Speak up!

A week ago today, PRSA National and the Bylaws Task Force posted some high level proposed changes to the PRSA Bylaws on Tactics Online. They have been posted (in greater detail) in the governance section of MemberNet for even longer.

Yet in one week, there has not been a single comment on the public forum, and I feel very alone on Membernet. I believe one other member has commented.

This is a very important discussion as it will help determine the way the Society evolves over the next few decades. Topics include changes to membership requirements, how National officers and Board Members are elected, the composition of the National Board, change to the Assembly, APR, and other topics.

Please spend a few minutes and make your voice heard. Otherwise it will be my voice that is either easily ignored or given disproportionate weight (not sure which).

Note: I am not commenting on my thoughts and questions about the proposed changes publicly at this time. I am sharing my thoughts on MemberNet, which is open to PRSA 22,000 members. It’s a “family matter”, but like any big family decision, it is best accomplished with input from all family members. So please, spend a few minutes – read the post or the MemberNet thread and share your voice. Speak up.

Don’t make me this guy:

Honoring a great educator

Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event at Boston University where the PRSSA Students unveiled a new scholarship  – the PRSSA/Steven Quigley Scholarship.  The scholarship will go toward PRSSA National dues for a PRSSA student member who displays the same passion and drive for the industry that Professor Quigley has shown and practices every day

According to Alexandra Karadimas, President of the Edward L. Bernays Chapter of PRSSA at Boston University, “During his 30-year career, Professor Stephen Quigley has touched the minds of each and every student entering the Public Relations industry at Boston University. Through his engaging classes and compassionate advising, Professor Quigley continues to provide astute attention to the changing issues of our profession. Professor Quigley has provided encouragement, guidance and inspiration to students aspiring to pursue a career in public relations.”

While at times I felt like I was attending a memorial (Steve still has a long career ahead of him), it was a very moving event. Michael Cherenson and Bill Murray of PRSA National also took the time out of their busy schedules to write a letter to Steve recognizing his work.

It is only through the dedication or professors like Steve Quigley, and the active, involved members of the Public Relations Student Society of America, that the public relations profession will continue to grow, thrive and set new standards for excellence and innovation.

Steve sets an example for us all.

Are you ready to give back? Throw your hat in the ring

Do you want to do more to help advance the public relations profession? Have you ever consider becoming more active in PRSA at the national level? Well the time to step forward is now.

The 2009 National Nominating Committee of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has begun its annual process of soliciting applications for 2010 Board Officer and Director positions, as well as for Assembly Delegate-at-Large and Assembly International Delegate-at-Large.

Available national positions of potential interest to members of the Northeast District include:

• Chair-Elect
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Director-at-Large
• Assembly Delegates-at-Large (two positions are open)

Eligible board candidates are Accredited PRSA members in good standing who have served in at least one of the following capacities:

• Voting Delegate in at least one national PRSA Assembly
• Chapter President
• Section Chair
• District Chair
• Chair of a National Committee, Task Force or Advisory Board

The Assembly shall be composed of delegates.  For those considering one of the Delegate positions, as a minimum requirement, all delegates, with the exception of the International Delegates –at-Large, shall either be Accredited or a current board member of their respective chapters, districts or sections.

All candidate applications must be received on Monday, June 15, 2009 by 5 p.m. in the time zone in which the candidate resides. Once eligibility is confirmed, PRSA members will be able to send comment letters regarding candidates.  The letters are limited to 300 words or less. The deadline to submit comment letters on candidates is Monday, July 13 at 5 p.m. in the time zone in which the letter writer resides.

If you want more information, click here.
The timeline, including conference call information to learn more can be found here.

PRSA Leadership Rally: Be There

Each year, PRSA National hosts a leadership rally for incoming Chapter Presidents, Section and District Chairs (other chapter leaders can go as well, but they don’t receive a stipend). I know times are tough, but this has to be one of the best individual, non-PD events PRSA hosts.

The rally really prepares you for many of the situations you may encounter as Chapter President and makes you aware of a number of things you may not have considered. I know when I went as President-Elect of PRSA Boston a few years ago, it opened my eyes to new situations and helped me make my term much more successful than it would have been otherwise.

As a Chapter President, the buck stops with you and you wear many hats. The rally is chock-full of helpful sessions to raise incoming president’s awareness of issues they will face – ranging from financial and membership to motivating volunteers and getting the most out of your board. It is also a great chance to interact with the National officers and board members.

What was even more valuable to me, were the connections I made with other PR professionals. A key challenge facing any local organization is avoiding the rut of “But this is how we do it/We have always done this.” At the Rally you get to hear from hundreds of chapters on how they do things, what programs they put on, how they handle and recruit sponsors, etc., It helps you build your network of people you can turn to for advice throughout your term to make sure you consistently deliver value to your local members.

PRSA National has done a great job with this event.  I hope to see the Northeast turnout strong.

If you are not going to the Rally and are a chapter leader, incoming chapter leader in the Northeast District or interested in possibly becoming a chapter officer – don’t despair. We are going to be hosting a “QuickStart” leadership rally for any chapter leader or people interested in potentially becoming a chapter officer at the Northeast District Conference in October this year. More details to come.

The most overused words in press releases?

Yesterday, I came across this great article on the most overused words/gobbledygook in press releases in 2008. The researcher (David Meerman Scott) analyzed more than 700,000 news releases.

Without further ado, following are the words:

If you want to read the full post and learn the methodology used, click here. Personally, I am shocked “solution” didn’t make the cut.

What other words and phrases do you hate?