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Running an IPA Region
An Information and Instruction Manual
International Police Association United States Section
By: James R. Foster
Second Edition, 2004
© 2004 International Police Association, United States Section TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD------------------------------------------------------------------------------PAGE 3 CHAPTER ONE: STRUCTURE----------------------------------------------------PAGE 4 CHAPTER TWO: REGIONAL PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS---PAGE 6 CHAPTER THREE: SECRETARY-------------------------------------------------PAGE 8 CHAPTER FOUR: TREASURER--------------------------------------------------PAGE 15 CHAPTER FIVE: NDC REPRESENTATIVE------------------------------------PAGE 18 CHAPTER SIX: EDITOR-----------------------------------------------------------PAGE 20 CHAPTER SEVEN: REMNET COORDINATOR-------------------------------PAGE 22 CHAPTER EIGHT: REGIONAL RECEPTION OFFICER-------------------PAGE 24 CHAPTER NINE: ELECTIONS----------------------------------------------------PAGE 25 CHAPTER TEN: RECRUITING AND RETENTION---------------------------PAGE 26 CHAPTER ELEVEN: MEETINGS-------------------------------------------------PAGE 28 CHAPTER TWELVE: IN CASE OF EMERGENCY---------------------------PAGE 30 CHAPTER THIRTEEN: E-MAIL AND INTERNET-----------------------------PAGE 31
FORWARD TO THE SECOND EDITION
This manual came as a result of a comment from the Acting Secretary General at the 2000 NEC Meeting in Laughlin, NV. “Why don’t we have an instruction manual on how to do stuff?” The challenge was inspiring and so I set out to write one. Putting all the things you need to know down on paper was a little more challenging than I thought but I finally got it together and sent it out for first draft in July of 2000. Comments came back, nice ones, and they were included. You now have the finished product of the first edition.
This manual is not designed to replace our bylaws which direct every officer how to operate our organization but it is designed to give an easy to follow reference manual for operating an IPA region.
The second edition has been updated due to changes in our By-Laws and Standing Orders, and a new chapter has been added attesting to the importance of the Internet to our organization.
Your comments are desired. Please forward them to me at 131 Thomas Street, Cranford, N.J. 07016-3133 or by e-mail at ipaio@comcast.net
My thanks to the 2000 NEC Board; President Mike Lynch, First Vice President Ron Boerst, Second Vice President Oscar Vance, Third Vice President Bill Krueger, Secretary General Viola Prowie, and Treasurer Tom Ciurlik, for their support. Also, U.S. Section Members Jim Carroll (Region 23) and Rudy Deutsch (Region 31) were sent advance copies and provided assistance. My thanks to all the Sectional Presidents and PEB members who read the first edition and recommend it to Sections around the world. I am humbled…
Since the first Edition, Ilse Deutsch, who proofread my first efforts, has gone to Edit the Lord’s writing. I miss her every day as do all who knew and loved her. I dedicate the updated work to her memory, hoping it continues to be up to her standards.
Happy Reading!
James R. Foster First Vice President, United States Section August 27, 2004
CHAPTER ONE: STRUCTURE
So, you just started an IPA region, or you just became an officer of one. The next question you should be asking, other than “how did I get into this?” is “what now?”
This is a book that will answer the question “what now?” But, before we enter this new world, let’s explore it and understand it.
NATIONAL STRUCTURE
The United States Section is set up as what is commonly known as a confederacy. This is the principle of having a generally weak central governing body and smaller “governments” that control the central government. In the case of IPA, the national has little power compared to the region. This is why it is so important for the regions to function as effectively and efficiently as possible.
The National Executive Committee consists of the National President, Three Vice Presidents, the Secretary General, and, the National Treasurer. These National Officers are elected every three years by the regions. The National President appoints the following National Officers: Advisor to the National President, Membership Secretary, Auditor, Handbook Coordinator, Historian(s) National Hobby Officer, National Newsletter Editor(s) National Recording Secretary, REM-NET Coordinator, National Website Coordinator (Webmaster), Youth Exchange Program Officer and the International Youth Gathering Officer. The President also appoints Associate Secretaries who act as liaison officers to each of the other Sections in IPA.
The elected officers serve three year terms and comprise the National Executive Committee or NEC. There are no term limits. The NEC is responsible for the day to day operations of the U.S. Section subject to the approval of the National Delegate Conference or NDC. The NEC meets twice yearly with the second meeting immediately preceding the annual meeting of the NDC. The NDC is made up of one elected representative of each region within the section and meets yearly to conduct the organization’s business.
While the National Executive Committee formulates policy for the organization, the NDC approves the policy, giving the NDC the “political power” within IPA. The NDC can overturn policy by floor motions and bylaw changes and amendments.
REGIONAL STRUCTURE
Now that we understand the structure of the National, let’s look at Regional Structure and chain of command.
Each region must have at least the following six elected officers: President First Vice President Second Vice President Secretary Treasurer N.D.C. Representative.
Other appointed officers can consist of:
Regional Reception Officer Regional Newsletter Editor Regional Supply Officer Additional Vice Presidents
The elected offices must be held by six different members of the region with the exception that the President of the Region may also be the NDC Representative. This simply means that one person cannot be the Secretary and Treasurer for example. Upon initial set up of a region, the application must contain the names of these six members who must be current in their dues. In addition, there must be at least twenty-five members (including the 6 officers) who are current members of the United States Section at the time the application is forwarded to the Secretary General. The region must maintain the six elected officers, and the twenty-five member minimum or risk their voting rights being suspended.
Those who are initially selected for these offices need to have a working knowledge of the bylaws. After all, how can you ask someone to do a job if they have no idea of what they are required to do? If you are setting up a region, make sure you have a current copy of the bylaws and distribute them to your officers. The bylaws are part of the National Handbook distributed by the National Handbook Coordinator. Insure that each officer knows what he/she will be asked to do and make sure they have the time and ability to do the job. Many new Regional Presidents think they can do everything. You can’t. The quickest way to have an IPA region fail is failure to have enough people to do the work.
CHAPTER TWO: REGIONAL PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENTS
The Regional President is the Chief Executive Officer of the Region. The operative word in describing his/her responsibilities is RESPONSIBLE. The President is responsible for everything that happens in the region. Due to this responsibility it is necessary for the President to be aware of what the other officers are doing. As in all command situations, it is not only expected, but necessary, that the President delegate authority to subordinate officers, specifically the First and Second Vice Presidents, but also to the Secretary and Treasurer. However, Presidents must remember the old adage: “Authority can be delegated but Responsibility cannot.”
Generally, the Regional President does all the things that any Chief Executive does: Chairs regional meetings, appoints committee chairpeople and members, and steers the region along the choppy seas of operating any organization.
Specific duties of the Regional President include the monthly review and certification of the region’s financial records. This is REQUIRED where only one signature is necessary to endorse a regional check. This usually requires reviewing the checking account balance against the statement and signing the statement, indicating that the review is complete. If your region has more complicated finances (special accounts for trips or large expenses by the officers for specific regions) a more time-consuming examination may be in order. The Regional President is also responsible for submitting the annual social commission report for the region to the national. This report, documenting what your region did during the past year, is essential for the national to complete its report to the International which has a traditional submission date of January 15. This means that your report has to be in by January 5, no mean feat but with some careful record keeping, the report should be a breeze.
The Regional President has the authority to appoint other members to fill vacancies in the six mandatory offices due to resignation or death. The President may appoint additional Vice Presidents beyond the two mandated in the bylaws. The appointment of an interested and active member as a Vice President is a very useful administrative tool for taking care of specific assignments such as recruiting and retention, liaison officer to a specific geographic area or agency in your region, meeting coordination, etcetera. The title can be awarded to a very senior member of the region, past National Officer, or other person to serve as an advisor to the President referring to him/her as a “Vice President without Portfolio”. The President has the authority to send recommendations to the National President for Associate Secretary positions when they become vacant.
The Regional President should look for people in the region to handle the Regional Newsletter (Editor) and to be the Regional REMNET Coordinator. These jobs require some special skills and some search may be necessary but they are very valuable positions.
The Regional President sets policy within the region, being careful not to violate the National bylaws.
Finally, the Regional President runs the region. He/she is responsible to assure that every member of the region receives the services they are entitled to as an IPA member. Running the region includes making sure that elections are held every three years and that the results are forwarded to the Secretary General and National Handbook Coordinator. Regular elections are essential to the efficient running of the region and the reporting of the results are important as four of the officers (President, First Vice President, Secretary, and NDC Representative) hold votes in the National Election.
Vice Presidents:
Thomas Jefferson said of the U.S. Vice Presidency: It will free my afternoons and make my summers leisurely.” John Nance Gardner, a Vice President under Franklin Roosevelt said “it’s not worth a bucket of warm piss.” OK, pretty colorful but pretty accurate. Vice Presidents are usually assigned duties by the President. The First Vice President would become the President due to the death or resignation of the Regional President prior to the expiration of his/her term. The Second Vice President would then become the First Vice President and the new President would appoint a new Second Vice President, maintaining the six mandatory elected offices. The First Vice President chairs the regional meetings in the absence of the President.
The most important duty of any Vice President is to do what is asked of him/her effectively and efficiently. Your job is to make the President’s job easier, not harder. CHAPTER THREE: SECRETARY – BACKBONE OF THE REGION
The Secretary’s position is the most important in the region, and it is the most difficult. If you are not computer literate and well organized it is best you serve the region in another capacity. Without a good Secretary, an IPA region will quickly become an administrative mess. The reason for this is the dual role the Secretary plays in the Region.
The obvious job of a Secretary in any organization is to maintain the records of the organization. These include minutes and attendance at meetings, receiving the mail and dealing with correspondence. The Secretary usually provides the “official address” of the region making him/her an “instant friend” to their postal carrier. The additional twist in being an IPA Regional Secretary is that you are responsible for membership. For this job, you need to understand how IPA membership is processed and the dues “cycle”.
First, lets deal with new members. The United States Section usually has between 1200 and 1400 initial membership applications each year. Most of these applications are sent directly to the Regional Secretary although they can come from the National, another region, or from the IPA Website. The most important thing to remember with a new application is to process it quickly. In most regions it is policy that as soon as a verified (more on this later) application is in the Secretary’s possession, the applicant is a member and entitled to all rights of IPA membership. It is recommended that some acknowledgment of the receipt of the application (and check) be sent to the new member immediately. This can be something as simple as a post card, short letter, or in this time of cyberspace, an e-mail, welcoming the new member into the organization. This correspondence should stress that the new member’s credentials will be forwarded in four to six weeks. This time period allows the application to travel through the application process to the National and allows the member’s credentials, called a Passport, to be sent back to the Regional Secretary. It is the Regional Secretary’s responsibility to forward the Passport, as well as a lapel pin and auto decal, to the member as soon as it is received at the “Regional Office” from the National Membership Secretary. The lapel pins and decals are available from the National Supply Officer. In some regions, it is tradition that the new member will appear at a meeting to receive his/her membership pin but in no case should the presentation of the Passport be delayed. A good policy is to place a “check” into the Passport distribution system: Put a note or place a stamped post card in the envelope with the Passport and ask the member to sign the card or note and return it to the Secretary. This proves that the member received the Passport. E-Mail works great for this purpose.
I mentioned “verification” earlier and it must be addressed. The quick processing of an application should not mean processing it carelessly. A regular dispute within the IPA is who can be a member and who cannot. The U.S. Section has one of the most restrictive membership clauses in the IPA. It seems that every year someone who has been denied membership in a Region is appealing his cause to the NDC which has final say in these matters. The first say lies with the Regional Secretary.
Membership qualifications are in sections 400 of the Statutes and Standing Orders which comprise the National Bylaws. As presently written (2000) the membership qualification looks at the person’s job description rather than their title. The bylaw requires that the person have the authority to enforce “the criminal laws” within a political subdivision. Most of these are “no brainers”. There is no question, for example, that a Municipal Police Officer or State Trooper, or Highway Patrol Officer would qualify for IPA membership. However, there are job descriptions that vary from state to state. For example: Correction Officers in certain states are “police officers” and have arrest powers even though their primary function is as “jailers”. In other states, Correction Officers do not have arrest powers or are specifically not “police officers”. The Secretary must understand both the bylaw and the state law before approving an application. Also, all members must be “employed full time” or “retired from a full time position” otherwise they are not eligible for any type of IPA membership in the U.S. When you receive a “questionable” membership application, try some of these actions:
1. Is the applicant employed full time as a law enforcement officer? 2. Can the applicant carry a concealed weapon without a special permit, solely based upon his/her job title or description? 3. What kind of certification or training does the applicant have? 4. If the person was not recommended by another IPA member (bottom line signed on the application) was a photocopy of an ID card submitted? (if not, request one or contact the agency where the applicant is employed). 5. If another region exists in your state, call its secretary and inquire if they have any members from this type of agency. 6. Check with the other members of your board.
If the membership is to be denied, return both the application and check to the applicant and explain to them that they do not meet the membership requirements to be IPA members. Prior to returning the items, make a photocopy for the file and keep it, in case he/she applies again.
OK, so the applicant qualifies for membership. What now? The establishment of a permanent file for each member, in addition to a computer list, is essential for a proper functioning region. For each member you should have the following:
1. A copy of the member’s original application (the original goes to the National for filing). 2. A record log of all transactions with that member. Transactions include initial payment of dues, mailing of original Passport.
These items allow the secretary to quickly answer inquiries by members, and other regions, regarding a member’s status. I recommend that the record log be established in a three ring binder with a loose leaf page for each member as their “record log”. You will have to establish a second binder of all members who drop their membership or die while members. This allows you to reinstate dropped members with their original IPA numbers.
Renewals start in October of each year, although the new stamps may not be available from the National Treasurer until November. IPA membership is on a calendar year from January 1 to December 31 but new members applying in October through December receive credit for the remainder of the present year, plus the following year. This means that all new members signing up in October, November and December get membership stamps with the following year on them. HUH? OK, lets try an example.
A new membership application is received on October 15 of 2000. You process the application (more on this in a minute) and send it in on October 31. When you receive the new member’s passport, it will have a 2001 stamp on it and the member is considered paid through December 31, 2001.
Just like new members, members who renew in October - December will receive the following year’s stamp. Let’s examine the renewal process.
While no by-law presently covers how renewals are handled, the best way to do it is through some sort of automated system. Regions have, in the past, placed markings on their newsletters or regional meeting notices, but nothing works better than a “bill”. These bills, universally called “dues notices” are available through the National for a fee, or, if you are computer literate, you can create them yourself. On or about September 15, you should set aside some time to generate your dues notices. Renewals are presently $20.00. Your notice should look something like this:
IPA Region ##* 123 Anywhere St Anyplace, USA 12345-6789
Your YYYY* dues are now due and payable. This payment will extend your IPA Membership until December 31, 2001. Please make a check in the amount of $20.00, payable to IPA Region ## and mail it, and this form, to the address above. Questions should be directed to the Regional Secretary, Joe Busyguy at 908-555-1515 or ipa##@internet.com PLEASE PLACE YOUR IPA NUMBER ON YOUR CHECK Roger Renewal _____________________________ 555 Goodguy St. New Street Address Anyplace, USA 12345 _____________________ _____________________________ E-Mail Address _____________________ New City/State/Zip Code Telephone Number *(Where ## represents your region number and YYYY represents the year of the renewal)
After you generate the form, which should be sized to fit into a standard legal sized envelope which has a “window”, you should then go to the U.S. Post Office and order pre-posted window envelopes. The forms are then placed in the pre-posted envelopes which allow the member’s address to be seen through the “window” and sent to the membership. It is advisable to coordinate the mailing of the dues notices with your Newsletter Editor who should publish a notice in the Regional Newsletter reporting that the dues notices will be distributed shortly after October 1.
Also in October, you should distribute a note to your Life Members. As they will not be receiving dues notices you should still send them a modified version of the renewal form to assure that you have all their information correct. Tell them they will not get their stamps unless you have the form returned which will assure full compliance.
You will now start to receive renewals from your membership. This will truly test your organizational skills the first time so come up with a plan of how you are going to handle all of this mail up front and STICK TO IT. If you decide that you are only going to handle the mail once a week, leave the envelopes sealed and in a safe place.
On your designated “IPA Day”, lock yourself in your office area or chase the spouse and kids out of the dining room and start processing your renewals. First, open the envelope and remove the renewal form and the check. Then, get out your “permanent record” I described earlier. Find the member’s page and write in the date the renewal was received and processed. Continue this process until all the received checks and forms are neatly in two piles. Then it is time to fill out the transmittal form.
Monthly, you are required to report any membership activity to the Membership Secretary. The things you must report are as follows:
New Members Renewals Reinstatements Drops Transfers (From Region X to Region Y) Deaths Life Membership Payments Address Changes Name Changes (Marriages, Divorces, etc.).
The transmittal form is available from the IPA website, www.ipa-usa.org . It will be obvious to you that there is insufficient room to list 50, 60 or more renewals in the space provided to you, so you will have to attach a separate piece of paper. For each renewal type the name and IPA number of the member in the appropriate space. For example: Smith, John IPA/R12345. Continue this process until all the renewals are recorded. Also make sure you transmit all address changes, and telephone number changes to the Membership Secretary. After the transmittal is complete and you make a photocopy of it, you will put the transmittal and all the checks in an envelope and mail them to your Regional Treasurer for further processing. Make sure you update your regional records for address changes and telephone number changes. Put the copy of the transmittal in your files. Now you wait again.
The National Treasurer will send you the number of stamps you paid for after he/she receives the transmittal package from your Regional Treasurer. At some time the National Treasurer will send you stamps for Life Members of your region which must be distributed to them. When the National Treasurer sends more than 12 stamps out at one time he/she will sending them Certified Mail so you will have to sign for them. The stamps are very SMALL so you will have to devise a method for distributing them. Many regions have developed Regional Identification Cards for this purpose but stapling them to a 3X5 card works just as well. Again, the U.S. Postal Service pre-posted envelopes, this time without the window, is very handy. If you can print labels from your computer, it will save you a ton of time. Again, throw everyone out of the house, give the dog a bone and get your books out. For each renewal, go to the permanent record and write in the date the new stamp was mailed to the member. Then place the stamp in an envelope and mail the new stamp to the member. I recommend that you attach the stamp to a U.S. Postal Service pre-paid post card to be returned to your address. The back of the card should state “Receipt Document for my YYYY membership stamp. Have a space for the member to sign his/her name and IPA number (because lots of cops should have been doctors by looking at their signatures) and ask them to drop the card in the mail back to you. Another good idea is to include a short note stating what should be done with the stamp (it is affixed on the rear of the passport). Now, if you can print labels on your computer, you are ahead of the game. Put the card and the stamp in the envelope and then affix the member’s label on the envelope and drop it in the mail. The “missing” label tells you on a “quick and dirty” basis who renewed and who didn’t. If the label is missing the stamp has been mailed. When you receive the return receipt card. If you are REALLY ORGANIZED you can keep the card, otherwise you can discard it. You continue the process until all the members are renewed or it is time for drops.
A member becomes “delinquent” on March 31 if that year’s dues have not been paid. “Delinquent” means that the National no longer sends a newspaper to the member. If a member’s dues were not paid by March 31 of the year following expiration of their membership, the member must be “dropped”. Following our example for 2001 renewals, a member becomes “delinquent” on March 31, 2001 and must be dropped on December 31, 2001 if the back dues are not received. Drops are handled on the transmittal form in the same manner as renewals. Should a member pay their dues before becoming “dropped” simply follow the regular transmittal process. However, if the member is “dropped” the member must make out another application and pay the $5.00 fee in addition to the $20.00 dues to be reinstated. This entitles the member to a new passport and membership pin as if he was never a member before, however, he/she will receive their old IPA number back again.
The busiest time of the year is from October to March, then things drop off. One thing though, You really shouldn’t submit new members on your August report for September posting. This means you will be sending them a renewal in October. Hold those membership applications until your September transmittal and get those new members “Three Months Free!”
Another official job of the Secretary (as if you didn’t have enough to do already) is the distribution and verification of Travel Forms. A travel form is a request to an Associate Secretary for assistance during a trip to another section. Usually the Regional Secretary maintains these forms and, when contacted by a member, forwards the form to him/her for completion. The form, however, must be signed on the rear by a regional officer verifying that the member is a member in good standing. While this job seems insignificant, it is extremely important if your members are to be able to take advantage of the benefits of IPA. Just as an aside, this is a good job to assign to a Vice President to take care of so try and convince your Regional President to make the assignment. But, the Secretary is the one that will be contacted unless another officer is designated. The Secretary will be contacted for incoming visitors unless a Reception Officer is designated.
Occasionally, a member may lose his/her Passport. New passports may be purchased from the Membership Secretary for $1.00. The Membership Secretary maintains back stamps so the Passport can be re-created. The stamps vary in cost. You should contact the Membership Secretary for the cost on the old stamps. A request for a replacement passport should be sent along with the membership report and proper payment to the National Treasurer.
While time-consuming and often tedious, the Secretary’s position is probably the best way to learn about IPA and to establish some really great contacts. After all, you do have the regional roster in your computer and can contact any member you need to. What power….
CHAPTER FOUR: TREASUER, KEEPER OF THE CASH
After the job the Secretary has, the Treasurer’s job will seem like a breeze. The Treasurer is responsible for the money in the region. NO KIDDING! Seriously, he/she has a very important step in the renewal and membership process that must be discussed.
First some basic things. Most regions operate on checking accounts with some savings accounts where special events bring in operating funds. Your checking account should be established in a bank where the balance draws interest. Let’s face it, why should the bank hold on to your cash for free? When establishing an account care must be taken as to who will have authority to sign checks. Usually the Treasurer and President have the authority to generate and sign checks. However, if you have a large geographic region, you may want to designate another regional officer who is geographically close to the Treasurer, and give him/her authority to generate checks. This will allow the Treasurer to take a vacation or leave town on business and place the checkbook with another officer easily rather than pre-signing checks or putting the checkbook in the mail.
When you first become a region, the National will present a check to the region to establish their treasury. At the time this book is being written, the check is in the amount of $300.00. More importantly, for the first ninety days a region is established it may keep 100% of the dues money it collects for membership. Keeping this money is something that must be requested at the time the region is established and must be approved by the NDC. This is a great incentive for recruiting members and should be exploited to the fullest.
Most region’s sole income is from dues. The normal expenditures are for office supplies, telephone expense, postage, and paying the National Dues.
IPA dues structure is such that of the $25.00 collected from each new member and the $20.00 collected from each renewing member, the region keeps 60% and forwards 40% to the National Treasurer. During renewals, these checks are significant if you have a medium-to-large region. Your abilities as a Treasurer will be tested during renewal time but as long as you promptly forward the information you receive from the Secretary to the National Treasurer, everything will be fine. Let’s look at the process.
If you waded through the Secretary’s duties you will see that he/she prepares a transmittal report each month which contains renewals, new members, etc. If you haven’t reviewed the Secretary’s section, please take a moment now and go to page 10 and look at the section regarding the transmittal. I’ll wait.
OK, now you have reviewed that section you will know what you are receiving. Your job is to make sense out of the finances.
First, separate all renewals from new members. They must be tallied separately anyway. Now, add up the checks from the new members. Let’s say you have four new members. 4X25=100. Now take 40% of $100 or $40 and that is the National’s percentage for your new members. Second, take your renewing members, lets say that you have 50. 50X20=1000. Now take 40% of $1000 or $400 and that is the National’s percentage for your renewals. Now, add $.50 for each new member, covering the region’s contribution to the National Insurance Policy. 54X.50=27. You will now do the following: 1. Deposit all the checks into the Regional Account 2. Generate a Check to “IPA United States Section” in the amount of 40% of the dues collected plus $.50 per member ($467.00 in our example). 3. Fill out the Treasurer’s transmittal form in duplicate and make a copy of it for your files (a total of three copies, two for the National Treasurer and one for you). 4. Put the Secretary’s transmittal, your transmittal, any applications or change forms that came with the Secretary’s transmittal, along with the check and mail it to the National Treasurer.
The important thing with this process is that you have to do it as soon as you receive it from the Regional Secretary. Therefore it is to your advantage to coordinate with the Regional Secretary on when transmittals will be done. Holding on to renewals and new memberships only gets people upset so act quickly.
A common problem is “who’s check is this?” Many IPA members retire and form their own businesses and write their dues check on their business account. This means that “Joe Renewal’s” check is drawn against the account for “Retired Cops Limited”. A ledger, either a book or computer, should be kept by the Treasurer. The Treasurer records the name of the member, IPA Number, Check Number and name of the account if different than the member’s name on each line. This allows the treasurer to quickly check for a member to determine if his/her check has been received.
Something else that the Treasurer may have to deal with is Municipal Vouchers. Many Chief Officers have the department pay their yearly dues. (This is a negotiated item, not theft). Most municipal agencies use a voucher system. As all members of IPA have worked for a government entity at one time or another vouchers should not be a strange thing but let’s look at the process, just to make sure
A voucher will be sent to the Secretary or the Treasurer from the municipality. The voucher must be signed and returned to the municipality where a check will be issued to the region in the proper amount. These municipal checks should be logged in the ledger just like any other “unusual” check. It is important not to treat the voucher as a check. Only send the renewal forward if the municipal check has been received.
You will have to distribute checks to Members and Officers to reimburse legitimate expenses for the region. You should establish a form which lists the expense and who is making the claim. The National Treasurer will provide a sample of the form used by the National upon your request. The disbursement form should have a place for the Regional President to sign authorizing the distribution of funds. The form should have a place for a check number and date distributed to be placed on it and the form becomes a permanent record of the distribution. An excellent rule: No distribution of funds without a receipt. Receipts should be attached to the distribution form and kept in the regional financial files.
Of course you will have to keep the check book in balance. The adage “we still must have money because I have checks left” will not bring many smiles to the face of a person who receives a bad check from a Police Organization. You must, after balancing the check book, send the statement to the Regional President for review and approval. He/She should return it to you and you should file it with your regional financial files.
Each year, the National Treasurer will call for your yearly financial report for Income Tax purposes. Yes, we have to file an income tax return. However, the National will include any income for your region on the national return unless the region hits the lottery or something. Anyway, this form must be returned before the deadline set by the National Treasurer otherwise people can go to jail. Not a pleasant thought for any law enforcement type but still a possibility, After all, it was the IRS that got Al Capone…. Please act quickly and efficiently when the tax form is required.
CHAPTER FIVE NDC REPRESENTATIVE: “SENATOR?”
I am amazed at the number of regions who have NDC Representatives that I have never met. This is because they never come to the National Conference, begging the question “what the hell did they think the job was about?” The job of the NDC Representative is to represent the region at the National Delegate Conference. THAT’S IT! To do the job however, does take some work.
First, the NDC Representative must LIKE TO TRAVEL as he/she will be required to go somewhere in the United States on a yearly basis to attend the meeting. I was amazed to find one Representative who was afraid to fly and therefore missed all the meetings he could not drive to. The Representative must be financially sound as most regions cannot afford to offset his/her expenses for attending the conference. As most of our conferences are held in larger cities, the hotel cost and travel expense can be a little high. The person taking the job should know these things up front so they can make an intelligent decision if they, and their family, can afford to participate in the Region in this position.
Second, the NDC Representative must KNOW THE BY LAWS. The largest part of the delegate meeting is spent debating bylaw changes and amendments as well as debating problems that have arisen over the year in the context of the by laws. If you don’t know them, you will have a major problem in participating in the debate and you are liable to have a bylaw amendment shoved passed you that could hurt your region. So you have to do your homework before going to the conference.
Third, the Representative has an obligation to report back to the region, through the Regional Newsletter, about what happened at the conference and how it affected them, the members.
Before each National Conference a package of by-law proposals will be delivered to the Delegate. It is your job to review the package with your regional board and then make up your mind how to vote. Just like a Senator, you are representing your members at the larger body and should reflect their wishes. That doesn’t mean you have to be a mindless robot. You should have enough flexibility in listening to debate on the floor to change your mind on an issue. Make sure your board understands this. I have heard many delegates lament that they have to vote a certain way by “order of their board” without taking into account things that would come up on the floor that would change their opinion.
The NDC Representative has the power to nominate members for National Office. Petitions from prospective National Candidates are circulated and two (2) delegates must sign the form in order for the prospective candidate to become a real candidate.
The NDC Representative can be a very rewarding position. As you go to a national meeting each year, you meet members from across the country and around the world, allowing you to build those personal contacts that most IPA members want.
CHAPTER SIX: EDITOR – KEEPER OF THE FREE PRESS
When opposing armies invaded areas the first thing that the commander would do would be to seize or destroy the printing presses in the area denying the residents of their means of communications. Many IPA regional Presidents think they have been invaded.
Lets face it, most IPA regions cover pretty large geographic areas. Most members will probably never attend a regional meeting. The only contact the member has with the regional management team is through a newsletter. The newsletter is managed and distributed by the editor.
Who is the editor? Well, someone literate, both in English and Computers, who is willing to give lots of time and effort. If you are this person. THANKS.
First, get in touch with some other regional editors. The easiest way to do this is via e-mail. Introduce yourself and tell ‘em you are the “new kid on the block”. The editors will respond, face it-misery loves company, and, more importantly, they will put you on their regional newsletter mailing list. Now, not only will you start to receive the newsletters from the other regions but you, too, will become a favorite person of your postal carrier! When you get your newsletters, start reading them for content and style. Your first newsletter will probably consist of some messages from the regional officers and stuff “stolen” from other regional newsletters. Also, the REMNET is a great source of information. Make sure that you announce events for bordering regions to your members, including their meeting schedule.
Other things that should go in your newsletter? At least a “President’s Message” from the Regional President noting his/her agenda for the publication period. Other regional officers, such as the Secretary or NDC Representative should be allowed space to announce that it is time to pay your dues, or changes in by-laws. Also, new members should be listed with their name, rank, agency, and who sponsored them. A list of meeting dates, times, locations for the publication period. Good and welfare is extremely important and should be in each issue. Each edition of your newsletter should contain an application for membership in IPA. This should be on the last page of the newsletter and should be the page which the member’s address label affixed on the reverse side. This allows the secretary to know who is recruiting and who isn’t. It allows the Secretary to contact a member on a “questionable” application that is not signed because the Secretary will know where the application came from. Finally, the regional officer roster should be posted in each edition of the Newsletter to allow members to contact a regional officer easily.
Now that you know what you are going to write, all you have to do is write it. Simple, huh? Well, for some people, yes. You do need to be organized and write well but some issues will go quickly and others will be just a pain to get together. Anyway, set yourself a realistic publication schedule. About every six weeks is good as that schedule will dovetail with the present publication schedule of the National Reporter and allow the members to receive something from IPA every month.
If your region is small (under 100 members) you may want to consider duplicating and mailing the newsletter yourself. The Postal Service has several plans for reduced rate mailing depending on how the mail is sorted and other variables. The best information I can give you is to talk to your local postmaster about the best plan for you.
As far as duplicating the newsletter, unless your Chief of Police is really benevolent, you will have to use an outside source to duplicate your newsletter. Kinkos, Staples, and other commercial duplicators are fine. It is worth it to pay the extra 1 or 2 cents to have your newsletter collated and stapled for you so all you have to do is stuff a label on, postage and into the mail.
If your region is larger you will probably want to use a mailing service for distributing the newsletter. This means that you will drop off the galley of your newsletter and the service will reproduce and mail it to the membership for a fee. They can be a little expensive so shop around. The labor reduction is well worth it. If you elect to use a mailing service make sure you get a confidentiality statement signed by the company with the contract guaranteeing that the mailing list will not be sold or otherwise distributed. Don’t we get enough junk mail?
However you distribute your newsletter, please make sure that a copy of it is mailed to each member of your region, each National Officer, the National Editor, and each IPA Region. I recommend that the ones to the Regions go to the Regional Editor or the Regional Secretary.
The difference in regions who distribute a newsletter and ones that do not is staggering. The regions with good newsletters retain many more members than regions who do not publish, or do a poor job. And, there is nothing more rewarding than hearing from your members that your newsletter keeps them in the organization.
CHAPTER SEVEN: REMNET COORDINATOR – THE CYBERSPACE GURU
One of the main reasons that our members lose interest is that regions lose touch with them. Many regions, due to financial restrictions or lack of an interested party, do not distribute newsletters to their members. A great alternative is a Regional REMNET, distributed via the Internet.
In 1998,the National started the Regional E-Mail NETwork or REMNET, It is a very easy process to forward this data to your members with Internet addresses. I started with a group of about 30 and now distribute to a group of approximately 200 Region 10 and Region 12 members. Our membership renewal rate amongst our REMNET participants is approximately 99%!
I use the Internet to promote regional meetings and activities, as well as the meetings and activities of the surrounding regions. This allows our members to be immediately aware of the functions of IPA in our immediate geographic area and promotes our members getting to know members from other regions, one of the prime reasons that IPA exists.
We encourage our members to contact other regional members via the Internet. Each REMNET member receives the e-mail address of all other regional REMNET member upon sending me their Internet address. They are announced as new REMNET members in the next edition of the REMNET. The Newsletter Editor can pick up the announcements and publish the new additions in the regional newsletter. Each REMNET member should receive a listing of the official e-mail addresses of all U.S. Section Regions to allow the member to easily contact another U.S. Section if they require assistance.
Whenever a National REMNET is received, I simply take the transmission and create a forward message to my REMNET group. I then insert "local" items before the National Message, such as meeting notices, items of specific interests to members of the profession from New Jersey, regional good and welfare and other items, and forward the modified message to the REMNET members. It is quick and easy as most of the work is done by the National REMNET coordinator.
If you have no newsletter, then the best time to start this process is during your regional renewal periods. All regions should be sending renewal notices to each member. On your renewal notice, you should include a space for the member to place their Internet address. This information would be compiled by the Secretary and forwarded to the regional REMNET Coordinator and you are on your way.
The forwarding of our national REMNET is easy, fast, and in most cases FREE giving every region the ability to reach out and contact a large number of their members extremely quickly for no cost.
The hardest part of this is keeping up with the changing Internet addresses. This is why the e-mail section of the renewal notice is so important. Also, you should continually “hammer” your members to let you know when they get an e-mail change. But, for realatively little effort, much less than the Newsletter editor, the REMNET coordinator can have a really positive effect on not only the operation of the region but renewals of members and on obtaining some great contacts themselves.
CHAPTER EIGHT: REGIONAL RECEPTION OFFICER – REGIONAL GATEKEEPER
The Regional Reception Officer is an optional office. But, if you have a lot of visitors to your region, this position really takes some heat off your Secretary who, as we have previously discussed, is already overworked.
The Reception Officer is in charge of receiving visitors and obtaining assistance for them as required. He/She is best suited with a staff of members who can cover all the hosting requirements such as airport pickup, lodging, touring, home hosting, etc. This is a great way to get someone initially involved in the region by just getting them to volunteer for the reception staff. The Reception Officer needs to keep records and forward them to the President for inclusion in the yearly National Social Commission Report. He/she needs contacts in other regions and will have to maintain liaison with the Associate Secretaries for each member country.
The danger with a reception officer is that he/she does not maintain a staff but rather just does all the work themselves. First, this is a bad policy for any staff position and second, many members joined IPA with the hope of meeting members from around the world and they never get the opportunity to do so because the reception officer does not relinquish any of his responsibilities for hosting visitors. The President needs to keep an eye on this and the Secretary needs to notify the Reception Officer when receiving an application that says “willing to help with hosting” on it. With a good attitude, the Reception Officer will have one of the more interesting jobs in the region.
CHAPTER NINE: ELECTIONS – CORNERSTONE TO GOOD MANAGEMENT
There are two levels of elections required in IPA: National and Regional. We will explore the Regional Election first:
Regional Officers serve a three year term starting their first year when the region is formed. Every three years the six elected officers must stand for re-election. Terms go from January 1 to December 31, three years after election.
Regional Elections are covered under section 1205.00 of the National Statutes. The balloting may be at an open meeting announced at least 10 days prior to the election, or by a mail paper ballot. However, the results must be reported to the Secretary General and the National Handbook Coordinator as soon as they are final. The new President should notify the National Officers and send a REMNET notice for distribution around the country announcing the new officers.
After an election where the Treasurer is changed, a review of the books by at least 2 members of the Region would be in order. Not quite an “audit” which can only be done by certified accountants, a review by regional members on transfer of the treasurer will prevent allegations of theft or other improprieties by the outgoing treasurer or catch them if it happened.
National Elections are held every three years. As this is written, each region has one vote. The committee verifies that (1) each region has six elected officers and (2) each region has at least 25 paid members. Nominations for national office are done by the NDC Representatives signing a petition for office for the candidate. Two Representatives’ signatures are required for nomination. Then ballots are distributed to the regions who vote and return the ballots to the election committee. Each Regional President is required to sign a document stating that the vote is the majority vote of the Regional Board. The ballots are counted and winners announced at the National Delegate Council meeting in the year of the election.
Obviously, it is extremely important to send the ballots back. Yet,
it is amazing how many regions don’t vote. It is a good idea to
have the ballots sent back certified mail, return receipt
requested. The return address for the receipts should be either the
President’s home address or the NDC Representative’s home address.
This way the NDC will have a signed return receipt at the meeting
should there be any question as whether the regional vote was cast,
or not.
An amazing thing about IPA is that, while the National receives approximately 1000 new applications each year, almost 800 members fail to renew their membership.
Recruiting is an area where you can receive a lot of help from the National management. There are brochures and posters, as well as a traveling display that you can take to police events in your region. Each region may order additional copies of the National Reporter for distribution in police stations or police functions. The National Reporter also arranges trades for advertisements for large events. This can be coordinated with the National Officer in charge of Recruiting and Retention which is usually a National Vice President. The National cannot identify every recruiting opportunity in your region. Therefore, the regional management team must be alert for seminars, conventions, and other recruiting opportunities within the region and exploit them. Attending these events requires the regional management staff to recruit members to operate the recruiting booth. These members need to be familiar with the operation, management, and benefits of IPA membership. A short list of “talking points” should be made available to the members operating the booth and a copy of the National Handbook should be available for reference.
Recruiting, to be effective, needs to be across the board to eligible police personnel. Many regions get “tunnel vision” and recruit only from one large agency or from exclusively retired or active officers.
Retaining members is almost solely a regional function. If you operate your region efficiently and effectively, you will retain your members. As was mentioned in Chapters Six and Seven, communicating with your membership either through a regional newsletter or the REMNET (or both) keeps your members interested in IPA as they feel that they are getting something for their $20.00 a year. The National Reporter will tell your members what is going on across the country and world but a local journal is essential for effective member retention.
Interesting regional meetings will also maintain interest. Regions hold dinners, brunches, or just gatherings where the business of the region is discussed and general fellowship is encouraged. Guest speakers are always a welcome addition to a meeting schedule. There is no greater seller of the organization than a short talk from a member that has just returned from a trip and has successfully used the benefits of the organization. The regional management team should also consider moving the meeting location around the region to give members an opportunity to attend a meeting without driving a long distance. CHAPTER ELEVEN: MEETINGS – MEETING, GREETING, and GROANING
Each region is required to hold at least one meeting each year. Most regions hold monthly meetings. Your regional meeting schedule should be adjusted for your area. Many regions do not meet in the summer months or in December in deference to vacations and holidays.
Meeting attendance is a constant problem for most regions. Face it, in today’s society with all its pressures, attending a meeting may be next to impossible. Couple that with the fact that a police organization must deal with rotating schedules and days off and you have a tall mountain to climb if you expect any attendance at all. Guest speakers and visitors are always a plus for attendance, provided you can give enough advance notice of them. Some regions actually provide a “free” dinner or luncheon to the members attending the meeting. Several regions have had much success with brunches on Sunday mornings while others use local resources, like wineries, country clubs and other gathering areas to promote coming to a meeting. What is important is that your board tries to make the meetings interesting to want to make members find the time to attend. Members should always be kept abreast of what is happening in the IPA world around them such as trips, special events, and the workings of the National and International Organization during meetings and the open exchange of ideas should be encouraged.
The business part of meetings should follow Robert’s Rules of Order to allow the President to keep the agenda moving and prevent someone monopolizing the floor. Motions should be made and seconded on actions to be taken and a floor vote should be taken. The Secretary must keep minutes of the meetings, a copy of which must be forwarded to the Secretary General. The minutes of the meetings should also be published in the Regional Newsletter and announced in the Regional REMNET.
Complaints and gripes must be handled quickly and effectively. Always remember that this is a friendship organization and it should be the goal to resolve disputes fairly with the best interests of the organization as a whole in mind. When further research is required on an issue. The research should be done as soon as possible and the effected member(s) should be notified by mail or e-mail. Festering problems lead to dissatisfied members who, not only will not renew, but will probably complain about the organization to others. Loudly.
Advertise your meetings widely. Both in your Newsletter and by e-mail. Invite members of surrounding regions to attend. Most regions not only welcome, but encourage, the spouse of the member to attend, making the meeting a family night out. Don’t forget that regional picnics and holiday parties can count as meetings.
Finally, encourage your members to attend, bring business cards, and trade patches, stories, and professional information. This enhances the “friendship” part of our motto “Service Through Friendship” CHAPTER TWELVE – IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Things are going to happen. The Treasurer will run off with the books, The secretary will have his/her computer crash, the President will not show up. Don’t feel alone. There are plenty of people to help you.
First, the National Officers are available to help. All the officers publish their home, work, and other telephone numbers in each issue of the National Reporter. The “technical level” officers, namely the National Secretary General, Treasurer, and Membership Secretary are the best place to look for answers if you are absolutely lost regarding your money or membership records. The National Executive Staff, namely the President and Vice Presidents, are available to answer questions regarding the by-laws, or administrative problems within your region.
The most important thing is DON’T WAIT. If you are really having a problem, reach out for someone right away, before the problem becomes unmanageable. If there is no National Officer near your region, there is an experienced IPA member in your area and the National Officer will make the arrangements for that person to assist you. As we are still a young organization, many of the past National Officers are still active in the organization and these are assets that the National President can use to assist you in your time of trouble. The national staff has demonstrated on numerous occasions that they can assist regions in trouble. Quite frankly, it is one of the reasons that the NEC exists in the first place.
You can also look to the National and International By-laws for assistance and guidance in troubleshooting your region. Every member of your executive board (Remember, the six elected officers?) should have a binder with an up to date By-law listing and regional roster. If you are missing yours, contact the Handbook Coordinator (also listed in the NR) for an up to date copy.
Your other option is to go to a neighboring region for help. Regions that have been around for a while have probably experienced the same problem you have and will be willing to give advise and assistance. The final analysis is “if you don’t ask, you don’t get.” CHAPTER THIRTEEN – E-MAIL AND THE INTERNET
I often wonder how IPA functioned without E-Mail and Websites. Just today, I had to fax a travel form to Italy and didn’t have the correct telephone number. I simply went to the Italian Section website where I found the correct fax number. Amazing!
Every regional officer needs E-Mail. Sorry folks, but you will just have to learn how to work that damn box that your 7 year old can make turn on a dime and dispense 9 cents change. E-Mail contact will save a ton of time and, more importantly (until the Government figures out how to tax it) it is FREE!!!! You can get almost instant communications with other Regions and the other Sections.
The U.S. Section website (www.ipa-usa.org) contains all the proper forms and contact information you need to operate a region, provided that the regions provide the contact information to the webmaster and the National Vice President designated as the “Handbook Officer”. This is really simple, when you move, get a new E-Mail Server, change your telephone number, you gotta LET US KNOW! All important information now flows from the National to the Regions via REMNET (Discussed in a previous chapter).
Using E-Mail to your advantage includes E-Mailing scanned copies of passports and travel forms directly to the appropriate Associate Secretary for transmittal to another IPA section. This means that you can get a travel form to an Associate Secretary overnight and he/she can transmit it overseas overnight, giving the host country lots of time to arrange for those special things our members want.
The National Reporter is now posted on the Website. Members can go directly there to obtain information. The NR posted only includes E-Mail addresses for National Officers. The Website also includes member services and open copies of the By-Laws and Standing Orders for all to read. There is a passworded section that includes addresses and telephone numbers for each Regional and National Officer. There is a process to obtain a password for the information through the Webmaster.
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