Chapter Delegates Meeting to tackle Member Standards

The annual GCSAA Chapter Delegates Meeting will be held October 27-28 in Kansas City and at GCSAA headquarters.  There are a variety of items that delegates, members, staff and the GCSAA board will discuss.  Those items include:

• President and CEO Briefing
• Rounds 4 Research check presentations and program update
• Member standards/classifications proposal – (As previous communications have indicated, the GCSAA board has developed a proposed members standards/classifications model to help move our members forward.)
• Task group updates – Various task groups have met over the past 12-months.  This has allowed the organization to engage members and receive input on a variety of initiatives.
• Town hall session – One of the most popular agenda items of the event.  This allows attendees to ask the GCSAA board/staff any question.  We receive excellent input and feedback during this session.
• Programs and services update – Topics discussed include GR/Advocacy, BMP and Environmental Programs, Member/Get a Member Campaign, Thank a Golf Course Superintendent initiative and more.
• Board candidates will also present to the delegates.  This event officially kicks off the campaign season. (The GCSAA will provide each delegate a copy of the outcomes and will ask each delegate to summarize the meeting to their chapters.  Being a delegate is a great process of engagement and we encourage delegates to view this as a 12-month project of informing members at the local level.)

To delve into a couple of highlights from what the proposed member standards entail:

• The Superintendent Member classification will become Class B
• The Class A definition proposal will allow for a more industry-inclusive background for Class A status
• Eligibility for Class A will continue to be a combination of education and experience
• Class A renewal will require five points over a five-year period with a minimum of education points increased to three.  Service points continue to be available but for golf-centric activities.

As always, GCSAA will do its best to update members on a regular basis.  We also appreciate your feedback.  We hope your fall is off to a great start and I encourage you to please contact me if you need anything.

All the best,

Steve Randall
Director, Chapter Outreach
(800) 472-7878