PROGRAMS
Overarching issue: What is even our “raison d’etre” for programming? Why bother? Is it to teach members new skills or improve on current skills (from social media to how to cover that big story, for example)? To discuss/examine ethical issues, to discuss current state of government access for journalists? Is it to network, socialize, create better ties with other area journalism groups? These days what are national SPJ’s expectations for chapter programs?
- — What makes for a successful program? Early planning? Promotion? What else? How do we achieve that?
- — Brainstorm program ideas.
- — Also think about different venues where we can hold programs; pick places accessible to parking, public transit? Try to rotate venues — DC, suburban MD, suburban VA –- to draw different crowds? Are we willing sometimes to pay for a space, pay for refreshments to help draw a crowd?
- — What other DC Journo. groups can we partner with?
BOARD REFRESH
- — We have lost board members because they perceived a "gray hairs" vs. "newbies” mentality. How do we overcome that?
- — Mining events for volunteers
- — Defining roles for all board members — who is supposed to do what. (There's more to it than showing up once a month for free popcorn at the Press Club.)
MEMBERSHIP
- — How do we increase membership?
- — How should we mine the dinner guests (and Hall of Fame members) for membership and SDX donations?
- — How can we reconcile our membership with national records
- — What should the boundaries of Virginia Pro, DC Pro and Maryland Pro be?
COMMUNICATIONS
- — Best practices for communicating with our members.
- — What does communicating with them look like on a regular basis? Monthly, bimonthly newsletter? Regular email updates, messages? Regular posts on Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest? Evite? All of the above?
SETTING UP COMMITTEES
- — How many committees do we need?
- — Membership, communications, program, awards, Dateline banquet
OTHER ISSUES:
AWARDS
- — How do we get entries from the top stations, the top papers and get more entries from "not the usual suspects?"
INTERFACE WITH LOCAL COLLEGE CHAPTERS
- — What does this look like? Could we have a student chapter rep on our board, or invite a student chapter rep to attend board meeting, each meeting invite a different rep? Should we as pro chapter sponsor a “mixer” for our student chapters in metro DC area?
CHARGING DUES: DO WE REALLY NEED TO?
- — Is it a deterrent to membership?
- — Do we need the money?
- — Without dues how would we fund SDX?