February 7, 2008
Headlines
- Planning to attend TechKnowledge this year?—email Scott Wilson to participate in a chapter leader networking get-together in San Antonio.
- Save the date for Chapter Leader Day: June 1 in San Diego at the International Conference & Exposition—Click here for more information.
- Chapter team discounts available for the International Conference & Exposition—To take advantage of the discounted rates of $850 for national ASTD members and $1,100 for nonmembers, send Lindsay Hemphill at least five chapter member conference registrations (fax: 703.683.8184).
1. Congratulations to ASTD Chapter of the Month: The Emerald Coast Chapter
The Emerald Coast Chapter has been selected as the February 2008 Chapter of the Month. The chapter focuses on attracting quality speakers to cover topics outlined in the ASTD competency model for the workplace learning and performance (WLP) profession and on incorporating fun into their meetings.
The chapter was selected by the Chapter Recognition Committee (CRC) for Sharing Our Success (SOS) recognition for its “Attracting Speakers” effort. The chapter, located in the Florida panhandle, asked local beachfront resorts to contribute a two-night stay during their off-season that they offer to the speakers. They have attracted very popular speakers who offer to “come back anytime” because they enjoy the stay at the resort. For a detailed description of the Emerald Coast Chapter’s SOS submission, visit ASTD’s Sharing Our Success section.
Visit the Chapter of the Month page to view Emerald Coast’s Chapter of the Month profile and to obtain information about how your chapter can be an ASTD Chapter of the Month.
2. “Power of 2” membership templates now available
“Power of 2” is a membership campaign to encourage workplace learning and performance professionals to belong to their chapter as well as the national organization. Templates are now available to market chapter and national membership. The templates provide information about national benefits and a space to include your chapter information. They also include a sign-up form that can be used to register for the special $169 national membership rate for chapter members.
Click here to link to the form for chapters participating in the Chapter Administration and Membership Program (ChAMP). All other chapters, click here for your template.
3. Chapter web portals have new look
Chapters participating in the web portal program are in the process of migrating to an upgraded platform with a new branded look. Click on the links below to view the two chapter portals that are live with the new look:
Arkansas
Genesee Valley
Click here for more information about chapter web portals. If you have any questions, contact Jeannette Lindsey, chapter specialist, at 703.683.8177 or jlindsey@astd.org.
4. Signing in to the ASTD website—anyone can access the site
In response to customer feedback about the multiple sign-in areas on the ASTD site, ASTD launched a single sign-on feature this summer. Anyone can still access the ASTD website, however, users are now asked to register. Users have access to all public content. Only national ASTD members have access to the members-only content.
To access the online ASTD Store, users will be asked to sign in.
To create an account:
- click the “Sign in” button on the upper left-hand side of the ASTD home page
- select the link for creating a new account
If you have any questions or are having trouble logging into the website, please contact Member Services at 1.800.628.2783 or email memberservices@astd.org.
5. 2008 Chapter Calendar—send your chapter events to be included
Publicize your chapter event on the newly designed Chapter Calendar, located on the Chapter Leader Community (CLC). The calendar features chapter events with a brief description and a link to the chapter’s website. Visitors to the home page of the ASTD website can also link to the calendar. Make sure your event is listed by contacting your chapter coach. Click here to access the Chapter Calendar.
6. Tip from CORE Committee—use the correct chapter logo
Are you using the correct chapter logo? Did you know that in order to meet the brand identity requirements of CORE element 1.1, you should be using your chapter-specific logo on your website, business cards, stationery, newsletters, meeting notices, and other communications? Now's a good time to take inventory and make sure you've got the right logo in place. Find your logo here.
7. Congratulations to the top ChIP earners for 2007
The Chapter Incentive Program (ChIP) is a revenue-sharing program that offers chapters the opportunity to earn additional revenue. Through ChIP, chapters can earn thousands of dollars from new business they generate for ASTD programs and services. Congratulations to the top ChIP earners for 2007!
Click here for more information about ChIP.
The top 10 chapter commissions for 2007 are:
| Greater Atlanta |
$1,727.13 |
| Chicagoland |
$1,509.74 |
| San Diego |
$1,317.70 |
| Valley of the Sun |
$1,235.93 |
| Utah |
$1,231.91 |
| Metro DC |
$884.03 |
| Maryland |
$742.24 |
| St. Louis Metro |
$731.47 |
| New York Metro |
$648.09 |
| Dallas |
$641.61 |
The top fourth quarter 2007 earners are:
| Valley of the Sun |
$485.39 |
| Dallas |
$396.41 |
| Central Pennsylvania |
$390.95 |
| Metro DC |
$360.58 |
| Chicagoland |
$318.75 |
| Golden Gate |
$314.38 |
| Mississippi |
$270.00 |
| Mt. Diablo |
$267.46 |
| Northern New Jersey |
$220.94 |
| SE Wisconsin |
$211.00 |
8. Have ASTD Bookstore at your chapter meeting or conference—sell popular titles and earn revenue for your chapter
ASTD offers chapters the unique opportunity to have an ASTD Bookstore at your chapter meeting and/or special event. An on-site ASTD Bookstore provides chapter members with a convenient way to purchase popular ASTD titles at the member rate. As an added bonus, chapters receive a 50 percent discount off the ASTD member price on the books they sell at their events, so the chapter can earn revenue by keeping 50 percent of the sale. To get started, click here for the ASTD Chapter Book Sales Agreement.
9. Did your chapter recognize Employee Learning Week (ELW) in 2007?—tell us by February 15
Your chapter can qualify as an ASTD 2007 “Champion of Learning!” Tell us how you recognized ELW by February 15, and we’ll feature your chapter as an ASTD Champion of Learning and send you a certificate! Summarize what you did in a brief email and send it to elw@astd.org. Click here to visit the "Champions of Learning" page for more details and to see what your peers did in 2007!
10. Chapter Leader Community (CLC)—navigation updates have been made
Updates have been made to the CLC to make the section more user friendly for chapter leaders. Website changes are still in progress. Be sure to bookmark the site as a favorite and check back often for additional updates. Click here to access the Chapter Leader Community.
11. ASTD public policy update—President Bush called on Congress to reform and reauthorize the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program
In his 2008 State of the Union address, President Bush called on Congress to reform and reauthorize the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. Workplace learning and performance professionals should keep an eye on this legislation, which has been identified by Congressional leaders as a priority for the short 2008 legislative window.
The current Trade Adjustment Assistance program was established under the Trade Act of 1974 and provides training assistance, health insurance tax credits, wage protection, and other benefits for manufacturing workers dislocated by foreign trade. An overview of program conditions and benefits can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/tradeact/.
Reauthorizing legislation (H.R.3920) was introduced by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and was passed by the House on October 31. A similar bill (S.1848) was introduced by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, but has not yet been considered by the committee.
Both the House and Senate bills would expand the current program to include dislocated service industry and public sector workers. The Bush administration has expressed concerns about the costs of expansion, but it is unclear whether the president would veto a final bill.
