Report of the Ad Hoc Committee to Study District

Meetings
Committee Purpose: To enhance and improve the design of district
meetings that will accomplish the purposes set forth in the Psi State
Organizations Bylaws and Standing Rules, will attract better attendance and
be more cost effective.
Committee Task and Timeline:
August
Discuss the Purpose of District Meetings in the Psi
State
Organizations Bylaws and Standing
Rules to determine the
parameters for redesigning.
Develop Surveys for Psi State Organization and State
Organizations
August/ September
Survey Psi State Organization members and
former District
Directors
Survey several states for input on district/area
meetings
October/November
Compile survey information and discuss results
November/December
Met to determine pros and cons of possible
designs based on
survey information
Submit Bylaws and Standing Rules amendments
December January
Report to the Executive Committee
As you read the following options considered and study the example given,
this committee would like to state that we have worked to enhance and
improve the design of district meetings. However, we realized we were
dealing with the Domino Effect. As we looked at making changes, one
change led to another. This committee feels these changes will enhance and
improve the structure and function of Psi State Organization.
Options Considered:
Maintain the September Executive Board meeting but move to October
in conjunction with fall training and District Meetings. Eliminate the
February Executive Board meeting. In odd-numbered years hold the
State Convention in May (Purpose remains the same with an executive
board meeting to conduct business, approve the budget, selecting the
executive secretary and treasurer). Eliminate District Workshops and
hold in even-numbered years a Spring Leadership Training Conference
in May (Purpose for training chapter officers and committee chairs,
general workshops and executive board meeting). Webinar sessions,
Go to Meetings and other venues for conducting business and training.
Rationale:

Moving the September Executive Board meeting to October would

allow more planning time between the summer DKG activities and
meeting date. This would require a Bylaws and Standing Rules
amendment.
Eliminate the February Board meeting prior to the State Convention.
The main purpose of this executive board meeting is to approve
amendments to the Bylaws and Standing Rules to move on to
convention. We propose that the Executive Committee perform this
function of approving proposed amendments to Psi State Bylaws and
Standing Rules for consideration at the State Convention (this is how
the process is handled at International). This would require a Bylaws
and Standing Rules amendment.
Eliminate District Workshops for training of chapter officers and
committee chairs. Moving training sessions to the Spring Leadership
Training Conference would allow District Directors to assist the
president in the chapter presidents training and meet and work
directly with chapter presidents in their districts. Planning for a district
meeting is an event coordinators job. The duties and responsibilities of
district directors should be focused on supporting chapters in their
respective districts. (Leadership)This would require a Bylaws and
Standing Rules amendment. The SLTC would also allow for longer
training sessions where attendees can share and talk with each other.
There would be a possibility of chapters working as teams during the
district meetings to plan activities for the coming year
Eliminate the February Executive Board meeting in even numbered
years. Hold a Spring Leadership Training Conference in May for the
purpose of training chapter officers and committee chairs, general
workshops and an executive board meeting). This day should be
designed in such a way that District Directors not only assist in the
training but meet with their districts. Spring Leadership Training
Conference in May (Purpose for training chapter officers and
committee chairs, general workshops and executive board meeting)
would allow more time for chapters to elect incoming officers, for
incoming officers to select chapter membership, communication and
Educational Excellence chairs. This later date would also reduce the
amount of time between election and assuming office.
The State Convention should be designed to allow for a District
Meeting to be designed by the District Director and as one of the
actions would be the election of the District Director and Nominations
Committee. This would give more leadership for District Directors.

Example of a biennium:
2015 July/August
Regional Conference
Planning session for state officers and committee chairs
2015 August/September Planning and Organizing for Fall Workshop/Executive
Board

2015 October
2016 February
change focus
2016 May
2016 June
2016 Summer
2016 July/August
2016 October
2017 February
2017 May
2017 June

Fall Workshop/Executive Board

Leadership Institute moved from August to February and
Spring Leadership Training Conference
Leadership Seminar I
International Convention
State planning session
Fall Workshop/Executive Board
Leadership Institute
State Convention
Leadership Seminar II

Definition of District Directors:

Each District Directors shall:
1. Act as a catalyst for member involvement in helping to bring the Psi State
and International activities to the members at the local level. This shall be her
primary focus.
2. Serve as a voting member of the state executive board during term of office.
3. Assist in the planning and implementation of the Spring Leadership Training
Conference held in even-numbered years.
4. Provide an opportunity for monetary gifts to be made to the Psi Sate
Emergency Fund, Leadership Fund, or Scholarship Fund at the District
Meeting held during the Spring Leadership Training Fund and at the district
meetings held at the biennial state convention held in odd-numbered years.
5. Serve as a member of the State Minutes Approval Committee to read, correct,
and approve the minutes of each state executive board meeting.
6. Visit each chapter in her district during the biennium or send a
representative; each chapter president should extend an invitation to the
district director to visit her chapter.
7. Serve as a member of the Chapter Excellence Award Committee and help
select, along with the Psi State First Vice President, the recipient of the award
for chapter excellence according to established criteria.
The suggestions of the committee will be reflected in proposed amendments for the
Psi State Organizations Bylaws and Standing Rules.
John Kotter states in his book A Sense of Urgency: You know your organization
needs to change. You may even know what the change needs to be: a new strategy,
a new IT system, an acquisition or reorganization. But somehow, change comes too
slowly, or it feels like youre pushing a boulder up a hill, or the implementation of
that great new idea has stalled again. Whats missing and is needed in almost all
organizations today, is a real sense of urgency a distinctive attitude and gut-level
feeling that lead people to grab opportunities and avoid hazards, to make
something important happen today, and constantly shed low-priority activities to
move faster and smarter, now.