Potomac Chapter ISPI Message from the President for December

Sad Tidings, But I Expect a Miracle!
The Potomac Chapter needs you!  Please, please, please, I need someone to volunteer now for the President-Elect position.  Currently, we have no one serving in this role; therefore, no one is getting trained to serve as President for the coming year.  I will call for nominations and volunteers for all positions in February, and if we do not have a full slate, we will have to take a drastic measure, which is to dissolve the Chapter by September 2010.

My reasons for making this suggestion include:

  • Currently, no long-term members nor new members of the Chapter are willing to step up to leadership roles.  It’s unfair to expect a new member to have the organizational memory to run the chapter and, yet, no new members have stepped up to serving as President-Elect in order to receive training on how to run the Chapter.
  • For the meetings for which I have data, on average only 15 people attend meetings.  We have been offering presentations by the brightest and best from around the country this year and still only about 18 people are participating -- even when sessions are offered online.
  • It is difficult to find space to meet because of the security requirements.
  • Our expenses continue to outweigh our income.

Here is what our Constitution states regarding Dissolution
If the Chapter shall decide to terminate its activities and dissolve the Chapter, all the assets and property of the Chapter, without exception, shall be transferred to the International Society for Performance Improvement.  However, if the named recipient is not then in existence or is no longer a qualified distributee, or is unwilling or unable to accept the distribution, then the assets of the Potomac Chapter, ISPI, shall be distributed to a fund, foundation, or corporation organized and operated exclusively for the purposes specified in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Chapter shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on:

  1. By a corporation exempt from the Federal income tax sections 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or
  2. By a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under sections 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).

If Potomac Chapter is of value to you, then I hope you support your chapter by contacting me to let me know who you will serve in a leadership capacity.  I can be reached by phone, 202-281-8898, or email, mwankel@erols.com.

I want to thank Mark Boccia, John Faucher, Jim Govoni, Sophia Tade, and Sarah Ward for their faithful service this year.  I couldn’t be serving this year without you.

In spite of the dire news I’ve just presented, I do remain hopeful and I expect a miracle!