Value of membership, member standards, field staff highlight agenda

Positive vibes at GCSAA's 2011 Chapter Delegates Meeting

"Ask and you shall receive" was the theme for the 19th GCSAA Chapter Delegates Meeting, conducted Oct. 28-30 at GCSAA headquarters in Lawrence , Kan. , and the Airport Hilton in Kansas City , Mo.

Association executive staff and elected leaders solicited feedback and frank discussion on a multitude of topics and charged attendees to communicate with their respective chapters upon their return home. GCSAA Vice President Sandy Queen, CGCS, set the tone in his welcome to the delegates saying, "We want to hear from you. It is vital that you share this information with your chapters."

Second-year delegate Tim Powers, CGCS, representing the GCSA of Northern California, said he appreciated the forum, which gave him the opportunity to learn more about GCSAA programs and the priorities of the association. "It's obvious that we have terrific leadership that is extremely qualified and doing good things during these challenging times," Powers said.

As is traditionally the case, approximately one-third of the delegates were attending the meeting for the first time. The mixture of experience among attendees created a positive environment for interaction, learning and information sharing.

"It gives you a sense of ownership and having a say," said first-time attendee Class A member Troy Martin of the Miami Valley GCSA. "The board and staff have done a fantastic job in creating an environment to contribute and share ideas. I attended the Leadership Academy last year and I left impressed with what GCSAA was doing for the members. This meeting only reinforces that. I'm energized to go back to my chapter to share the information."

Value of membership

GCSAA President Bob Randquist, CGCS, repeated a message that he has emphasized throughout his term in office: GCSAA must enhance the value of membership and demonstrate it to the members. He outlined several new programs implemented in the past year, including expansion of the field staff program, creation of a new job board, growth of social media, a new website, new resources to enhance sustainability of the golf facility and the online Self-Assessment Tool to measure member competency and identify resources to facilitate improvement.

This discussion and an open town hall meeting format generated many suggestions as to how GCSAA might increase and demonstrate value, with many ideas focused on delivering value at the chapter level through field staff and enhanced use of technology.

Second-year delegate Jeff Berg, Class A member representing the Virginia GCSA, said the many ideas offered were a byproduct of the board's willingness to listen and engage the delegates. "Sometimes it's good to shake things up a little," Berg said. "Stirring the pot is not necessarily a bad thing if it's done positively. We came out of the weekend with items on which both GCSAA and the chapters can take action."

Field staff expansion

Randquist elaborated on the field staff program, noting that four regions ( Florida , Great Lakes , South Central, Southwest) were staffed and two more would be assigned by the end of 2011 (Northeast, Northwest). All nine GCSAA regions are slated to have resident field staff by the end of 2013. He said the directive for the program remains unchanged: to create a greater link between the association and its chapters -- something he believes is happening "to an even greater degree" than he had expected this early in the program.

GCSAA staff also provided several examples of the activities where field staff have helped to facilitate chapter effectiveness through association programs including strategic planning, advocacy, membership growth and allied association relations. A roundtable discussion was conducted among smaller groupings of delegates to examine areas for opportunity and measures of success for field staff. The feedback was loud and clear that the program had great potential to create an even greater impact in the future.

"I was one of the early naysayers," Minnesota GCSA delegate Kevin Clunis, CGCS, said. "But once we began hearing about the successes and how it was helping chapters, my president asked me, 'How fast can we get ours?' I’m sold on it."

Member Standards: 10 years later

For Randquist, the meeting featured a bit of a "Back to the Future" moment with the introduction of the Member Standards Advisory Group, which has been formed to take a strategic look at the impacts that member standards have had on the association and its members. It has been 10 years since members approved the implementation of member standards by a 3-to-1 margin. Randquist, who served on the group that coordinated the development of those standards, said the current board felt the review was prudent, but not based on any preconceived notions.

"Ultimately there may be no changes to the standards," Randquist said. "But the board felt enough time had passed since the implementation that we could get some feedback on the impact. We selected the advisory group, but that is as far as we went. What they find will not be directed by the board."

The group, which will work independent of the board, will review the impact of the standards to determine if the goals are being met, if there have been any unintended consequences, and make recommendations to the board on a future course of action in regards to standards. The 11-member group will be chaired by GCSAA Past President Sean A. Hoolehan, CGCS, and with GCSAA Past President Tim O’Neill, CGCS, serving as vice chairman. It will feature a diverse cross section of the membership including certified members, Class A, SM and C representatives. There is no firm deadline for the group's report, but an update on the group's progress will be delivered at the 2012 Chapter Delegates Meeting.

Additional discussion items/activities

·                     It was announced that beginning Nov. 1, GCSAA webcasts would be free of charge for all members.

·                     It was announced that members wishing to apply for certification can now do so immediately upon attainment of Class A status. The additional requirements of one year as a Class A and 5.0 education points have been removed.

·                     GCSAA continues to grow its collaboration with allied golf associations to strengthen the game of golf. It is imperative that representatives of those organizations on the facility level work in the same fashion to affect positive change as well.

·                     Newly appointed Chief Operating Officer Richard Konzem was introduced.

·                     Candidates running for board and officer positions made presentations and hosted breakout discussions.

·                     An in-depth presentation on GCSAA government relations efforts revealed that collaboration among staff, chapters and allied associations is having a positive impact.

·                     Four chapters made presentations on programs they have instituted with the assistance of GCSAA resources in the areas of BMP development, media/public relations, strategic planning and government relations.

·                     The GCSAA promotional package on the Golf Channel was well-received and supported as an important investment of funds.

·                     Outlined were new features for Conference and Show, and the National Championship and Golf Classic, including education programs, networking opportunities and cost-saving options available to attendees. This includes a chapter incentive program for golfers who have not participated in the tournament in the past two years.

Presentations available online

GCSAA members can view the meeting presentations online.

 

Best regards,

 

Ralph K. Dain Jr. – GCSAA

Field Staff, Regional Representative (FL)

1421 Research Park Drive

Lawrence , Kansas 66049

Direct 785.832.3607   

Gainesville 352.486.3542

Cell 785.424.4306

Fax 352.486.3283

Email rdain@gcsaa.org