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Welcome to the latest issue of Confluence, Melby, Cameron & Anderson's newsletter celebrating what associations do best: bringing together people and ideas to create opportunities, solutions, and engaged communities of like-minded people. |
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First Things First
We are pleased and proud to announce that Cindy Byfield has joined the ranks of Certified Association Executives (CAE). The latest class of CAEs was recently announced by the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership. ASAE and the Center are the accrediting oversight body for the CAE program. The designation is earned through a combination of experience, education, and formalized study, culminating in a daunting exam, offered twice a year.
Cindy, who has been with Melby, Cameron & Anderson for six years, has made an ongoing commitment to professional development and professional excellence. The CAE is not an easy designation to earn. We're all proud of her. Cindy becomes the sixth CAE within the ranks of Melby, Cameron & Anderson ... we're pretty proud of that, too!
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What Do You Call Volunteer Leaders?
Lynn Melby, CAE, and Donna Cameron, CAE, were recently privileged to offer-in partnership with the Washington Society of Association Executives (WSAE)-a day-long training for chief elected leaders and chief staff executives. The focus of the day was on giving association leaders the opportunity to explore together their strengths and challenges, their priorities, and to strategize how best to work together on behalf of their members and their industry or profession.
We had a great group of association leaders in the room, and the collective wisdom of the volunteers and execs in attendance was staggering. We had a lively discussion about the role-and mission-of the chief staff officer to assure that the chief elected leader's year is successful and rewarding. We don't do this just to assure a "happy" Board Chair. We know that more is accomplished when the experience is enjoyable. We also know that the volunteers who accept leadership positions within their association have lots of other places and organizations they could be giving their precious time to.
Chuck Rumbarger, one of the stalwarts of the association management profession, refers to those few association members who seek and serve in leadership positions as "two-percenters." They are among that small minority of members who give a great deal of their unpaid time and energy to their associations. They're the ones who make a difference.
Lynn Melby refers to them as "the usual suspects." Rarely do they volunteer once and then call it quits. They belong to, and often serve, many organizations. They become involved in community and philanthropic causes. They're active in their local PTA, their church, or maybe a motorcycle or mountaineering club. They have experienced first-hand the power of people working together in community to change the world.
As staff, our obligation to volunteer leaders is to make their volunteer experience enjoyable, productive, and rewarding. We want to help you step away from that experience saying, "Wow, that was great. I'm so glad I did that." And above all, we want you and your association to look back on the year and say, "Look at all we accomplished. Look at all the good we did."
That's one of the real joys of being an executive director-the privilege of working with extraordinary and committed volunteer leaders. They are a joy to work with. Nothing makes us happier than partnering with them to get results on behalf of the association, and often seeing people blossom as leaders in the process. It doesn't get any better than that.
To the elected leaders and association volunteers who may be reading this: we salute you!
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More on Volunteers and Volunteering
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The number one reason that association members volunteer is to do something for a cause that is important to them. (Source: The Decision to Volunteer, published by ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership, 2008)
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One barrier that was consistent among non-volunteers in all age, income, and employment status groups was their unwillingness to make a full-year commitment. Does this information change how we approach volunteers and volunteer tasks in our associations? It should! (Source: National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating)
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A Tradition Continues.......
For the ninth straight year, Melby, Cameron & Anderson has been privileged to co-sponsor the Snohomish County Scholastic Art Show with the Arts Council of Snohomish County.
The awards event and gallery opening, held February 22, is part of a nationwide focus on the arts in middle and high schools where student-produced art is judged. This program gives thousands of students throughout America the opportunity to broaden their creative horizons while earning local and national recognition. The objective is to foster the confidence of young artists and give them the opportunity to be recognized for their creative achievements by the world at large. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923, and have become the nation's largest and longest running program of its kind. After the exhibit, American Vision Best of Show and Gold Key artwork were sent in digital form to New York for the National Scholastic Art Awards program. |
| Lynn Melby, CAE, IOM, Chairman, lynn@mcamgmt.com
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