President’s Message
Sharp Crayons
September is synonymous with “Back to School.” Store aisles are filled with school supplies, and families scurry about checking off lists, filling out forms, and marking up calendars. Students are a little apprehensive about their upcoming schedules and teachers, yet excited about a new year back to school with friends.
There was something so great about having sharp crayons and at least one new outfit. I also appreciated the opportunity to settle into a clean desk and a tidy locker… and in later years move into a small, bare dorm room. In the first days of school, we learned about the assignments, timelines, and expectations.
As professional women, I think we should take a day to go “Back to School” in September. We should clean out our desks, ridding it of things we no longer use or need and filling it with sharp pens and pencils… or go ahead and treat yourself to a big box of sharp crayons and fresh highlighters. We should review our “assignments,” our responsibilities and our timelines. Let’s work in such a way that we do not have homework! Take the 15 minute recess daily and recharge your batteries. And yes, we can probably even justify at least one new “Back to School” outfit.
Enjoy this time of transition and fresh start in your homes and also in your work lives.
Survey Results
… and the survey says
The FEW Summer surveys have proven to be an invaluable tool for the Board. We had 60% participation, which gave us a valid sample size. The results are lengthy, but we present some of the key findings and planned course of action.
|
Subject |
Key Finding |
Response and actions |
|
Meeting attendance |
· 42% of members attend 6-8 and 34% attend 9 or more meetings a year
· The primary reasons for missing a meeting are 1) calendar conflicts (56%) and 2) too busy/workload (38%); location (2%) and not interested in topic (5%) do not contribute significantly to meeting absence |
· Increasing membership and meeting attendance is a primary focus area of the Board in the future
· Meeting are most often missed because of busy calendars and heavy workloads
· Increasing membership will ensure higher meeting attendance
|
|
FEW costs and dues |
· To the question “food costs have increased, and changes are necessary” the options were rated as follows: 1) increase dues 10% from $170 to $190/yr. (44%); 2) consider other non-hotel venues/ caterers (21%); 3) return to plated meals (16%); 4) offer fewer food choices (16%)
· If dues increased 10%, 92% of respondents said they would still consider being FEW members and 8% said they would not |
· Although costs are up, the FEW Board has agreed to hold membership fees at $170 in 2009 due to the economy, desire to retain members, and adequacy of FEW reserves
· In 2010, it is expected that dues will increase to $195/yr.
· Guest fees will be increased from $15 to $20, so that we are covering our costs on guests
|
|
Meeting locations and food |
Several questions drew responses about meeting locations and meals, and have shaped our current actions |
· We will host as many meetings as possible at the Holiday Inn due to location, parking and member satisfaction
· Meetings will be held at other hotel and non-hotel venues as needed to fill the schedule
· One non-hotel venue being considered is the library, which has sizeable meeting rooms, a central location, adequate parking and a catering kitchen
· Lighter lunches and less expensive food options will be considered, yet overall member satisfaction is critical |
|
Programming |
· 97% of respondents like the current programming model that fosters programming equally in professional, community and personal topics
· 57% of respondents felt programs should have a strong business emphasis
· 55% of respondents felt the more expensive programs created a favorable impression of FEW while 44% felt they did not |
· Stay with the current model of having professional, community and personal topics
· Have one higher-priced “special program” each fall to help draw in more prospective members and give greater community exposure regarding FEW
· Ensure each program gives members a valuable “take away” |
|
Networking |
· Of the networking initiatives FEW has had, the announcements, guest introductions, networking activity at the annual meeting, and the featured member in the newsletter drew the most member satisfaction
· Moderate satisfaction was demonstrated for Board Member hosts and table topics
· The lowest levels of networking satisfaction were expressed for the birthday introductions, small groups, and the mini-conference |
· Networking remains a key focus area of the Board
· At a couple meetings a year, seating will be randomized to help members meet other members
· While the Board will poll interest in small groups, the development of small groups will be organized and hosted by a volunteer small group leader
· Business cards may be used for the drawing so that name tags can be worn until the end of the meeting
· Once a year, a happy hour/social will be developed for casual networking of members; this will be in addition to our 12 lunch programs. |
|
Scholarships |
Several questions drew responses about scholarships and have shaped our current actions |
The Board discussed the fit of scholarships within FEW. The dollars that are given are not drawing a large pool of applicants, nor making a significant difference in meeting the recipients’ educational expenses. For these reasons and in light of budget and dues considerations, FEW will suspend scholarships in 2009, and the VP and AVP of Scholarship will pursue mentorships and internships as a way of providing professional development opportunities to students and women seeking new career skills. |
|
Member Benefits |
· The only aspect receiving a high mark as “very valuable to me”
· Members place the highest value on the monthly newsletter, member directory, and website
· Moderate value is placed on scholarships
· Little/no value is placed on mailing labels, e-commerce, a mini-conference, and small groups |
· Programming is key, and Board and committee volunteers are dedicated to this mission
· The website has been maintained to enhance its current performance, but a higher-functioning and more impressive website will need to be developed to meet future needs of the organization
· Improvements will be made in the FEW Member Directory, both online and in printable form |
The FEW Board also collected surveys from former members of FEW to learn about members’ reasons for leaving the organization, and we even got quite a few of them to come back. Again, we thank you for your participation and support of the survey process. If you have any questions or suggestions about the survey, please feel free to discuss them with any FEW Board member.
September’s Program
U.S. history is shaped by presidential elections, and so FEW is proud to host the League of Women Voters at our Wed., September 10 meeting from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn. In preparation for the elections this fall and marking 88 years since women received the right to vote, we have solicited the expertise of four women panelists from the League of Women Voters in our community. Ellen Mork, Joan Hicks, Pat Soyka, and Karen Langsjoen will speak about how dedicated women as concerned citizens have worked to shape better local, state and federal governments. You will hear background, perspective and commentary on public issues confronting all citizens and will learn about the work the League of Women Voters does to promote positive solutions in our community and across the country.
October’s Special Program
FEW is spreading the word about its Special October program. Sincere thanks to our Charter FEW member Ann Thelen and her team at Thelen Advertising for producing an attractive flyer that is being distributed to Chamber members and countless others both in paper and electronic form. All members received a pdf version of the flyer, and we encourage you to email it along to colleagues and friends who should join you at this special meeting. If you would like paper copies of the flyer, please pick some up at the September meeting or email Lisa Maurer at lmmaurer@bremer.com, and she will mail some to you.
We will enjoy a presentation by Anna Maravelas, a nationally-recognized speaker and author of How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress. The topic of her program is “Self-Defeating Habits of Otherwise Brilliant People: Pulling Together When Things Fall Apart.” Please make a special note that this meeting will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This meeting is part of our 2009 FEW Membership Drive, and will help us expose the community, friends and colleagues to the fine attributes of FEW and draw guests in as members for our 2009 Program Year.
Guests: Direct them to Debbie Spaniol at wellgetitdone@aol.com.
Announcements:
o Congratulations to FEW Member Patt Adair on being awarded the 2008 Athena Award by the Women’s Fund of the Central MN Community Foundation. We praise Patt for her leadership and professional achievements, and her inspiration to others.
o The date for the St. Cloud Hospital Hospice Fund’s Annual Holly Ball is Saturday, December 13, 2008.
o The Fifth Annual Williams Wobegon Ride will be held on Saturday, September 13th. This free bicycle ride, to support the Julianne Williams Fund of the Women’s Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, commences at 9:00 a.m. at the Wobegon Trail in St. Joseph, and ends in Avon. There will be a complimentary t-shirt and brats and beverages at the end. It promises to be a fun family event for a great cause!
o Remember: Bring your business cards to the meetings. We may start using them for our door prize drawings, and it will help you easily exchange contact information with fellow members.
Lisa Maurer
FEW President