by: Adam Hardy, Northeast Wisconsin Chapter President
On November 7, I had the pleasure of attending my first PRSA National Assembly. Representatives from chapters across the nation gathered, debated – at times very passionately, but always cordially – and in the end voted through the most profound bylaws changes in the organization’s history.
Because of the widespread impact these changes will have on our organization, and because of the two-years plus spent by the national bylaws committee in formulating the new language, stakes were quite high and participants responded as such.
It was a long day, to be sure, and much ground was covered, but I will do my best to give you a summary of the most hotly contested points from that day:
Opening up membership to more than public relations professions: Certainly the most anticipated decision. This one had e-mail lobbying in high gear for months in advance. Ultimately, though this was the crown jewel of the bylaws committee’s new strategic direction, the assembly agreed to keep the “PR” in PRSA, at least for this year. Officially, you must still spend a large portion of your time performing the duties of a public relations professional in order to be a PRSA member. Expect this debate to return in future years.
One member, one vote for the national board of directors: An intriguing notion indeed – the new bylaws proposed to open up voting for the national BOD to the entirety of our PRSA membership. One member, one vote. On the surface, this is a fine idea in keeping with our grand democratic tradition. But as one member pointed out, it was a proposition fatally flawed as it put forward no rules for election governance, no anonymous and tamper-proof voting mechanism and ultimately no funding. Bylaws were revised to require that said infrastructure must be in place before this amendment returns to the assembly. So it’ll be back, but possibly not until 2011.
Regional representation on the national BOD: To ensure that the national board is comprised of the “best and the brightest,” the bylaws committee proposed to remove restrictions that currently forces representation from each PRSA geographical region. The net (feared) effect: all membership on the national BOD could come from New York City, or LA, or, for that matter, from Kaukauna. The proposal was shot down – the national BOD will still be geographically representative – the “fly-over states” will still have their say.
APR as an eligibility requirement for the national BOD: Hotly debated, and narrowly passed, all members of the national BOD must now be APR. This has engendered continuing ire and debate, as is evidenced by one assembly attendee’s blog. Incidentally, there was also a separate proposed amendment to require that all assembly delegates be APR – though this one was quashed by a near-unanimous vote.
Prohibition of proxy voting: For those of you who are not avid national-assembly-philes – lovingly paging through your stained, earmarked book of Robert’s Rules – proxy voting might not mean much. But to some, this proposal was tantamount to insurrection. Ultimately, if this one had passed, it would have forced any chapter who wanted a vote on the assembly to physically send a member. This flew in the face of a longstanding tradition that allows boutique-sized or poorer chapters an opportunity to have their voices heard via other chapters in attendance. The proposal was nixed by a very clear majority, enforcing a message that we should have already known: Americans love to vote while sitting in their recliners…possibly in their pj's.
In total, there were some 20 amendments to the new bylaws voted upon, and numerous other amendments to the amendments, points of order and general mayhem. And, in case you were wondering, I had a blast.
One last point, if you haven’t taken a look at the new national PRSA Web site, I urge you to do so. This is not just a change to the look and feel, but a major content and paradigm overhaul. I found the section on the “Business Case for Public Relations” to be especially interesting. Enjoy!
And please, if you have any questions about the National Assembly or anything at all, feel free to get in touch at: adam@browncountyunitedway.org.
Network with your fellow PR colleagues at the last PRSA event of 2009. We'll meet at noon on Wed., Dec. 9 at A'Bravo Bistro in Green Bay for some conversation and great food. Cost is only $5 for members and students and $10 for guests. Please register by Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. All attendees are encouraged to bring a canned food or monetary donation to support Paul's Pantry.
PRSA wishes everyone a Happy Holidays!
Acrobash 2010 – Your Passport to the Future
Acrobash is the premiere networking event for anyone in a creative-related field. Started in 2009, Acrobash has quickly become the talk of the town in networking circles. Groups and organizations from around Wisconsin are represented and offer a unique opportunity for guests to find out more about their creative community. Public relations, graphic design, advertising, web development, web design and related groups and organizations host this event.
Acrobash 2010 will be held this year at The Eisner American Museum of Advertising and Design in Milwaukee. An added feature this year is the inclusion of industry-related vendors at the event. Ticket prices ($30 presale, $40 regular) include heavy hors d'oeuvres, two drink tickets and your Passport to the event. Prizes, live entertainment and more are all waiting for you this year at Acrobash 2010 - Your Passport to the Future. See www.acrobash.com for more information. Don't miss this opportunity to network, gather information and socialize in a fun and inviting atmosphere.
Save the Dates for PRSA's 2010 Meetings!
We know how quickly your calendar fills up, so we wanted to get these dates to you in 2009 to hold for our 2010 PRSA meeetings. More details to come.
The PowerPoint from Jen's presentation is available to all members via the Member Area on the Northeast Wisconsin chapter Web site. All members can sign into the member section and download the SEO presentation whether you've attended the meeting or not - it's a member benefit!
Join a Professional Interest Section in December & Save!
Current PRSA members will receive $20 off of a Professional Interest Section membership in December! Sections include nonprofits, corporate communications, environmental, financial communications, international, new professionals, travel and tourism and much more! Designed to focus on issues, trends and research in specialized practice areas and industries, Sections offer programs and face-to-face networking events that keep you connected with your peers and on top of the latest public relations best practices. Join a Section today.
New members can also join in on the savings! Extended through the month of December, new PRSA members will receive a Section membership for free! Contact Membership Chair Erin Elliott for more details.
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On November 7, I had the pleasure of attending my first PRSA National Assembly. Representatives from chapters across the nation gathered, debated – at times very passionately, but always cordially – and in the end voted through the most profound bylaws changes in the organization’s history.
Join Us for the PRSA Holiday Social on Dec. 9!
We know how quickly your calendar fills up, so we wanted to get these dates to you in 2009 to hold for our 2010 PRSA meeetings. More details to come.
About 30 PRSA members and their guests gathered at Jewlers Mutual in Neenah to learn about