2. Programming
Keys to successful groups
Summary
Questions, comments, problems?
3. Great Programming
o People usually come because the topic sounds interesting
Personal Invitations
o People usually come because they have been invited
4. Steal from others
o Other professional societies in area
o Other successful AIChE Local sections
• South Texas (http://sts.aiche.org/)
• Chicago (http://www.aiche-chicago.org/)
• Virtual (http://virtual.aiche.org/)
o AIChE webinar (http://www.aiche.org/resources/webinars)
o Speakers Corner (http://www.aiche.org/community/local-
sections/resources-local-section-leaders/speakers-corner)
o AIChE Divisions and Forums
(http://www.aiche.org/community/divisions-forums)
What ideas can you share?
5. There are about 400 chemical engineers working at
the Savannah River Site so nuclear is important to
us
What is the biggest employer of ChEs in your area
Invite their plant manager to talk
Ask the to allow you to tour
What companies are supportive of ChEs?
6. We have close ties with ACS and ASME
Hold a joint meeting
Hold an end of year picnic
7. If you meet 9 months and take off summers
You might have 9 meetings
Suggestion: 2 Plant tours
Suggestion: 2 fun events (kickoff and award night)
Suggestion: 2 joint meetings (ACS, ASME, NSPE)
Suggestion: 3 technical meetings
o Student Night (Invite nearest student chapters)
o Fellows Night (Old Professional Night)
o Young Professional Night (Save the world night)
8. Local Professional Sports
o Augusta Green Jackets in my area
Picnic (good end of year family activity)
Wine/Beer Tasting (good event to include spouse)
Science Center/Aquarium/Museum tour (family)
What ideas do you have?
9. Learn from your successes
Do you have traditions?
o Keep them if they work (Ditch them if they don’t)
Try new things
10. Select an outgoing, friendly
type who knows names and
faces and enjoys meeting
people
He or she must habitually
arrive ten minutes before the
meeting is officially slated to
begin
Nothing makes first-timers feel
more disenchanted than a cold
welcome in a place where they
expected a warm one
11. Give responsibility for group health and vitality
Meet at least every two months, takes minutes, and
reports to the group
Change one-third of the steering-team members
every year
Steering team structure:
1. Chair
2. Vice Chair
3. Past Chair
4. Secretary
5. Treasurer
6. Membership Care Coordinator
7. Social Activities Coordinator
8. Hospitality Coordinator
9. Recruitment Coordinator
12. Beer, wine or soft drink does more than combat
thirst
o They facilitate fellowship
o Helps newcomers transition into an unfamiliar social
situation
o They know how to drink
o People like to eat
It gives them something to do with their hands, their
minds, and themselves
13. Most of the regulars know one another
Newcomers do not
Without nametags equals “We are not concerned
about helping new people feel at home”
Provide permanent, printed nametags for
established attendees; peel-off tags for visitors
14. Effective local sections are
fellowship groups that learn a
little science and engineering
A warm, fun, fellowship climate
glues people together,
motivates them to come back
15. Consider quarterly social activities
This helps keep things fun
Even engineers can have fun
It can involve families not just ChEs
16. Having a vice chair/chair/past chair gives continuity
o Model Bylaws for Local Section
Always having the same chair doesn’t work
o Run out of new ideas
o Run out of friends to speak
o Run out of energy
17. Need great speakers
Need interesting subjects
Topic doesn’t have to be technical
Don’t focus too much on subgroups
o Academics
o Researchers
o Process Engineers
o Consultants
o Etc.
18. Friendliness and caring, extended to them
personally, tops everyone’s preference list.
People look for a caring place, not just knowledge
Some long-term members fail to grasp the difference
between active acceptance and passive acceptance.
What happens if long-timers feel positive about
visitors but never send them a signal to that effect?
o The visitors may never catch on
o Loving people in your head is not enough
Members of healthy, growing sections reach out to
new people in overt ways that they see and feel
19. Most new attendees never become involved
How can we reverse this?
Find a friend for each attendee
20. Variety is good
Topics don’t have to be technical
o The Ichthyologists (Boston) only have 1 ChE meeting a year
Make things fun
21. Every year, use some kind of survey tool
Hand out the survey sheets
o Say, “We want everyone to complete his or her sheet
tonight.”
o I’ll set the timer for five minutes
o Be as honest as you can.
o Do not sign your name.
Ken Blanchard said, “Feedback is the breakfast of
champions.”
22. Leading Volunteers is challenging
Engineers love challenges
Therefore you will love leading volunteers
The local section committee and career and
education operating council are here to support you
Ask for help if you need it
o dan.lambert@srnl.doe.gov, 803-819-8466