Chapter Revitalization and Restructuring Guide

The request for a Chapter Merger or Closure can originate from several sources. Typically the request will come from either a chapter member such as an elected officer; however, members outside the chapter such as a Membership Consultant, Member Council Representative or International Director can request action. If a member outside of the chapter identifies a chapter that is nonfunctioning or lacks the level of activity to be considered active, it is their responsibility to inform the Member Industry Relations Manager (MIRM) or other Member Services staff.

If the duly-elected officers of a chapter determine they lack sufficient assistance in maintaining chapter operations, the most senior member should contact their Membership Consultant, Member Industry Relations Manager or SME Member Services staff in writing to request merger or closure of their chapter.

In either case, no further action toward merger or dissolution should be conducted until such time as directed by the SME staff representative and all assets of the chapter should be considered frozen. Written permission shall be obtained from Member Services staff to distribute any funds other than those required for normal chapter operations.

Initial Actions

The Member Industry Relations Manager, with the assistance of Member Services Staff, will practice due diligence in attempting to find new leadership and revitalize the chapter. The following actions are recommended to determine the viability of the chapter and further action required.

1.Perform a Chapter Interest Survey – This is sent by SME and would determine if there are any members interested in serving as officers, committee chairs, etc. (Attachment I).If there are positive responses, a reorganization meeting shall be planned and election of new officers will be held. The Membership Consultant will work with the new officers to develop a plan for normal operations and growth as well as submission of all required forms.A sample Revitalization Meeting Agenda is attached(Attachment II).

2.If little or no interest is found among the members, the MIRM will recommend either merger or dissolution of the chapter. This shall be done after evaluating the proximity of the members to other chapters and through inquiry with surrounding chapter leaders. Either a Chapter Merger or Closure Survey would be sent to the chapter members.

3.A Chapter Merger Survey will be sent by SME Member Services to members whereby they would vote to merge with one of the neighboring chapters. The survey may include options to transfer their membership to another chapter other than that of the proposed merger(Attachment III).

4.Should merger be acceptable to the members, the Membership Consultant will meet with officers of both chapters and develop a Merger Action Plan to involve active members from the weaker chapter into the new merged chapter. The plan will include any other issues for discussion to provide for a smooth transition and incorporation. Sponsorship of any student chapters from the old chapter should be transferred to the new merged chapter. The Merger Action Plan is required before the final transfer is completed(Attachment IV).

5.If a Chapter Merger is not feasible due to reasonable distance to the closest chapter, the chapter members shall be balloted for Chapter Closure. The Chapter Closure Survey should make one last attempt to find new leadership as an alternative to closing the chapter and shall provide an option for members to become part of the closest chapter as opposed to becoming “at-large” members. Sponsorship of any Student Chapters should be offered to the closest surrounding chapter.

6.After either of the above ballots has taken place, a Request for Action (RFA) will be written and submitted to the Chapter Enhancement Subcommittee. The RFA will include a summary of survey results, the Merger Action Plan, if applicable, and any other documentation related to the proposed action(Attachment V).

7.The Merger or Closure is not considered final until it is approved by Member Council and affirmed by the SME Board of Directors Executive Committee.

8.Historical articles of the chapter such as banner, charter, bulletins and photos may be forwarded to the Merging Chapter if applicable and desired. Reports of the chapter such as Meeting Minutes and Financial Documents for the past seven years should be sent to SME Member Services for safeguarding.

9.After final approval, instructions will be provided as to how and where to distribute funds and other assets.

Disbursement of Funds. Upon withdrawal of its charter, due to dissolving, merging, splitting or other revocation, the Chapter's treasury shall be disbursed as follows:

Dissolved Chapter. All assets remaining in the Chapter's treasury, after meeting all obligations, shall revert to the International Treasury, to support other chapter activities unless a merger or splitting of the Chapter has occurred.

Merged Chapters. When two or more Chapters are merged into one chapter all assets remaining after meeting all financial obligations of the merging chapters shall be combined and a new treasury formed.

Split Chapters. When a Chapter splits, all assets remaining after meeting all financial obligations of the split chapters shall be distributed on a per-member basis to the treasuries of the newly created or existing treasuries of chapters receiving members. A split chapter can be splitting a large chapter into smaller chapters or a chapter closure and its members are assigned to more than one chapter.

Other Revocations. All assets remaining in the Chapter's treasury, after meeting all obligations, shall revert to the International Treasury to support other chapter activities.

All funds held at SME International Headquarters in the Chapter's account shall revert to the International Treasury.


An Opportunity for You

Your SME Chapter Leadership Team is seeking feedback and looking for volunteers to keep the chapter engaged and active. Your local chapter can provide you with valuable professional and personal development, as well as networking opportunities among manufacturing professionals and companies to share ideas, technology and best practices. We want to hear from you as to your technical interests, willingness to volunteer for leadership development, or work on special projects for the greater good of the SME community. Your ideas will help us develop strategic plans to better fulfill your membership needs.

Please Submit Survey to SME Headquarters by Date.

Please check all that apply:
I am interested in: / I am interested in:
Serving as a chapter officer / Helping with K-12 student activities
Serving as a committee chair / Helping with college student activities
Serving as a speaker / Receiving meeting information by e-mail
Serving as a mentor / Learning about SME Certification
Hosting a meeting, plant tour or tech talk / Learning about Technical Communities
Calling colleagues who may be interested in SME / Attending Leadership Series
Developing chapter Website content / Sponsoring an SME event
1) Why did you join SME?
2) What were your expectations, and have we met those expectations?
3) What manufacturing topics would be of interest for a technical meeting?
4) What plant tours would you be interested in attending?
5) What short course or seminar is important to you and your company?
6) What other types of activities do you think your chapter should host?
7) What other services/membership benefits would you use if SME offered?
What day and time of the week could you attend SME events? Please circle what you prefer!
Mon / Tues / Wed / Thurs / Fri / Sat
a.m.time
p.m.time

Please help us update our records:

Name: Member #:
E-mail address: Phone no:
Preferred mail address:

Please respond by using the enclosed self-addressed, postage-paid envelope, or by fax or e-mail.

SME Member Services Department  One SME Drive  Dearborn, MI48121

Phone: 800.733.4763 or 313.425.3000  Fax: 313.425.3415 

Chapter Revitalization Agenda

SME is an institution for the advancement of professionalism, knowledge and learning in the international manufacturing community.

  1. Welcome and Introductions - MIRM or MCon
  1. Chapter Structure/Management - MIRM or MCon
  2. Elections
  3. Chair
  4. Chair-Elect
  5. Secretary
  6. Treasurer
  7. Committee Chair Appointments - New Chair
  8. Programming
  9. Membership
  10. Bulletin or Communications
  11. Completion of Required Forms
  12. Minutes of meetings published for board members and audit purposes
  13. Finances and Budget
  1. Leadership Series
  1. Planning and Future Actions
  2. Annual Plan with timeline (what’s our mission)
  3. Topical presentations
  4. Plant Tours (members companies)
  5. Social Events
  6. Special Events
  7. Engineers Week
  8. Communication
  9. Bulletin/Newsletter (Grab them with something BIG)
  10. Meeting notices
  11. General communication to membership
  12. Website vs. blog
  13. E-mail distribution
  14. Telephone calls/committee
  15. Webinars
  16. Member Benefit Presentations
  1. New Member Welcome and Retention
  2. Student Chapter Interaction
  3. Public relations outreach
  4. TV or cable
  5. Local newspapers
  6. Web presence
  7. Aspiring engineers (K-12 activities)
  1. Interaction with other SME Chapters or other Engineering Societies

Attachment III

An Opportunity for You

Your SME Chapter Leadership Team is seeking feedback and looking for volunteers to keep the chapter engaged and active. Your local chapter can provide you with valuable professional and personal development, as well as networking opportunities among manufacturing professionals and companies to share ideas, technology and best practices. We want to hear from you as to your technical interests, willingness to volunteer for leadership development or work on special projects for the greater good of the SME community. Your ideas will help us develop strategic plans to better fulfill your membership needs.

Please Submit Ballot to SME Headquarters by DATE.

Please check only one option:

1)Continue to keep Chapter XX open and I will volunteer for a leadership role

2) Chapter XX should officially merge with Chapter No. XX

3)Chapter XX should officially close

Please indicate which chapter you wish to be transferred into:

Chapter XXX

Chapter XXX

Other ______

1) Why did you join SME?
2) What were your expectations, and have we met those expectations?
3) What manufacturing topics would be of interest for a technical meeting?
4) What plant tours would you be interested in attending?
5) What short course or seminar is important to you and your company?
6) What other types of activities do you think your chapter should host?
7) What other services/membership benefits would you use if SME offered?

Please help us update our records:

Name: Member No.:
E-mail address: Phone No:
Preferred mail address:

Please respond by using the enclosed self-addressed, postage paid envelope or by fax or by e-mail.

SME Member Services DepartmentOne SME DriveDearborn, MI48121

Ph: 313.425.3000 Fax: 313.425.3415 

Attachment IV

Key: Red type change to italics

Sample Action Plan for the Merger of

NameChapter #X intoName Chapter #Y

Purpose:

The purpose of this Action Plan is to describe why and how NameChapter #X will be merged intoNameChapter #Y.

This Action Plan is the result of discussions by concerned members of both chapters, Namewho is the Membership Consultant and Name (SME Staff) who participated in the deliberations. This Action Plan has been developed through the findings of the Merger Team along with comments or statements submitted by SME chapter members in writing.

Background:

(Include history of when/why Chapter #X has failed to be viable on its own)

SME Headquarters mailed "Official Merger Ballots" to the members of Chapter #Xon Date as to whether "I vote to merge NameChapter #X into Name Chapter #Y.” (Include if applicable: Responses were also provided the option of transferring their membership to Name Chapter #A or Name Chapter #B.) Number ballots to merge were mailed. Numberballots were returned with Number indicated they wished to merge with Chapter #Y, Number indicated they did not wish to merge,Numberballots no answer or Undecided. (Number indicated they wished to transfer their membership to Chapter #A and Number to Chapter #B.)

Chapter Integration:

Recognizing the physical distance between the chapters, integration of these chapters must be such that one chapter does not have to always travel to the other chapter area for all meetings.

Both chapters must determine how best to engage the members throughout the increased geographic area.

A review of the Chapter #X membership must be conducted to understand what the makeup of the “customer base” is in reference to the companies represented, member’s interests and member locations.

Since Education is an important aspect of SME, review of potential possibilities for student activities and/or student chapter formation in the Chapter #X area must be investigated.

To successfully engage the membership of Chapter #X, the following objectives will be initiated:

Plan Recommendations (example):

  1. Formally merger Chapter #X into Chapter #Y.
  2. Representation from Chapter #Xon the Chapter #Y Executive Board, using conference calling when personal attendance is not possible.
  3. It is hoped that someone from Chapter #Xwould be willing and able to run for office at the next election.
  4. Create a “Cross-Chapter Meetings Management” Team to provide meetings/events for the combined membership.
  5. Include two SME Member Programs per year that are located in, or near the location of City (where chapter #X was located).
  6. Chapter #Ywill takeover sponsorship of Student Chapters #Cpreviously sponsored by Chapter #X and makes all efforts to continue scholarships, other types of financial support and other means of contact. Student Chapter #C will be included on mailing notices for Chapter #Y programs.
  7. Membership Consultant will facilitate progress of merger and provide strategic input to meet the needs of all members in the area.

Membership Consultant has facilitated conference calls and has planned to attend Executive Board meetings to be involved in merger and integration. He/she has also been very willing to approve and assist in ideas that we have developed for future progress in combining the chapters.

Respectfully submitted,

Names of Merger Team

Attachment V

TITLE OF RECOMMENDATION:Senior Chapter Closure

RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION:

Approve the closure of Senior Chapter No. XXX (chapter name in name of state) and the transfer of members into Chapter No. XXX (chapter name in name of state).

BACKGROUND SUMMARY LEADING TO THIS RECOMMENDATION:

The chapter has been dormate for the past three years and has not provided a slate of officers since YYYY. The chapter is very small with only XX members and has not been growing. The chapter has held joint meetings with chapter XXX in the past. (Name) Chair, (Name) Membership Consultant have been working with the former chapter treasurer (Name) but have not been able to revitalize and grow this chapter. In late YYYY the chapter forwarded their scholarship account to the SMEEF general fund.

Official merger ballots were sent to the local members, with the results to close the chapter and merge with chapter XXX.

JUSTIFICATION AND RATIONALE FOR THIS ACTION:

Chapter XXX has repeatedly struggled to find additional leaders and volunteers. As a result, revitalization efforts have not been successful and a majority of the members in XXX strongly desire a closure and transfer of their memberships to Chapter XXX.

Both entities will benefit from a combined membership, thus creating a larger pool of members to sustain chapter activities.

The closure of the chapter has been requested by (Name) the Membership Consultant, as well as (Name) the current Member and Industry Relations Manager.

Chapter XXX and XXX have composed an Action Plan for the engagement of Chapter XXX members, should this RFA be approved. This Action Outline is attached to this RFA.

SME RESOURCE IMPACT STATEMENT

Should the recommendation be approved, the resource consequences are:
NOTE: / (20xx) / (20xx) / (20xx)
Revenues / 0 / 0 / 0
Expenses / 0 / 0 / 0
Staff(net change) / 0 / 0 / 0

The above resource impacts have been reviewed & verified by:

(Director of Finance & Accounting)

REQUESTED BY:

(Name of group or individual making the recommendation)

SOURCE:

(Staff Director)(Ex Officio)

DATE OF ORIGIN:

STAFF REVIEW (The facts presented in this document have been reviewed for thoroughness and accuracy by the following individuals):

(Executive Director & General Mgr)(Director of Unit Responsible)

ACTION NEEDED BY:Executive Committee Executive Compensation Committee

(Check as appropriate) Board of Directors Member Council

Revitalization and Restructuring Guide 11/16/2018