Is your Chapter System Really That Bad?

This year, there is a lot of talk in the association community about modernizing the chapter system. It comes from a lot of areas: outdated ways of delivering services locally, governance systems that no longer serve the members, and draconian requirements to maintain chapter or affiliate status that create unpaid staff positions for volunteers.

And don’t even get me started on the mushiness of the terminology. Too many associations use chapter and affiliate interchangeably when these are two very different structures.

In the move to modernize chapter systems – which I strongly support – the human elements must be taken into account. People have status from volunteering. People have put in time and energy to build a local chapter. Recognition and reward systems are in place that some people are working towards earning. If these are taken away, people get upset and feel disconnected and/or insulted. (“I’ve put in all this work and for WHAT?? Now you’ve taken it away.”)

My opinion is that the natural tension that comes from the national-chapter relationship can make things seem worse than they actually are. It’s hard to balance chapter requirements with chapter service sometimes, especially when it seems like all you do is “chase” reports or deal with angry volunteer leaders.

It’s important to remember that tension is what holds things together. Bridges would collapse without tension, and so would you. It’s tension that allows our muscles to hold us upright and provide our ability to walk. When it comes to tension in relationships, people wouldn’t get upset if they didn’t care.

I encourage associations who want to update or modernize their chapter systems to take a step back and examine your system with fresh eyes. Modernizing does not necessarily mean completely remaking or throwing out your network. It might be that you need to streamline your system or revise your governance.

This fresh examination may reveal you do need to completely remake your system. If that is the case, you need to cultivate patience because it is not a short-term project.

Some questions to consider:

• What do you have in place that is working?

• Can resources be redirected to be more effective?

• What isn’t working? How can you fix it or remove it?

• Can you improve relationships with unhappy volunteer leaders and chapter staff?

• How does the chapter network tie into your governance system? Can you revise one without updating the other?

• Is it really bad, or are you going through a rough patch with your chapter relationships?

• Are you asking too much of your chapter leaders?

• Modernizing the system is important, but make sure you fully understand your motivation for modernizing. It could be as simple as resource allocation, or as complicated as repairing relationships.

Either way, give yourself credit for what you are doing well.