CHAPTER COUNCIL pARTICIPATION

 

By Jim Bishop, August 2003

 

A few years back a chapter might miss a quarterly "State Board" meeting, and not think much of it. The State Board was a large body, and it always seemed that many others were very involved in discussing the issues and carrying the organization forward.  What the heck, one chapter less couldn't make much difference, the meeting is far away, and other things are happening at home.

 

Times have changed. The full participation of the chapters is vital, more important than ever.  May I offer a few things for your consideration. Please take the time to read them. 

 

Let me share a little of the history (as seen and recalled imperfectly by myself) of the current place held by the Chapter Council.  Not long ago, CNPS was guided by the State Board of Directors…"the Board", about 50 folks…made up of the Executive Council (the "EC", a body of 20 or so, officers and program VPs) and the Chapter representatives (about 30).  You may recall that much of the business was first digested by the EC, recommended actions carried to the full Board, and action taken.  Some issues were actively debated by the full Board, making for a pretty unwieldy discussion group.

 

That organizational structure was doing its job ever less well as the volume and complexity of issues steadily rose.  Chapters often felt that they were doing little more than "rubber stamping" the recommendations of the EC; and it was awkward, time-consuming, and sometimes impossible for the full Board to get through the business at hand. 

 

Fairly recently CNPS underwent an extensive self-analysis and reorganization.  Key points included:

 

1. The need to streamline and become organizationally more efficient---largely accomplished by a division of labor between the new Chapter Council (CC) and new Board of Directors (BoD), thereby having smaller organizational bodies with clearly-defined, well-integrated functions.

 

2. That the heart of the organization, the source of energy and ideas, and the place where much of the important work of CNPS becomes reality on the ground, is the Chapters.  They were empowered as the Chapter Council to establish the goals and policies for the entire organization, and in the process were given their own forum in which to share and interact directly with each other.

 

And here we are…the CC is the body responsible for setting the goals and policies of CNPS.  If CNPS is the ship, we are deciding where to sail, setting the goals.  It is up to the chapters alone; there is no parallel group like the old EC to share that responsibility.  The new BoD is responsible to operate the ship to reach those goals--freeing the CC to spend its time on the driving issues and helping each other.  It matters very much that all of the chapters participate.  If a third of the chapters are not represented (too often the case), the CC is a much weaker body and the quality of the guidance of CNPS is diminished.. 

 

We are all focused on chapter-level activities…rightly so.  But what we do in our chapters depends very much on a vibrant state-level CNPS.  Think about what your chapter activities would be like without the influence of the CNPS name, without local "floras" and manuals and other publications, without input to laws and policies that protect plants, without insurance for chapter activities and property, without the greater community of folks who share your interests in conserving California's native plants.  Chapter life cannot be really good without a strong CNPS.

 

Sometimes chapters cite reasons they cannot participate--recently: a distaste for "politics"; and the conflict with dates of local activities.  One way to become less upset by "politics" is to participate.  You'll find that the vast majority of the time is spent dealing very constructively with important issues.  And you'll find that your fellow CNPS members are all-in-all a great group of people, universally interested in plants and in conserving them…people who can advocate passionately for some point, and then enjoy the company of those who put forward a different view, a civil group where diversity is valued and leads to good decisions.  As for conflicts in dates…the CC meeting schedule is known years in advance, so it should be possible to avoid conflicts with local activities.  And if worst comes to worst, the politics or calendar conflicts are too much, you can always designate another member of the chapter to be the delegate to the CC meeting.

 

I hope to see all of you in Monterey, and in the future.  I think you'll see how important your place is, and that you'll meet some nice people and will have a good time.