NEW CHAPTER STANDARDS

At its Aug. 27 meeting, the SPJ national board approved changes in the professional chapter standards and reporting requirements.  I'll be sending copies of the changes to chapter leaders shortly.

The revision does two important things:
•    It makes it easier for pro chapters to remain in good standing under SPJ’s “star rating” system, and therefore easier for chapters to be eligible to vote at the national convention.
•    It requires each regional director to contact pro chapters in his/her region every three months to discuss programs, activities, problems and successes in the preceding three months. The RD must file a quarterly report based on that discussion with HQ. That report becomes part of the annual report that chapters are required to file to remain in good standing.

Why’d we do it? I’ll just quote from the proposal put together by Region 2’s Jeremy Steele with help from Region 11’s Sonya Smith, other regional directors and other SPJ leaders:

Core objectives
Quickly identify and aid troubled chapters.
Increased communication between regional directors and chapter leaders will mean troubled chapters will be more likely to be found in time to offer help, rather than at the end of the year when an annual report is filed, or, in some cases, not filed.

Ensure regular communication between regional directors and chapters.
Quarterly reports must be filed by each regional director for each pro chapter in a region. This increased communication should also increase communication between local chapters and the Board of Directors and SPJ headquarters.

Spread success between chapters.
Increased communication between all regional directors and chapters will allow for more communication to chapter leaders of programming and recruiting ideas.

Require financial reporting.
A financial report is included in the annual report chapters must file in order to remain in “good standing.”

Define what it means to be a chapter in “good standing,” thus giving voting rights.
The revised program establishes a minimum of standards, achievable by all active chapters.

Establish a minimum level of service provided by SPJ chapters.
Chapters must communicate with members, hold a minimum number of activities, actively recruit members and communicate with the regional director and national SPJ.

Build a flexible framework for chapters.
Chapters are given freedom to choose activities to hold, so long as the activities further SPJ’s mission.

Create high expectations of chapters.
We continue to work within the Star System framework with which chapter leaders are familiar.