I. Working Committees: Involvement of all Members.
A. Once your officers are elected, one of the first responsibilities of the President is to appoint working committees which will be the backbone of the chapter.
B. The number of people on each committee will have to be determined by the objectives and size of the chapter. Remember that your chapter strength will come from the member involvement.
C. The President, as Chief Executive, must see that each committee fulfills its responsibility.
D. Each committee should meet on a regular basis to plan their work and to see that their responsibilities are carried out.
E. Strategic phone calls during the course of the assignment prove to be very effective in stimulating a project towards completion or in discovering problems that may need your assistance.
F. Plan working sessions to lessen the number of meetings. These enhance productivity, encourage friendships and create spirit de corps.
II. Bylaws Committee
A. Establishing a Bylaws committee is the first order of business for the new chapter.
1. Organization is not official until the bylaws are proposed and accepted by chapter members.
2. Model bylaws are included in this online guide.
B. The work of the Bylaws committee is temporary; members of this committee may also serve on other committees.
C. The committee may need to make the following decisions in writing the bylaws:
1. Name of the new chapter.
2. Long and short term goals.
3. Who is eligible for membership.
4. Frequency of meetings.
5. Dues.
6. Officers and their responsibilities.
7. Committees and their responsibilities.
8. Organizational chart.
III. Ex-Officio Board or Advisory Board
A. You may wish to set-up a committee of nurses and physician leaders to serve your organization in an advisory capacity.
B. These individuals can be useful in identifying speakers and offering program ideas for your meetings, and can be helpful in providing professional guidance. The contacts of these professionals in the community are invaluable to your chapter.
IV. Education/Seminar Committee
A. This committee is most important because it will determine the success or failure of your future meetings and of your chapter.
B. This committee should plan educational programs or seminars at least 6 months in advance, and preferably an entire year. Advance planning is most important for the following reasons:
1. Guest speakers need to be invited early.
2. CEU approval from the appropriate bodies. Eight (8) to twelve (12) weeks is a customary lead time for program approval.
3. Providing for adequate publicity:
a. Direct mailing to members, hospitals and interested individuals.
b. Advertisement in the national society publications.
C. Meetings/Seminars must have variety for success. Each meeting should be stimulating, educational and reflect the member’s interest and needs.
1. Use movies, slides, video tapes, panel presentations, round table discussions and case study presentations to vary the meeting.
2. Select papers/topics that are most timely and helpful from the educational standpoint of your members.
3. Utilize guest speakers and members as participants.
D. Committee responsibilities include:
1. Meeting programs: Design, reproduce, mail out prior to the meeting and handout at the meeting.
2. Meeting CEUs: Submit the proper application and fees to CEU providers.
3. Have an alternative plan in case of program changes.
a. Ask or assign competent members to develop and file a written lecture on the same topic as the AV aids and handouts, and be on standby for that program.
b. Have a standby lecturer ready in case of cancellation.
4. Checkout the meeting room for proper table arrangements, AV equipment, lights and amplification equipment just prior to the meeting. Know who to contact in case of equipment malfunction.
E. Each seminar/meeting should include:
1. An educational portion.
2. A social hour, generally 30 minutes, for the attendees to socialize informally.
3. A business meeting.
4. A written evaluation form to be completed by the attendees. This will be reviewed by the committee for future meeting ideas.
V. Membership Committee
A. This committee promotes membership in the chapter, formally accepts new members, and maintains a master list of members (including addresses, phone numbers, email, specialty and credentials).
B. Maintains a file of chapter and national membership forms and sends national forms to the national office.
C. Suggestions to promote membership include:
1. Circulate letters among known cardiovascular professionals.
2. Circulate letters to local hospitals.
3. Use the bulletin Board in local hospitals.
4. Advertise by word-of-mouth, it is often the best means to attract new members.
5. Ask to be a guest speaker at meetings.
VI. Nominations Committee
A. The purpose of this committee is to prepare a slate of nominees for the chapter offices and for the two representatives attending national business meetings.
B. Nominees should be active members of the chapter for election.
VII. Publications Committee
A. Local chapters should have their own publications for purposes of communication to the membership, as well as to stimulate outside interest in the chapter.
B. The publication should include any or all of the following:
- announcements of future meetings
- seminar programs with registration forms
- national news of interest to the chapter
- education articles
- book/article/tape reviews
- news of chapter members
C. Editors of the newsletters need not be professionals-the only qualifications are enthusiasm, ingenuity, and the ability to coordinate. Other newsletters and journals can be skimmed for creative ideas.
ACVP Online Chapter Planning Guide – REVISED 06/2017
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