These are rough notes. I’m sure you’ll be able to find Paula’s slides on the STC site and these topics will be amplified in News and Notes e-mails as well as articles in Intercom.
Dispelling myths:
Myth #1: The Board doesn’t care about the communities
Reality:
- Two of the 3 face-to-face mtgs of the Board focused on the communities
- More Board members work on communities than any other aspect of STC
Myth #2: Communities will be fine if the Society just gives us more $
Reality:
- All associations are seeing changes in how communities function
- Many chapters have $ and don’t spend it.
- New funding model gives us more input
Myth #3: The only reason people join STC is to belong to a chapter
Reality:
- Knowledge-based governance survey ranked community membership at #6
- 5 to 6% members don’t belong to a chapter
- SIG membership is growing fast
- Membership and marketing efforts will encourage chapter membership.
- STC is hiring a director of community relations. Staff turnover and office restructuring are making it doable.
Communities of the future: Characteristics
- Define yourself
- Things change
- Be what you want to be
- Be what you can be
- Serve your members
- Don’t be limited by history
- Define success and go for it.
Flexible groupings will work together
- We’ve dismantled the regions which were meaningless
- We’re encouraging communities to work together
- Form and dissolve partnerships for each project
- Find partners based on whatever works
- Arrangements may be permanent or temp
- Membership in multiple communities is a good thing: many people are already doing it
Parity btw chapters and SIGs
- They are coming closer in many ways.
- Chapters have a large virtual component
- SIGs are becoming face-to-face
- They will never be the same and we don’t expect that
- STC will strive to support them both with the resources they need.
Be an incubator of ideas
- This will benefit the profession
- Find new ways and share them with other communities and with the Society
- 2-way relationship btw communities and the Society
We are part of a worldwide profession
- Standards and research work
- Revising US govt job descriptions
- Relevant and valid salary surveys
- Joint promotion of the profession (INTECOM)
- Global membership growth
- Partnerships and relationships
Many ways to participate
- 96% of the members said STC should continue to have a peer-reviewed journal, even though many said they would never read it
- STC is more than just communities
- Competitions will be reorganized
Independent or integrated?
- Changes still down the roadUS communities will be encouraged to incorporate independently and sign a service agreement with STC
- Communities can choose to stay legally part of the Society
- Chapters outside the US have different requirements
- Balloting members on bylaws changes later this year
Financial
- New pass-thru modelLikely to start in 6 mos.
- In 2008, STC will collect and pass-thru dues for each member who selects classic membership or an additional chapter
- Chapters should receive all funding in January
- You will benefit from every member you recruit.
