Check the source! Find chapter news on RCI Affiliated Chapter websites.
Go straight to the Chapter Awards Program: Series 4 – Long-Range Planning and Archives, or read about our new San Antonio Branch.
The Great Lakes Chapter of RCI, Inc. (GLC) held its ninth annual Detroit Tigers baseball game social event on August 17, 2016. It was a great evening with approximately 100 people in attendance. Neither the 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals nor the thunderstorm that rolled in during the tailgate party could dampen our fun and camaraderie. Cooking up some awesome pulled pork BBQ, Pat and Al Fritsch from RPM were our chefs for the tailgate bash. Kudos to them for their time and sponsorship. GLC also thanks our numerous sponsors for supporting another successful GLC event. The score at the seventh inning stretch was 1-0 Tigers, which meant Alyssa Bresso was awarded the $500 “Square” game prize. Good pick, Alyssa, and have fun spending that extra coin in your pocket!
Please mark your calendars. The remainder of our 2016 event schedule consists of:
Details will be sent to the membership well in advance of all scheduled events.
Volunteers are important to any organization. If you would like to help the Great Lakes Chapter, please call or email our Chapter President, Ron Kinne, at 734-591-4444 or rkinne@rtaltd.com.
On August 18, 2016, the Mid America Chapter (MAC) presented its Summer Educational/Golf Event at the Railwood Golf Club in Holts Summit, MO. The event included a two-hour RCI continuing educational credit (CEH) with an afternoon of golf.
The program addressed the “Building Envelope Concept and Function,” presented by Bill Carrison of Hogarty & Associates, Inc. He identified the individual building envelope components’ relationships from the waterproofing system, to the air/vapor barriers, to the roofing system. He provided details for a continuous air barrier system tie-in using materials, sequence, and techniques. He also reviewed various air leak diagnostic testing for the building components.
The next presenter was John Jordon, Fibertite midwest regional sales manager. Jordon’s presentation was titled, “What Makes a Membrane KEE?” Ketone ethylene ester (KEE) was described as a high-molecular-weight solid plasticizer to reduce the pace of plasticizer migration. He explained that KEE membranes can be in contact with asphalt and not be affected.
After the presentations, everyone enjoyed a hearty buffet luncheon. The sunny afternoon welcomed excited golfers for 18 holes of scramble with accessible beverage cart. The event was a tremendous success, and all look forward to the next MAC event, the December educational social.
— Joyce M. Beach, RRO, CDT, Mid America Chapter Secretary
The RCI Ontario Chapter is hosting a breakfast seminar on September, 20, 2016, at the Woodbine Banquet and Convention Hall. The subject will be “Recommendations Regarding Built-Up Roofing Asphalt and Drones in the Roofing Industry.” Attendees will earn 2 CEHs.
On November 3 and 4, 2016, the Ontario Chapter will host RCI Roof Technology & Science II. The event will be held at the Toronto Construction Association – Heritage Room, 70 Leek Cres., Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1H1. For more information, contact Betty Quan, RCI Ontario Chapter, 416-499-4000 x4119, rci@rci-onchapterinc.ca.
This article is the fourth in a series of seven articles pertaining to the new Chapter Awards Program. The revised application process takes on a digital and more user-friendly approach, utilizing Excel®. The intent of the awards application is twofold: 1) to recognize a chapter’s accomplishments for the year, and more importantly, 2) to chart a chapter’s roadmap for planning, operation, and growth activities. The following discusses the Long-Range Planning and Archives sections of the chapter award program application:
Long-Range Planning is essential to the health of any organization that is dependent upon the commitment of its volunteers. This is true for RCI as an international organization, and even more so at the chapter level.
On the chapter level, RCI is wholly driven by the commitment of volunteers who participate on committees and the Board of Directors. The makeup of the board changes and evolves over time as members move into different positions and transition to the roles of chairperson or director. An individual who chooses to continue participating on the board can serve as executive officers, potentially becoming the chapter vice president and president. Succession planning is essential to ensure a smooth transition for volunteers through these roles. Attrition and retirement from the board of long-serving members also plays a significant role in how a chapter develops, and must be considered.
Long-range planning is essential to maintain the continuity of the chapter’s goals over the course of successive boards. The role of the chapter’s board is to serve the needs of the membership. In this role, the board makes decisions concerning which types of educational opportunities to provide and how best to provide networking opportunities, and brings the membership together for a bit of fun and fund-raising. A comprehensive long-range plan allows the board to focus and build on the work of previous boards in expanding the opportunities it provides to the chapter and its membership in general.
As noted previously throughout this series of articles, the Chapter Awards Program is intended as a road map to structure and improve chapter operations. This has been developed to “provide chapters with a guide book to help identify required actions needed to be a successful and active chapter.” Implementation of the items identified throughout the Chapter Awards Program should be incorporated into the chapter’s three- and five-year plans, and can be adopted over time.
Points in Section 6 of the Awards Program are earned based on the chapter demonstrating commitment to long-Range planning. Chapters can earn up to 100 total points in this section of the Chapter Awards Program for the following items: 6.1) Does your chapter have a standing/active planning committee? 6.2) Does your chapter have a formal mission statement? 6.3) Does your chapter have a formal three-year plan? 6.4) Does your chapter have a formal five-year plan?
If your chapter does not have a director, committee chair, or committee dedicated to long-range planning, a formal mission statement, or three- and five-year plans, I strongly suggest contacting your chapter’s executive officers and volunteering to get involved. Not only does this contribute to the health and strength of chapter operations, it also earns your chapter points it can claim on the Chapter Awards Program application. Good luck, and good planning!
Having a clear understanding of your chapter’s successes and failures is the best way to ensure you can repeat and build on the positives while avoiding the pitfalls of lessons learned by previous boards.
Given the transitionary nature of a chapter board’s makeup, the best way to document and track your history is maintaining a chapter archive. A chapter archive serves to document current and past board members, their positions, and areas of responsibility. Whether physical or electronic in nature, a chapter archive can provide historical reference for past chapter educational events and financial documentation. It serves as a standard for future board operations and assists in setting goals.
A chapter archive can also serve to ensure and preserve the accountability of past board operations and provide an opportunity to validate whether their actions were ethical and appropriate.
A chapter archive provides a place to retain the memories of the organization, including photos of members, bulletins, a history of chapter award winners, and unique documents. It’s also the best way to flaunt your golf foursome’s history of victories at past annual tournaments!
Points in Section 7 of the Chapter Awards Program are earned based on the chapter demonstrating commitment to maintaining a chapter archive. Chapters can earn up to 100 total points in this section of the Chapter Awards Program for the following items: 7.1) Does your chapter have a standing/active Archival Committee? 7.2) Does your chapter maintain year-to-year historical records? 7.3) Does your chapter keep electronic historical records (not just hard copies)? 7.4) Do at least two chapter members have access to records (director, committee chair, etc.)?
The role your current chapter’s archive may serve future boards is unknown. Like sifting through a box of old photographs or vinyl albums (or 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, etc.), you never know what treasures you may find and what value the preservation of your current records may yield for future members.
If your chapter has not done so already, take the time to transition your chapter archives to a digital format (and back it up!). It is an effort worth undertaking. In a rapidly changing technological climate, this allows your chapter some protection from the obsolescence of floppy disks, hard disks, and CDs. It helps eliminate the bulk of transferring physical files and photographs from one board to the next. Digital copies provide an opportunity to post the most interesting items on the chapter’s website to be enjoyed and shared by the membership. Maintaining a digital record and having it available to more than one chapter member also provides the opportunity to score more points on your awards application!
If not already in place, assist your board by volunteering to participate on an archival committee or to serve as a director of archives. A chapter archive can aid in leadership transitions and help maintain continuity from one board to the next.
Be on the lookout for the RCI Chapter Development Committee’s next article, five of seven in the Chapter Awards Program article series. It will cover Section 8.0 – Marketing and Section 9.0 – Technical Services of the program application.
If your chapter has not already downloaded the new Chapter Award Program application, visit iibec.org/membership/downloads. An Excel® file of the application can be found under Chapter Leadership Tools.
Over the summer, RCI Region IV Director Steven Drennan worked with the Central Texas Chapter board and other interested members on establishing a San Antonio Branch. A large segment of members in the location warranted the branch structure concept. As noted in the policy adopted by the RCI Board of Directors in 2007:
A branch structure allows the chapters the option to provide activities outside of the immediate drivable distance, while providing a certain decentralized chapter management. Where a critical membership base is identified by the chapter, or as requested by chapter members, a chapter branch can be established by the chapter board of directors. The geographic boundary of each branch is to be determined by the chapter board of directors. The branch liaison position is voted on by the branch members. The branch liaison serves on the chapter board of directors for a one year term.
In late August, Drennan facilitated a meeting in which Central Texas Chapter members Pete Keener, Kyle Sargent (president), Todd Scrimpsher, Erik Murray, Alonso Caro Jr., Jon Cannon, and Jesse Bondoc agreed upon the official establishment of the San Antonio Branch. They appointed Kerry “Pete” Keener, RRO, as branch liaison. He can be reached at 210-714-2101 or pete.keener@terracon.com.
For more information about the RCI Central Texas Chapter, contact chapter President Kyle Sargent at 940-782-3938 and rci.centraltx@gmail.com.
RCI Region IV Director Steven Drennan currently works with two other chapters, as well as providing overall service to members of the region. He may be reached at 972-679-6612 and sdrennan@conleygroup.com.
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