Know your chapter’s options and responsibilities. Help your chapter develop capital through strong leadership and member engagement.

Keep your chapter strong and active. Plan events and curriculum that benefit your members and make a difference in your community.

Local Chapter Tool Kit

Communicate with your memebrs through mediums and meetings that work for your chapter.

Contribute to your state chapter through delegates, resolutions and reports.

Support other chapters through sharing and ideas.

Getting Started: Have a meeting to decide format of future meetings, review and/or establish bylaws.

Understand what type of support WAFP can offer. Set up an orienta-tion call or visit with WAFP staff.

Establish local chapter leadership team, review/establish future elec-tion policies. Explore what funds the chapter may already have.

Establish/review fiscal policies for chapter expenses, who pays, and how to get reimbursed.

Local chapter breakfast and/or dinner meetings

Themed gatherings, “Red Wine & Chocolate”, “Local Chapter Holiday Social”

Invitationals featuring guest speakers or local politicians

Resident/New Physician Career Fair

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“Local component chapters are the foundation blocks of the WAFP. Some of the strongest academy chapters are organized locally - ensuring equal representation with communication flowing bi-directionally, and members engaged at every level.”

Local chapter fun events: a night at the ball game, a day at the fair, winery tours, local chapter summer picnic

Local chapter CME events

Resolution discussion meetings

Local chapter SAM Workgroups, hosted in partnership with WAFP”

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Plan Activities to keep members engaged Examples from other chapters:

Washington Academy of Family Physicians

Nuts & Bolts

Establishing leadership

Review bylaws for leadership roles, and election policies. Elections can be coordinated and conducted during meetings, or online. WAFP staff can assist with elections communication and/or online administration.

Financing Spending Accounts - Some local chapters have spending accounts used to fund events and activities of benefit to local chapter members. Chapters have the option to collect local chapter dues from members. Local chapter executive officers are asked to review this option annually. Annual reporting – As a 501(c)(6) sub-organization of the AAFP, local chapters have annual reporting requirements to the IRS. For most of the WAFP local chapters with less than $50,000 in annual gross receipts, WAFP files 990-N e-postcard on behalf of the chapter. WAFP can clarify with chapter leaders if additional reporting or action is needed.

Starter questions for your first meeting:• Introductions, what city/region are you from, how did you hear about this meeting. Also, in 2 minutes - How have you been involved with the Academy? How many meetings or events do you think you can attend at the local chapter level? Any other chapters you have been involved with and how did those work?

• What do you think members want from local chapters? What is the PURPOSE and VALUE of local chapters?

• How are we organized? What structure should our local chapter embrace?

• What goals should we establish? What does our chapter want to accomplish? What tools do we want? Ideas- sample bylaws, budget information, communication assistance.

• What means of correspondance works best for our members? How can we network with other members and non-members?

• What social events might work well for chapter? What education needs might our members benefit from?

• What can we contribute to our state chapter? Resolutions? Partnership with WAFP committees, i.e. Public Health, Membership or Governmental Affairs Committee?

• Meeting calendar, contact info, general info

“In addressing inactivity in one local chapter, members explained that, since there were already so many meetings, what might work well was to tag a “chapter meeting” on to a separate meeting. This would be helpful so that the chapter meeting isn’t just “one more meeting.” Members already get together routinely for practice/business related discussions, so this strategy allows them to designate time while they are already convened.”

Local chapter reporting Because of the shared fiduciary responsibility ALL local chapters are required to provide a report of activities and expenditures to be published in the annual House of Delegates manual. A local chapter reporting form will be sent each local chapter leader in January to be completed in advance of the House of Delegates meeting.

It is imperative that local chapters keep minutes during meetings as well as records and receipts of all expenditures, and submit these documents throughout the year, or in January along with the completed Local Chapter Reporting form.

Bylaws

Check with WAFP to see if the local chapter has bylaws on file. If your chapter does not have a set of bylaws, WAFP can share a template to help the chapter organize.

King County Chapter members - 2009

“Thurston-Mason-Lewis chapter meetings are much about networking. I enjoy meeting with other MD’s in Olympia that are outside of my clinic.”

Power Tools

Local chapter leaders are instrumental in recruiting delegates to represent the chapter and attend the annual House of Delegates meeting in May. Each local chapter is apportioned delegates based on the total number of active members in that chapter.

Members are designated by their work address (not their residence) so it is quite possible that an individual could reside in a chapter (or state) for which he/she is not a member.

Notification of the chapter’s delegate count is provided to each chapter President in early January. Local chapter leaders are responsible for recruiting and approving local chapter delegates, and must report the names of the delegates to WAFP staff by the delegate deadline. WAFP will verify submitted delegates to ensure their membership is current and that they are qualified to serve.

Bits and Measures

Devise a communications plan to reach out to local chapter members and potential members! Tips and ideas: Invite residency participation. Promote events well in advance. Link up with neighboring local chapters. Move events to various regions to share the burden of travel. Experiment with virtual conferencing.

Reaching out to Members

Local Chapter Identity through Social Media

Your chapter may wish to have a Facebook page or Twitter account in which to share information. Please become familiar with WAFP and AAFP guidelines for social media activities and appoint responsible members to administer your pages. Also, please be sure WAFP staff is made aware of your social media presence.

Advocacy

WAFP staff exists as a liaison between local chapters and the American Academy of Family Physicians. WAFP staff transfers national resources, policy information and membership applications, and stands ready to support the voice of local chaptersat the national level. WAFP also facilitates communication between local chapters, and assists local chapter leaders in securing delegates for state and national meetings.

Spending Accounts & BylawsWAFP Staff can explain if your chapter has bylaws and/or an account with available funds. Communications

WAFP can issue messages, invitations, announcements, and election materials to all chapter members via email, as well as collect RSVP’s, registrations and ballots, and arrange conference calls between local chapter leaders and WAFP committee members when needed. Securing CME Credit

WAFP staff can help advise local chapters in setting up a CME event by recommending topics and speakers, and assist in applying to AAFP for CME accreditation. Coordinating a Local Chapter SAM WorkgroupWAFP Staff has experience screening for appropriate locations, supplying facilitators, registering participants and handling transactions. WAFP can also assist with setup, administrating and registering the event with ABFM.

WAFP NewsletterIf your chapter has a newsworthy event please share it! The monthly WAFP newsletter includes a column called “Local Chapter News” - another vehicle in which to broadcast your chapter’s events and activities!

Local Chapter Delegates

WAFP Staff Resources

Thurston-Mason-Lewis Chapter members - 2013

Washington Academy of Family Physicians1239 120th Ave NE, Suite GBellevue, WA 98005

Ph. 425.747-3100, (In WA) - 800-621-8424, Fax - 425.747-3109

Local Chapters Shine!

Local chapters:

Drive Academy policyHelp build membership Help connect residents and practicing physiciansStrengthen the voice of Family Medicine by reaching out to local legislatorsSupport their communities through volunteer work and healthcare leadershipHonor individual members by nominating for Family Physician / Family Medicine Educator of the Year

For more information or to contact other local chapter leaders, visit the website at wafp.net or contact the WAFP office

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