AREA SESSIONS’ REVIEW, OUTCOME, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

BACKGROUND  PAST AREA SESSIONS PROVIDED LIMITED INTERACTION WITH OUR CHAPTERS  DECIDED TO INTRODUCE A MORE FACILATATIVE APPROACH FOR BUILDING UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT BY USING – THE INTERACTIVE METHOD  ALLOW S US TO BUILD TRUST AND FURTHER ENHANCE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CHAPTERS

 SHARED RESPONSIBILITY  COLLABORATIVE ATTITUDE  STRATEGIC THINKING  FACILITATIVE BEHAVIORS

 NEEDED “BUY-IN” AND CONSENSUS FROM AREA VPs  AREA VPs AGREED THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS FOR THIS ROUND OF AREA SESSIONS WOULD BE: LEADERSHIP, MEMBERSHIP, AND LEGISLATION

GOOD AT IDENTIFYING “WHAT” NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS  GOOD AT IDENTIFYING “WHAT” NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS  NEED MORE FOCUS AND ENERGY, HOWEVER, ON THE WHO, WHEN, AND HOW AND SOMETIMES THE WHY

 WHY CHOSE TO BE A LEADER?  HONOR TO SERVE – SENSE OF OBLIGATION – LEARNING/GROWTH EXPERIENCE – PRESSURE TO SERVE – FOSTER NARFE’S MISSION – MAKING A DIFFERENCE – CHALLENGE – MENTORING TO CHAPTER MEMBERS

 HOW DO WE ADDRESS DIFFICULTY OF LEADERSHIP RECRUITMENT?  MENTORING – CHAPTER ETIQUETTE – PERSONAL APPEAL – RESOURCEFUL NOMINATING COMMITTEE – WATCH & WITNESS POTENTIAL CANDIDATES – RECOGNITION – SHARED RESPONSIBILITY – INVOLVE CANDIDATES GENTLY – POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT

 WHEN IS IT APPROPRIATE TO RECRUIT?  CONSTANTLY LOOKING – ALL THE TIME – OBSERVE WHEN SOMEONE IS READY – SHARE EXPERIENCE AND FRIENDSHIP – PERSON TO PERSON – SOMETIMES TOTALLY SITUATIONAL – RECOGNIZE LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL

 WHO SHOULD BE RECRUITED?  NEW RETIREES – FREQUENT ATTENDEES – WHOMEVER WE CAN GET – DEDICATED MEMBERS – WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY – KNOWLEDGEABLE OF NARFE – ABILITY TO DELEGATE – THOSE THAT CAN FOSTER AND PROMOTE NARFE – ACTIVE/COMMITTED MEMBERS

 WHAT MUST WE DO TO ENCOURAGE NEW CHAPTER MEMBERS?  CULTIVATE INTEREST/JOY – SOLID MOTIVATION – EMPHASIZE ACCOMPLISHMENTS – EMPHASIZE TERM LIMITS – INSTILL ENTHUSIASM – ORGANIZATIONAL PRIDE – PROVIDE SYMBOLS OF OFFICE (PINS) – SHARED RESPONSIBILITY – MENTORING – OBSERVE LEADSHIP QUALITIES (AMBITION, SKILLS, DIPLOMACY)

 TWO PART DISCUSSION. FIRST FOCUSED ON “WHAT” CAN BE DONE TO ENHANCE MEMBERSHIP EFFORTS  SECOND PART FOCUSED ON NARROWING AND SELECTING ITEMS AND/OR SETTING GOALS TO IMPLEMENT, THE “HOW, WHO, AND WHEN”

 AREA I: SHARE NEWSLETTERS – FEDERATION OFFICER INTERVIEWED BY PBS – ESTABLISH AREA CLUSTER GROUP – CREATE AREA WEB SITE  AREA II: SHARE CHARLOTTE NEWSLETTER – RESEARCH SETTING UP BOOTH AT APPLE FESTIVAL – RESEARCH VA’s RECRUITMENT PRACTICES – PREPARE COLUMN FOR “NC LETTER CARRIERS’ NEWSPAPER” - ALL CHAPTERS RECRUIT MEMBERSHIP CHAIR

 AREA III: CONDUCT AREA MEETING (TRIAD CHAPTERS) – CREATE A JOINT CHAPTER NEWSPAPER AD (TRIAD CHAPTERS) – HOST A MINI-RETIREMENT AREA SEMINAR (TRIAD AREA) – CREATE AN AREA NEWSLETTER  AREA IV: RESEARCH COUNTY/PUBLIC TV INFORMATION – SEND EXIT SURVEY TO DROPPED MEMBERS – EXCHANGE MEETING INFO AMONG CHAPTERS – CREATE SAMPLE PACKAGE FOR NEW PERSPECTIVE/DROPPED MEMBERS/FEDERAL AGENCIES

 AREA V: AGREED TO ESTABLISH AN AREA WIDE GOAL FOR MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT (5% INCLUDING 1% FOR FERS/ACTIVE EMPLOYEES) AND RETENTION (25%) – EACH GROUP MEMBER AGREED TO EXCHANGE AT LEAST TWO RECRUITMENT/RETENTION IDEAS W/ALL CHAPTERS

 AREA VI: AGREED TO ESTABLISH AN AREA WIDE GOAL FOR MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT (3% INCREASE) AND RETENTION (3% INCREASE)

 ALL AREA GROUPS AGREE THAT OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE FOLLOWING ISSUES (WHAT):  NATIONAL: PROTECTING OUR EARNED BENEFITS, PREMIUM CONVERSION, GPO, AND WEP  STATE: HOMESTEAD ACT AND MODIFYING THE BAILEY SETTLEMENT TO INCLUDE ALL RETIREES

 AREA I: DEVELOPED TWO PREMIUM CONVERSION CASE STUDIES – FORWARDED TO SHULER, DOLE, & BURR – DEVELOP TALKING POINTS & POSITION PAPERS ON BAILEY AND HOMESTEAD ACT – TEAM W/OTHER SENIOR GROUPS – INCREASE CHAPTER LOBBYING EFFORTS

 AREA II: DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN FOR ALL PRIMARY LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES  AREA III: COURSE OF ACTION THAT HAS HIGH PROBABLITY OF SUCCESS – INCREASE PAC CONTRIBUTIONS/EFFORTS – INVITE CANDIDATES TO MEETINGS – WRITE LETTERS/ARTICLES FOR NEWSPAPERS – CHAPTER ACTION PLANS AND THAT COORDINATE CHAPTER/FEDERATION/NATIONAL EFFORTS – EXPAND/IMPROVE WEB SITE TO REFLECT REPRESENTATIVES’ POSITIONS

 AREA IV: CONDUCT “BEST PRACTICE” SESSIONS AT CONVENTIONS – USE MOST PROGRESSIVE CHAPTERS TO PRESENT – INVITE CITY, COUNTY, STATE OFFICIALS TO MEETINGS – ALL CHAPTERS HAVE PAC CHAIR – MORE PUBLICITY FOR PAC  AREA V: COMPETITION AMONG CHAPTERS TO DETERMINE MOST CONTACTS ($50 REWARD) – MORE ACTIVE LCOs AND MORE PUBLICITY – USE LCOs MORE PRODUCTIVELY

 AREA VI: BRING ATTENTION OF SENIORS TO CHURCH GROUPS, SENIOR GROUPS, AND SENIOR FOR ACTION GROUPS – EDUCATE LOCAL POLITICIANS

 LEADERSHIP: USING THE INFORMATION GATHERED, RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING A LEADERHIP COUNCIL CONSISTING OF CHAPTER, CURRENT AND PAST FEDERATION OFFICIALS TO ASSIST CHAPTERS RECRUIT AND MENTOR CURRENT AND POTENTIAL LEADERS

 MEMBERSHIP: RECOMMEND AREA VPs MONITOR THEIR RESPECTIVE MEMBERSHIP GROUP’S ACTION ITEMS AND GOALS TO DETERMINE PROGRESS MADE.  FURTHER, THE AGREED UPON ACTION ITEMS BE USED AS THE FOUNDATION FOR CREATING AREA MEMBERSHIP ACTION PLANS  PROMOTE THE CONCEPT OF AREA MEMBERSHIP CHAIRS

 LEGISLATION: RECOMMEND THE AREA VPs and LEGISLATIVE CHAIRS PROMOTE INCREASED VISIBILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE APPOINTED LCOs, ENSURE THAT ALL CHAPTERS HAVE ACCESS TO THESE INDIVIDUALS. FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT THE LCOs BEGIN TO WORK AS A TEAM TO PROMOTE NARFE’s LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

 WHY WE WANT TO DO ALL OF THIS?  “BECAUSE WE CARE, WE ARE WORKING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION LIKE THE LAST GENERATION WORKED FOR US!!” GREAT JOB BY ALL!!  GREAT JOB BY ALL!!

 REMEMBER, WE ARE VERY GOOD AT DETERMINING “WHAT” NEEDS TO BE DONE AND  NEED MORE ENERGY, FOCUS, DRIVE AND TEAM BUILDING TO ACCOMPLISH THE “WHO, HOW, WHEN”  YOU ARE OUR GREATEST RESOURCE