A Program To Share Successful Affiliate Activities 9/02

Purpose: This program enables ABANA affiliates to exchange information with each other to help them develop a stronger blacksmithing organization.

Statement of need: We band together for the love of the craft. We are skilled at shaping iron, but often wish we had more help administering our organizations. Some affiliates are fortunate to have among their volunteers people who are very capable in organizational matters. We need to share their best ideas.

Method: Affiliates will be asked to identify aspects of their organization they believe are working well and share those programs with the other affiliates.

Successful activities you may wish to share: The running of a blacksmithing organization can be broken down into a number of functions. ABANA’s Member Services Committee has identified thirteen. You may wish to add more. These functions are:

1. Putting together a board of directors: Let’s get organized. How many members, what are the subcommittees and what is their authority, who does what, how are the meetings run, etc?
2. Keeping the line open: How do leaders communicate amongst themselves, their membership and the outside world? Remember, communication is a two way street.
3. Blacksmithing education: We need to do more of it. This includes workshops, publications, show and tell at meetings, training of instructors, etc.
4. Publicity: The art of spreading the word. How do you publicize your events, people and accomplishments?
5. How we grow: Recruiting and keeping members. Make a plan. What is the plan? How do you keep people involved?
6. Programs at membership meetings can be fun and educational. This means how to plan and conduct membership meetings.
7. Keeping in the black through financial planning. How do you make a budget?
8. The ins and outs of incorporating your club. What are the steps you must go through to incorporate?
9. Staying out of legal trouble: It’s not just about flying objects. Perhaps there are some common sense things we can do and not do.
10. Looking five years down the road: Strategic planning. Why and how.
11. Measuring effectiveness. What evaluation procedures might we use?
12. Social: The glue that binds. Relationships! That’s what holds our people together. What social activities and considerations might we keep in mind?
13. Recognize those who labor. Let us give special appreciation to those who work behind the scenes as well as the visible leaders.

How to participate:

  • Affiliate presidents--First of all, discuss this program with your board of directors and other members of your affiliate. Look at the operation of your affiliate. Think about the thirteen items and other items not mentioned. Is there something about your affiliate that is going well and you would like to share it with other affiliates?
  • Choose one (or even more than one) of your successful affiliate activities to share.
    Find someone, or a group of persons, who is informed and feels some excitement for this program. This person(s) then writes a description of your successful activity which will include:
    • Statement of the activity.
      Give a one or two sentence statement describing the activity. This gives the reader a quick and basic understanding of your activity.
    • Why did you develop this activity?
      What needs a ose to cause you to develop and refine this activity in the first place. Was there a problem, legal need, social need or a demand from your members, to name only a few?
    • Who #1 does this activity serve?
      Any successful program obvious y serves all your members. But, try to be more specific. For example, a re-organization of your board of directors helps the board members to function more efficiently. This means that the board members are the "who."
    • Who #2 are the workers?
      Who plans and conducts the activity? How are they selected, who do they report to and what are their qualifications?
    • What is the activity doing?
      This section is simply a description of what is being done.
    • How are you doing it?
      Describe the actions you a e taking to accomplish the "What." The "what" and the "how" will give the reader the best idea of your program.
    • When do you do it?
      Is this activity a one shot deal, is it ongoing or is it periodic?
    • Evaluating your success.
      Do you have a way of evaluating the activity? If so, how do you do it and use the results?
    • Other information to explain your activity such as:
      • Tips for success.
      • Documents such as brochures or forms.
      • History of how the activity developed.
      • What ever else you believe to be important.
  • Remember, your written description need not be in a polished and finished form as the Member Services Committee will edit or even rewrite the submissions to ensure uniformity of writing style. We will submit our rewrites to you for your review and comment prior to publication. We may even need to talk to you on the telephone.
  • Now, the best part. We will send a copy of your successful activity to all affiliates for them to adapt and use. Of course, use of this information is voluntary.
Send your submission to:
Bob Fredell
9360-281 Ave. NW
Zimmerman, MN 55398
(763) 389-5119
bobfredell@abana.org

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