have any questions;
4. After the initial executive committee meeting, call a meeting of all committee chairpersons and program directions under his or her responsibility. The first order of business will likely be to get a status report on all projects in progress, to discuss any problems the volunteers are having with those projects, and to consider new projects for the coming year.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER SECRETARY
(This position may be combined with the chapter treasurer's responsibilities)The chapter Secretary plays an important role in ensuring the efficient operation of the chapter. The Secretary is generally the keeper of the records and the taker of the minutes. In many chapters, the secretary also takes on the responsibilities of maintaining an up-to-date membership list, and of corresponding with ACM Headquarters.
Upon taking office, it is recommended that chapter Secretary do the following:
1. Review Chapter bylaws (contact the Local Activities Coordinator if the chapter bylaws cannot be found);
2. Review the events of the past year with your predecessor who should hand over the file of ACM newsletters correspondence and pending business;
3. Notify ACM Headquarters of names, addresses and phone numbers of new officers (or verify that the out-going Secretary has done so);
4. Verify that the ACM Local Activities Coordinator is included on the chapter mailing list;
5. Coordinate with Treasurer on notifying banks of changes in signature authority.
6. Review this handbook. Contact the Local Activities Coordinator at ACM Headquarters with any questions; The ongoing responsibilities of the Chapter Secretary include the following:
1. Recording and distributing executive board meeting minutes;
2. Sending agenda to board members for executive board meetings;
3. Handling all chapter correspondence on a timely basis;
4. Coordinating chapter stationery requirements if applicable;
5. Maintaining chapter files for historical purposes;
6. Filing mandatory activity reports with ACM Headquarters on a timely basis;
7. Sending proposed amendments to the chapter's bylaws to ACM Headquarters for approval prior to their distribution to the chapter membership.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER TREASURER
(This position may be combined with the chapter secretary's responsibilities)The chapter's financial management and operation are of great importance to the Association. The chapter Treasurer is responsible for the fiscal operation and reporting of the chapter, and of all committees and programs established by the chapter.
Upon assuming office, it is recommended that the chapter treasurer do the following:
1. Review this toolkit, paying special attention to the section on mandatory financial responsibilities (section 7) and the ACM policies and procedures guidelines regarding financial safeguards and financial management (appendix A). Contact the ACM Director of Finance or Local Activities Coordinator, local_activities@acm.org, with any questions;
2. Review chapter bylaws regarding responsibilities;
3. Review the events of the past year with your predecessor who should hand over the chapter's ledgers, financial records, and pending business. (It is suggested that the new chapter chairperson be included in this meeting as well.);
4. Notify banks of signature change on accounts. This may also require action by other officers also. Verify that the ACM Chief Operating Officer has signature authority on all bank accounts;
5. Explore getting state tax exemption and/or postage permit where applicable. The ongoing responsibilities of the chapter treasurer include the following:
- 1. Maintaining all chapter financial records and chapter checkbook;
- 2. Collecting money at meetings if applicable;
- 3. Filing mandatory annual financial report with headquarters;
- 4. Supplying appropriate budget report to the executive board of the chapter;
- 5. Reporting financial status to chapter;
- 6. Coordinating membership procedure and fee with membership chairperson.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER PROGRAM CHAIRPERSON
The program chairperson directs the activities of the program committee and oversees the management of chapter programs. This includes setting program dates, finding program leaders, chairing committee meetings for program planning, and assuring that all activities are executed properly. The program chairperson should find responsible chapter volunteers to serve on the program committee, and should direct and oversee the committee functions rather than perform them, whenever possible.
Upon taking office, the Program Chairperson should do the following:
1. Review this toolkit, paying special attention to Section 5, "Meetings." If the chapter does not have an activity chairperson or arrangements chairperson, red those sections of this handbook carefully as well. Contact the Local Activities Coordinator, local_activities@acm.org, for chapter activities with any questions;
2. Review the events of the past year with your predecessor. S/he should hand over the file of pending business, and any information on available meeting locations; potential program leaders and members who have expressed interest in helping to plan programs; and meeting dates of other local ACM groups or other professional societies. Ask for a general outline of how chapter programs were conducted;
3. If the chapter generally holds meetings in the same place, and if it decides to continue, contact the manager of the meeting space. Review prices and schedules, and let the manager know how to reach you when necessary. Responsibilities of the Program Chairperson include the following:
1. Set tentative dates for monthly meetings. Be careful not to schedule meetings on national or religious holidays, or in conflict with meetings of other groups (i.e., DPMA, ACM, IEEE/CS, etc.);
2. Identify potential spacial meeting themes, such as spouse night, manger's night, joint meetings with other ACM chapters or professional organizations (DPMA, ACM, IEEE/CS);
3. Keep a record of all speakers who address the chapter, and the chapter's reaction to the speaker and topic. This record will be helpful in planning future meetings.
4. Compile a list of topics of interest to the chapter, and find available speakers to those topics. Contact other ACM chapters in the area to arrange for joint meetings or lecture tours.
5. Whether or not the speaker is part of the ACM Distinguished Lectureship Program (DLP), it is a good idea to follow the steps outlined in the DLP Manual. These include the following: a) Ask the speaker to send a brief synopsis of the topic and a personal biographical sketch for publicity purposes.
b) Find out what audio-visual aids are required.
c) Explain the chapter travel policy. Offer to make hotel reservations, or to arrange for local member hospitality for overnight accommodations.)
d) Arrange local transportation for the speaker. Offer to have a member meet the speaker at the airport or motel.
e) Write a follow-up letter confirming arrangements.
f) After the meeting, send a letter thanking the speaker for his presentation. Follow up on speaker expenses to make sure they are paid in a reasonable period of time.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER ACTIVITIES CHAIRPERSON
The Activities Chairperson is responsible for most chapter activities not directly related to chapter meeting programs. In many chapters, these responsibilities are combined with those of the education chairperson.
The duties of an Activities Chairperson will vary dramatically from chapter to chapter, depending on the chapter's size, budget, and interests. The Activities Chairperson is generally responsible for serving as liaison to other ACM chapters in the area, to local college and university computer-related departments, to high school computer clubs, and to non-ACM computer related organizations.
In addition, the Activities Chairperson can be instrument in encouraging the formation and growth of technical focus groups within the chapter, many of which may evolve into officially recognized ACM Local SIGs. Encouraging the formation and growth of these groups helps the chapter, the Association, and the community by providing educational and professional development opportunities of a specific technical scope on the area. See Section 8 of this toolkit for more detailed information about these groups.
The Activities Chairperson may also be responsible for a number of other activities. As stated earlier, these activities will very greatly; a list of activities which have been successful for chapters in the past include the following:
1. Coordinating an award's program, with Chapter awards for outstanding contributions to the chapter, student paper competitions, or other criteria of special significance to your chapter's area (the chairperson should contact the chairperson of the ACM awards committee of the External Activities Board before initiating any awards program); 2. Planning community service activities, including assistance to local scout groups, career guidance counseling for high school or college students, organizing a local speaker's bureau for high school and college classes; and donation of ACM publications to local libraries. 3. Coordinating and administering a scholarship fund for computer science students at local colleges and universities. (A complete list of those colleges and universities with ACM Student Chapters is available here) (a draft scholarship proposal is included in the Appendix); 4. Organizing seminars of programming contests for local high school or college students (a draft seminar announcement is included in the appendix);
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER ARRANGEMENTS CHAIRPERSON
The Arrangements Chairperson will work closely with the Program Chairperson, and is generally responsible for facilitating the smooth running of chapter meetings and activities. An uncanny ability for troubleshooting and a keen sense of follow-through are essential for this position.
Responsibilities of the chapter Arrangements Chairperson include the following:
1. Arranging facility requirements for events such as monthly meetings, executive board meetings, and professional development seminars;
2. Arranging for meeting rooms, including verifying meeting room changes, determining policies on dinner guarantees, last minute modifications, and flexibility tovary actual attendance by a few percent at the meeting;
3. Selecting menus, and arrange social hour;
4. Arranging for video equipment, screen, and extension cord, and check for sound arrangements;
5. Obtaining meeting attendance records for planning purposes.
6. Maintaining chapter supply box (See attachment for suggested contents).
7. Compiling and maintaining a file of area restaurants and banquet facilities. Include the following for each establishment: menus, prices, minimum required attendance, reservation and consolation policy, and comments on previous chapter experiences with establishment;
8. Maintaining a file of previous correspondence with restaurants;
9. Compiling a list of area schools and corporations which have meeting facilities available.
10. Reviewing the events of the past year with your predecessor who should hand over the file of correspondence and pending business.
11. Reviewing this toolkit. Contact the Local Activities Coordinator, local_activities@acm.org, with any questions.
Facilities arrangements should be coordinated with the Chairpersons of the Program and the Education Committees. Audio-visual equipment, clerical service, printing, and other assistance can frequently be obtained through members of their companies. Good program planning calls for good advance planning for physical properties and equipment. Program and arrangements are closely allied to the presentation and needs of the speaker. Someone must consider the room layout, lighting, seating arrangements, a sound interference, etc.
Always provide for separation of smoking and non-smoking sections. These sections should be clearly designated, especially at dinner or lengthy meetings.
Meeting Checklist
Make sure restaurant has count for confirmed reservations Notify waitress of color coded meal tickets if applicable Arrange for extra chairs for presentation Setup registration/sign-in desk Check projector and screen Arrange for table for projector Arrange for podium or lectern, if needed Make sure water and glass is available for speaker
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER PUBLICATIONS CHAIR
The chapter publications chair is normally responsible for printed and online publication of chapter information, announcements, forms, brochures, event posters, signs, and the newsletter. A publications committee is composed of chapter volunteers. It is recommended that there be at least two people; one editor and one business manager. It may also consist of a webmaster. The editor is responsible for the format, content and layout of each copy of the newsletter and other publications and for getting the copy in a rough (or even final) draft for the printer. The business manager is responsible for obtaining the necessary finances for publishing each issue. The webmaster is responsible for the online version of chapter information.
Responsibilities of the Publications Chair include the following:
1. The timely distribution of any printed publication.
2. Coordinate meeting announcement.
3. Review the events of the past year with your predecessor who should hand over the file of ACM Newsletters, correspondence and pending business.
4. Coordinate write-up of last month's speaker. (Recap)
5. Coordinate newsletter mailing. (Arrange with membership on mailing labels.)
6. Be aware of other chapter newsletters.
7. Keep in touch with other local professional organizations by exchanging newsletters.
8. Maintain file of printing estimates (if appropriate).
9. Learn post office point of contact if permit mailing is being used. Find out balance in prepaid account.
10. Provide change of address to people who routinely provide announcements/press releases if chapter permanent mailing address not being used for this.
11. Coordinate with publicity on contact of potential sponsors
12. Coordinate the online publication of information with the chapter webmaster if applicable.
13. Produce forms or brochures that may be required for the chapter for registration or publicity, or templates for form letters and press releases.
A chapter newsletter is an excellent tool for building interest and encouraging participation in chapter activities. The chapter newsletter tells its members about chapter's activities, and also informs chapter members about other local activities that may be of interest to its readers. These may include:
1. Meetings of other professional computer-related organizations
2. Courses in the computer field given by schools, universities, and private companies,
3. Computer education in elementary schools and high schools,
4. Government activities related to computing and technology.
A chapter newsletter should publicize regional, national and international ACM activities, such as conferences and technical symposia, and the ongoing work and meetings of ACM SIGs.
In addition to the publications committee, other chapter members may assist the editor in getting the issue ready for the printer. Reports on chapter committee meetings should be encouraged from the people involved along with announcements of their meetings. Chapter members and others should be encouraged to submit articles or guest editorials.
Newsletter Guidelines
The Newsletter Editor should develop guidelines and procedures for publication.
Suggested Time Table
- 4 weeks before meeting date - all input in the editor's hands
- 3 weeks before meeting date - layout completed and submitted to printers
- 2 weeks before meeting date - newsletters delivered to post office
- 1 week before meeting date - members receive newsletter
Suggested Input
Meeting announcement and biographical information for the upcoming speaker, supplied by the program chairperson Chairperson Corner; supplied by the chapter chairperson Puzzle column - supplied by the puzzle editor Future meetings announcements - supplied by the program chairperson Meeting announcements for other related organizations Announcements of short courses at the university computing center Announcements of ACM conferences - supplied by ACM Chapter Membership Application - supplied by the editor Editor's Comments - supplied by the editor List of Council officers, their employers, and telephone numbers supplied by the secretary Minutes of council meetings - supplied by the secretary Names of all local corporate associate sponsors Meeting reviews; conference reviews; book reviews Letters to the editor Cartoons/Ads (Corporate)
Filler articles may be obtained from the following sources:
1. ACM news releases at http://campus.acm.org/public/pressroom/index.cfm
2. Newsletters from other ACM local chapters at http://www.acm.org/chapters/maps/
3. Newsletters from other organizations
4. Newsletters from a university computing center
Design Considerations
It is strongly recommended that the chapter develop a logo and use it on all publications, along with the ACM logo (and SIG logo if applicable). A logo should be scaleable, it should look good at 6 foot high as well as 1 inch. You may want to develop two variations, a color and grayscale version, as well as low and high resolution versions for web and print use. . Consistency and recognizability are important factors in any communications. Chapter publications should share common graphical elements, typefaces and perhaps paper stock, which comes in a variety of weights. An excellent guide for desktop publishers is Everyone's Guide to Successful Publications by Elizabeth W. Adler (1992, Peachpit Press).
Printing and Copying
Check printing charges from several local printers. In some cases, photocopying might be more cost effective for small runs. Establishing a relationship with a printer can lead to discounts on repeat business. Discuss your publication with your printer before you begin working on it, doing so can save considerable headaches for you and them. In today's digital world, working with a printer that has a digital pre-press facility is a strong advantage. The technicians there best know how to output documents for printing on their particular presses, and can offer you valuable pointers in preparing your work. Consider the resolution and line screen of your images in reference to the method you will use to reproduce your publications and other materials. Keep in mind that additional charges are made for folding, collating, and stapling the newsletter. Most printers will deliver finished work free of charge.
The meeting announcement (printed) is made by overlapping the masthead of the front page with a Meeting Announcment banner. Alternately, a chapter could produce inexpensive 8 x 5 - 1/2 (half sheet) postcard with a uniform look and color each month to be readily recognizable by the recipients as a chapter announcement. If you are including meeting announcement information in the newsletter, be sure to distribute it in a timely fashion.
Allow sufficient time in your schedule for preparing print or electronic newsletters and announcements for distribution. Keep in mind that readers should receive the newsletter at least one week (and preferably two weeks) before the chapter meeting to give them time to plan to attend.
When preparing pieces for mailing, recruiting the help of several members can be very helpful. Affixing labels and postage can be tedious and time consuming, if done in collaboration with your fellow volunteers the task can be far more enjoyable. If you are preparing for bulk mail distribution, be sure to have all the bulk mail materials and guidelines handy to ensure your mail goes out in a timely fashion.
First-class mail is often well worth the extra cost because the newsletter will arrive locally within two working days after it is mailed. As non-profit organizations, ACM chapters are entitled to reduced 3rd-class mailing rates. Inquiries should be sent to the chapter's local post office. An electronic name and address file for mailing the newsletter to ACM members in your area can be obtained from the Local Activities Coordinator, local_activities@acm.org.
Mailing costs can be kept down by keeping the chapter mailing list up-to-date. costs can be reduced by carefully analyzing how many pages of which weight paper can be sent for a given amount.
Exchange of chapter newsletters is a good means of keeping up with events in groups similar to your own. Other chapter newsletters are also a source of ideas on format and content.
Sources of financial support will vary depending on the local situation. The most common source of funding is through a newsletter sponsorship program. Generally, the chapter finds a company (or companies) willing to donate typing and printing services (or funds to pay for those services) in return for acknowledgment of the company's support in the newsletter. Before beginning such a program, the newsletter editor and the chapter chairperson should read very carefully the ACM policy and procedure statement regarding such programs (section 15.3.1.2 in the ACM Policy and Procedures, located in the appendix). For tax purposed, as well as to comply with ACM policy, it is important to distinguish between an acknowledgment of support (or a 'goodwill message') and a paid advertisement. Contact the Local Activities Coordinator with any questions.
The following is a summary of the guidelines approved by the ACM Executive Committee for any chapter wishing to make arrangements for newsletter sponsorship.
There are generally two kinds of newsletter sponsorship agreements, as follows:
1. The chapter may chose to have issue sponsors. In this case, one institution pays for the cost of publication and distribution of one newsletter issue and is acknowledged in that issue.
2. The chapter may choose to have several sponsors to cover the cost of newsletters issued over a period of time. In this case, each sponsor is acknowledged in each newsletter issue.
The chapter Treasurer must account for all sponsor money on the annual financial statement to the ACM Director of Finance. One copy of each newsletter published must be sent to ACM Headquarters.
Advertising in Chapter Newsletter
ACM does not prohibit chapters from accepting paid advertising, but the practice is strongly discouraged. As a general rule, ACM chapters should always be very careful to maintain the non-commercial nature of the Association, especially in a local area. At a more pragmatic level, for chapters in the United States, the appearance of paid advertising in a newsletter may jeopardize the chapter's non-profit bulk mailing rights.
Finally, there are several complex IRS issues involved with U.S. not-for-profit organizations and advertising revenue. Revenue from newsletter advertisements is considered 'unrelated business income' which is potentially taxable (even for not-for-profit organizations.) The IRS requires that any chapter which collects over $1000 per year of such income complete and submit a 990-T return, a form which many accountants consider one of the most confusing and difficult IRS forms to understand and prepare.
Although ACM chapters may be included in ACM's Group 990 return, they cannot be included in ACM's 990-T, so they must prepare the form themselves. The IRS estimates that this is a 115 hour, or 14.4 work day, project. Any chapter considering accepting paid advertising should first consult the ACM Director of Finance to identify and understand the various tax and other issues involved.
Limitations on advertising are clarified in ACM Policy and Procedure Section 15.3.1.2
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER PUBLICITY CHAIRPERSON
Publicity is one of the most important ingredients of a successful chapter. While the responsibilities for chapter publicity are often assumed by the Newsletter Editor, it is important to remember that chapters publicity has three distinct focuses: publicity to the chapter members about chapter activities; publicity about chapter activities to the general public; and publicity of ACM activities to your local community. Because chapters are established in local areas, they are specifically qualified to further ACM's purposes of the dissemination of information to the general public.
The publicity efforts of many chapters can be subdivided into the following areas:
1. Monthly mailings to chapter members and others.
2. Liaison with other computer societies.
3. Major publicity efforts for the Professional Development Seminars.
4. Publicity booths at local conferences.
5. Publicity in local newspapers.
Chapter Monthly Mailings
Chapter Monthly mailings sent to chapter members frequently contain the following:
1. Chapter meeting announcements (printed on colored paper marked "PLEASE POST")
2. Local SIG meeting notices.
3. Chapter newsletter
Other items might be included in the mailing based on their interest to the chapter members (their inclusion might require unanimous approval of a group composed of the education, membership, and publicity officers). These are usually brochures on university courses, seminars offered by other groups, etc.
In addition to the chapter membership list (maintained by the chapter), most chapters have an extensive complementary list which includes other chapters in the region, high school teachers, university department heads and technology managers, and industry contacts.
Liaison with other Computer Societies
Most chapters establish contact with other computer societies in the area to exchange publicity announcement. Once the contacts are established, this only requires mailing meeting notices to the other societies and publishing their notices in the chapter newsletter. Groups with whom meeting information might be exchanged are listed above in the section on the chapter newsletter.
Publicity for Professional Development Seminars
Chapters usually compile several mailing lists for professional development seminar publicity. These mailing lists might be compiled from the following: chapter mailing list; ACM members in the area (where "the area" includes people as far as 100 miles in zip code range); people who attend regional ACM meetings; mailing lists from the local universities; a mailing list compiled from the phone book. Phone books now have categories with everything from Computer Graphics, Internet to Data Processing.
Print and electronic brochures can be mailed to people on these lists. More brochures can also be handed out individually (especially at local universities).
Publicity Booths
Booths at local computer conferences should also be considered. Headquarters can provide the following: copies of various publications, ACM membership brochures and membership forms, professional chapter, student chapter and SIG reference guides, posters, a publicity stand for holding literature, and a booklet describing the ACM publications. The chapter can provide chapter information sheets, ACM Fact Sheets, and chapter membership forms.
Media Publicity
Many publications now have reporters or editors that deal with technology news. Even so, they are unlikely to have prior knowledge of the ACM, so be prepared to explain the significance of a name or society. Use membership promotion literature for good explanations of ACM.
If you have an event that you want to publicize, first organize the pertinent information: who, what, where, when why and how. Then call the paper well in advance of the event -- two or three weeks, if possible. Ask for the technology editor. Explain briefly what sort of story you have to tell. The reporter may want to take the information down over the phone, or may ask you to write it up and send it in.
If you do write it up yourself, don't be overly concerned with style -- the item will probably be rewritten anyway. Just make sure the item is factually complete and accurate. Pay particular attention to the spelling of names, times, dates and location of the event. If a speaker is involved, include background information.
It is a good idea to include a couple of sentences explaining the Association. Many papers will use a photograph of the speaker if on is available and some may even assign a photographer if the event seems sufficiently newsworthy.
Give the paper plenty of information to work with. It's better to give them too much than too little. Small town newspapers, in particular, like to use as many local resident's names as possible. Find out the deadline times for the particular paper and make sure that you get all information to the paper several days ahead of the deadline. Never call an editor on a deadline day (or hour) if you can possibly avoid it. Many editors do want your help and your story, but the best of them become somewhat manic as the deadline approaches.
Don't try to pressure an editor into giving you more space or a better position for your news item. Editors are professionals, and will treat your news item based upon their own assessment of the story's news value. They are also likely to resent anyone trying to tell them how to do their job. Remember that you, or someone else from your organization, is going to have to continue to work with the editors -- so find out what they want, give it to them, and let them take it from there.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON
The chapter's Membership Chairperson is responsible for maintaining the chapter's membership roster, coordinating renewal notices, recruiting new members, and encouraging chapter members to join the Association. Upon taking office, it is recommended that the Membership Chairperson do the following:
1. Coordinate membership procedures and fee with Treasurer.
2. Review the events of the past year with your predecessor who should hand over the file of ACM Newsletters, correspondence and pending business.
3. Review this toolkit, paying particular attention to the membership promotion assistance available from ACM Headquarters, and the suggestions for recruiting new members. Contact the Local Activities Coordinator at ACM Headquarters with any questions. Ongoing responsibilities of the Membership Chairperson include the following:
1. Maintain chapter membership records and database, including member name, email, phone, fax number, address, company, dues payment, and ACM membership number (for voting chapter members). Include ACM Headquarters Local Activities Coordinator and other chapters in your area (on request on the mailing list). Coordinate renewal dates with Chapter Treasurer and/or Secretary. If applicable, maintain records of focus groups, or of Local SIGs, in the area.
2. Establish a membership campaign, especially at renewal time.
3. Work to set up corporate membership and institutional sponsorship programs where possible.
4. Track and analyze renewals.
The best way to recruit chapter members, and new members for ACM as well, is through person contact. No quantity of mailings can be as effective as personal contact. The primary value of publicity lies in making an initial contact with a large number of people.
The first source of potential chapter members is ACM members in the chapter's area. A current electronic listing may be requested from ACM Headquarters. The members should be contacted as early as possible.
Another source of potential members is your professional associates. Many of your associates who have not considered the value of ACM will find the existence of a local chapter to be sufficient reason for joining ACM.
Many other sources of members surround you, an all should be explored. Companies using computers or dealing in technology services have personnel who are potential members. Local colleges and high schools have staff members interested in or active in computing.
There are many different reasons for joining a chapter.
1. Professional contact - the opportunity to meet with other computer professionals in the community to discuss and work out common technical problems.
2. Committee work - the opportunity to follow specific problems of common interest with the assistance of fellow members.
3. Technical sessions - the opportunity to plan and present programs consisting of papers, debates, panel discussions and forums.
4. Technical expression - the opportunity to prepare and present technical papers, to express oneself in open forum, and to cooperate on interesting research problems.
5. Professional leadership - the opportunity for experience in guiding the work of others through committee or round table leadership, or as a chapter, regional or national officer.
6. Recognition - the opportunity for personal recognition by one's peers.
Among the most valuable assets of membership in ACM is the combination of social interaction and professional dialogue with other managers and professionals provided through local, regional and international meetings. At the local level, chapter memberships representing all facets of science, business and technology, as well as all modes of computing, invariably focus on the kind of information and insight that cannot be examined any other way.
Keep Accurate Membership Rosters
Take the time to make sure the database is accurate. Most people will try only once to correct an address before they get an "if they don't care, neither will I" attitude. Make sure their address is correct the first time. ACM requires chapters to submit their membership database to ACM Headquarters.
Mail on Time
Nothing has a worse effect on membership morale than mailing communications too late for them to be useful. All the hard work of developing some notice, pamphlet, newspaper, or brochure is completely wasted if they don't get in the mail in time. Mailing labels must be produced on time. If need be, produce labels off last months roster and hand print any new additions since then.
Improving a chapter's membership is hard work.. It should be remembered that as a general rule, an active chapter does not have difficulty recruiting new members.
Professional Development Seminars (PDS) are an excellent source of both publicity and new members. Help in sponsoring a PDS is available from ACM Headquarters.
ACM promotional activities are available from ACM Headquarters and should be placed on a table, with an adequate supply of both National and chapter membership applications, at every meeting or Chapter sponsored event. Likewise, a complete set of all ACM publications is also available from headquarters and should also be prominently displayed.
Why Should Chapter Affiliate Members Join ACM?
An Outline of Facts
Many chapters find that their members are not aware of the relation of chapter activities (which they value) to the activities of ACM. When chapter members' one-year membership period comes to an end, they often ask, "Why should I join ACM? What benefit will I get for my dues? My interest lies with the local chapter, not in what goes on in ACM, the intergalactic organization."
Everyone has their own answer to such a question. However, you may wish to consider a few additional points in your response.
Membership in ACM isn't a prerequisite to personal success in the computing industry. But an effective body of professionals, working together through an organization such as ACM, is essential to the continued improvement of our profession. The members of ACM are also instrumental in shaping the impact that computers have on our society. This takes place on the local level through chapters. And an important role is played by international activities.
If your local chapter were not part of an active, responsive, progressive ACM, would your local officers be allowed working time to carry on necessary chapter affairs? Would your companies support chapter overhead resulting from mailing, telephone, secretarial work and newsletters? Would knowledgeable, busy and outstanding figures in our field be willing to take the time to speak to relatively small groups even in remote areas? Many of the chapter activities which affiliate members find worthwhile would not exist without the backing of ACM.
ACM and Special Interest Group Conferences with technical sessions are examples of what the international ACM does to increase the knowledge of its members. Intensive technical seminars are assembled and then made available to people from all parts of the country. This gives people an opportunity to maintain awareness of specialized aspects of computing.
There are different roles for each individual who decides to participate in ACM. Each person must decide how much investment to make and must determine how much return he is seeking. for those who are qualified to be members of ACM, there are tremendous benefits to be gained from the person investment.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHAPTER EDUCATION CHAIRPERSON
The duties of the Education Chairperson involve the promotion of education activities such as:
Professional Development Seminars (PDS) Promotion of educational activities in schools Lecturers for non-ACM related activities, etc. The Education Chairperson should read carefully Section 7 of this toolkit. Most of the information in that section was taken directly from the ACM Professional Development Seminar Handbook.
Professional development seminars (PDS) are an excellent means of providing educational benefits to a local geographical area. Although they are not the only educational activity conducted by chapter, PDSs are some of the most visible activities. The Education Chairperson should work closely with the Program Chairperson in order to incorporate professional development into the monthly meeting schedule.
Some chapters, in addition to their monthly meetings, sponsor monthly lectures on advanced computing topics where in-depth technical presentations are held on an informal basis. Other chapters offer semester long classes on special topics.
An area of growing interests working with the local educational community to help organize activities such as high school computer clubs. Many chapters even have on-going programs to work with local scouting activities.
