2008 Chapter Advisory Committee Committee Report
Chapter Advisory Committee
As a result of the Society’s Strategic Planning meeting
in 2006, a Task Force on Governance was created to review, among other
items, the Society’s Chapter program and consider whether changes should be
made to the program. One of the task force’s recommendations was that a
Chapter Advisory Committee be created. During the Council’s 2007 fall
meeting, this recommendation was approved, and the Chapter Advisory
Committee (CAC) was created. The primary role of the Chapter Advisory
Committee is to work to strengthen the existing program and encourage the
creation of new chapters.
The CAC held its first conference call on March 19,
2008. The Committee also had an informal face-to-face meeting at EB, and had
a second conference call on May 12. The Committee has agreed to hold an
annual meeting at the EB meeting beginning in 2009.
Committee Activities
Bylaws. The Committee has developed and approved a
Bylaws template that can be used by APS members when starting a new chapter,
or for any existing chapter to use to update their current bylaws.
Local Outreach. The CAC will encourage the chapters to
undertake community outreach activities, and to act as a grassroots
organization on behalf of the Society by contacting and educating local
representatives on issues important to APS, such as animal research and the
issue of evolution. The chapters will also work with the local organizations
of States United for Biomedical Research (SUBR) to help promote biomedical
research a local level.
Chapter Documentation. The CAC is encouraging all
chapters to keep a running history of the chapters in a permanent location.
This will help provide continuity for the chapters. Since each chapter is
set up as an incorporated state society, a tax report has to be filled with
the IRS. The CAC will request that all chapters house this documentation in
the permanent location, too.
Future Activities. The CAC will work on creating a
Chapter Handbook which will help APS members when starting a new chapter,
and will provide information for new chapter officers.
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