Message from the President
Jan. 31, 2012
Dear colleagues,
On to Accreditation and the 3Me's! My message this time speaks to What's in it for Me only when I seek accreditation?; what does Accreditation mean for Me and my local Society?;, and then what does Accreditation mean for Me as a professional public relations and communications management practitioner?
First, what's in it for Me, or why do I want to get my APR, or as in the case of 1,618 practitioners, why did I get my APR? Getting one's APR stems from a variety of motivations that include love of learning, recognition, status, continuous professional development. Many have said that pursuing your APR puts you back in touch with your profession very differently than the day-to-day activities you take for granted. It's the difference between effortlessly taking a cool beer or cooler on a hot summer day (the intuitive nature of our work) and force-feeding a bitter pill you know will make you better – the theory of public relations and communications management. Accreditation will make you more knowledgeable about your profession, but it comes with hard work and perseverance. The reward lies as much in the process of studying, the collegiality of sharing theory in groups with other APR candidates, as it does, funnily enough, in getting back to your roots and really finding out why you do what you do, why you give the advice that you do, etc. Many are those who have commented that achieving your APR was as much about learning something new, as it was about putting existing knowledge down on paper – “a wonderful refresher course." It's also one of the best ways to engage with CPRS and to optimize the value of your membership because in the end, seeking your APR is a selfish pursuit, it's earned by one alone, and is a marker of one's discipline, courage, knowledge and experience. This year, we have 44 APR candidates in process (29 new participants and 15 returning), the highest in quite some time. They are each currently in the middle of preparing their work sample, the first step of 3 on the road to their APR designation. I'm also pleased to say that CPRS has a very high ratio of APRs to members – 30 per cent.
Second, what does Accreditation mean to Me at the local Society level? This part of my message would primarily touch all the accreditation volunteers, whether you are an Accreditation Chair on your local board, a grader or regional examiner for the national process, or an exam developer. Regardless, working on behalf of accreditation to support colleagues who want to take the plunge, who want to acquire that precious designation, is hard and selfless work to help others succeed. Accreditation chairs are "saints" and are some of the hardest working volunteers of CPRS. Year in and year out, many the same for several years, give talks, advise, mentor, teach and coach their peers to success in acquiring their APR. Such incredible dedication and commitment. They deserve all the praise they can get. The success of candidates also depends on the long hours that exam developers put in to create fair and equitable written and oral examinations that will truly test the knowledge of candidates. Then comes the grading of work samples, written and oral exams; our graders put in long hours to ensure that candidates are given the best marks they deserve on the three challenges that make up the APR process. Graders work in teams and each written exam is reviewed by a minimum of three people and each oral team consists of three practitioners! The teams of graders and examiners are also supported by regional examiners who oversee the entire process annually. And, all of this work is co-ordinated by the National Office and National Council on Accreditation. Each year, hundreds of volunteers dedicate their time and expertise to the process. It's an amazing army of folks who give countless volunteer hours annually to the process. None are remunerated!
Third and final part to my message – what does Accreditation mean to Me at the National Society level and to my profession in general? Accreditation has, for years, been the flagship program of CPRS. Though candidates pay for part of the program, members of CPRS also support the program significantly through their dues thus making a strong statement of support for our professional designation. The APR is recognized internationally and enjoys wide reciprocity with other countries who are members of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management. For example, if you move to the US and become a member of the Public Relations Society of America, your APR from Canada is fully recognized. Thousands of colleagues around the world will recognize your APR and appreciate the process you've gone through to achieve it. It's a professional designation with instant recognition and instant bonding with like-minded peers.
Nationally, the Accreditation process is organized by a committed group of volunteers who work as members of the Accreditation Council. The Council is led by a Presiding Officer, Deputy Presiding Officers for Appeals (English and French) and Eligibility, Chief Examiner and five members in addition to two national board liaison representatives and supported by full-time National Office staff. The Council is the governing body that oversees the standards and practices of the process and supports the work at the local level through regular meetings with each of the accreditation chairs.
So, as you can see, Accreditation is a big deal for CPRS at all three levels. It truly is an investment of blood, sweat and tears for each of the 3 Me's, like any family endeavour! If you have been in practice for at least five years and are even remotely thinking of applying for accreditation, do speak with your accreditation chair about it and see what the fuss is all about, and see how the process is friendly, affordable and entirely doable with reasonable effort. If you have had your APR for five years or more and want to give back to others who have helped you, then why not decide to be a grader or work on the exam development committee? To do so puts you back in touch with the process, the people and continuing professional development that count toward your maintenance of accreditation credits. Your time and expertise are very much needed by the Accreditation Council. And, finally, if you're already a grader, then consider future service on the Accreditation Council. We need members and help at every level of the APR!
To all candidates currently on stream – good luck! Everyone is cheering for you to succeed.
Pierrette Leonard, APR, FCPRS
National President
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
Message from the President
Nov. 28, 2011
Dear colleagues,
Time again for my message on CPRS and the 3 Me's, or as someone pointed out to me, about "CPRS: from me to we." Last time, I focused on PD and the 3 Me's. This time, I'd like to say a few words about Membership Services and the 3 Me's. The theme for my messages this year is particularly relevant now, on the eve of our dues increase, which kicks in January 2012. Though the $40 increase was amply announced before the annual general meeting, and was overwhelmingly accepted by members at the AGM, this is not the time for complacency. My take on the vote was that members placed a considerable amount of trust and faith in the Board's decision and CPRS' future directions. With great trust comes great responsibility!
So what do Membership Services look like at the first Me level – the what's in it for me level? It's about eligibility to compete in an Awards Program. Members can submit work to the National Awards Program and several member society awards programs. Gaining recognition for one's achievements can be both personally and professionally rewarding. It’s about Members who wish to pursue the APR accreditation designation and be recognized by their peers. It's also about benefitting from a full suite of insurance solutions, especially for members in consultancies. Members can access the National Resource Library, which hosts the finest work by Canadian practitioners, including the winning entrants of the CPRS Awards of Excellence competition and accreditation work samples. Then, there's the Career File, one of our most popular spots on the website for recruiters and job hunters. The Career File is designed to service Canada's public relations and communications industry from coast to coast and in both official languages. In fact, all of CPRS' member services are provided in both English and French on the website, in publications and at the national office. Lastly, members have access to a range of publications and range of free services and discounts on products of professional and personal benefit. More examples of the personal benefits of membership than I can describe here are available on the website, and I would encourage you to browse and ask.
As we move over to the second CPRS and Me level – the what's in it for me as a chapter member?, we see emerging a different value for membership – the value of networking. As full, affiliate or student members, we are part of a national network of more than 1,800 public relations professionals, spanning a variety of sectors and representing a broad base of knowledge and expertise. Through local professional development events and the annual CPRS National Conference, members can connect with professional peers and learn from industry leaders sharing knowledge and best practices on a range of topics. Though it's true that it's possible to attend these events as non-members, the true sense of community and collegiality that come from meeting colleagues regularly can only be felt after repeated contact over and again. Membership in CPRS does that! Volunteerism at the local chapter level - joining, helping, learning – makes the Society come alive, makes the member get and give back something intangible that simply isn't visible to members who take a more focused view of their membership value. The value proposition at this level is very difficult to express in dollars, but you know it once you get there!
The border between the second and third CPRS and Me level is a lot fuzzier – the what's in for me as a professional? That’s because if you’ve tasted the Commitment “Kool-Aid”, you already know that more is better. You want to get involved on a national committee, Council or task force, you want to run for the Board, you want to become president because you believe that the sum is greater than the whole of its parts and you just might make a difference and have a whole lot of fun doing it with your peers! Of course, taken globally, through CPRS' affiliation with the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management, a global network of communications and public relations organizations, CPRS members have exceptional access to additional resources and public relations professionals around the globe.
Now back to earth! I know the challenges of selling CPRS beyond the first level are very, very tough. The gap that separates the first and second levels of membership value is much greater than that between the second and third levels. I would invite each and everyone of you that needs to hear it again, whether as an individual member, or as a chapter board member pitching for membership retention and recruitment, to call the national office and challenge the staff, right up to the executive director, on the value for your membership dollars, especially this coming year. They're ready for you and can't wait to tell you why you should belong to CPRS! Or, better still, call me! Thank you for being a member of CPRS.
Pierrette Leonard, APR, FCPRS
National President
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
Message from the President
Oct. 21, 2011
Dear colleagues,
I mentioned in my last message that I would be tackling the value of membership in my messages this year. To recap, I thought I would devote my messages to explain member benefits, and why it's important to support your professional association each year. I will be writing about Professional Development, Membership Services, Accreditation, Education, and the National Conference from 3 different lenses. First off the block, let's talk about Professional Development and the 3 Me's. What's in it for me strictly as a member, what's in it for me as a Society volunteer, and what's in it for me as a professional practitioner in PR and communications management vested in the advancement of the profession.
The first Me: When I sign up for a PD session, I look at an event and, like everyone else, analyze whether it can meet my needs for continuing education and whether it's affordable. What is the value proposition? If PD is supported by your employer, the answer may come sooner, but the decision-making process is probably about the same. I look to CPRS to provide me with enough opportunities to benefit professionally from the knowledge acquired, and from the networking with colleagues to justify supporting the Society financially through my dues. Is it a reasonable return on my (or my employer's) personal investment of time and money? Am I enjoying myself learning with colleagues? Is the difference between the fee charged for the event for members preferential enough to warrant the membership? These are all the questions I ask myself when I evaluate the value of my membership for this component. It begins and ends with Me, the member.
For the other PD and Me, the Society volunteer, matters start to shift a little away from what I described above to a somewhat bigger picture now focusing also on the excitement of planning a PD program for the year with colleagues and for colleagues, by sitting on the Board and finding satisfaction in giving of myself to my local Society and members, and, in the process, finding greater relevancy for my membership by connecting at a different level with peers on strategic planning, goal setting and meeting expectations in collaboration with the National Office and the services provided for PD. To name a few:
- Canadian Public Relations Conference
- Online and On-demand webinars
- Local CPRS Mini-Conferences
- Speakers Bureau
These are tools and services that the rank and file member never sees until you become a volunteer that depends on the support of the local Society and the National Office. So, from there, I start to see my life as a CPRS volunteer, depending on the time commitment, almost like a second job, a job where opportunities for leadership, learning about self, understanding finances, conducting meetings, and mentoring can be very different than those offered to me in my regular job.
PD and Me as a volunteer, provides a level of satisfaction that brings an intangible benefit of membership. Essentially, it’s about giving back and what happens to one’s appreciation of CPRS when that happens.
The third and final PD and Me takes the value of membership to its highest level—what's in it for me as a professional and member of a network of peers, and what it personally offers me to support one’s profession for the betterment of others, especially young professionals, to support others in setting national standards in education, accreditation, ethics, etc., to elevate the profession and bring added credibility for it in the C-suite, or around a table of peers in the workplace. Of course, as the personal engagement moves from a very narrow PD and Me outlook, the return on the investment is much more about what one gives than what one receives purely on the basis of services. Usually, the PD and Me at this level is about the personal development that occurs in contact with colleagues and learning about their business, by mentoring young professionals whom we can learn from. Finally, it's about seeing the relevance of CPRS because I actually just know it more, and understand the sense of community and belonging it brings me. How do you put a price on that? So, want to get more out of your membership? The simple answer, if you can manage it, is to just get involved in CPRS. You'll soon see the difference!
Pierrette Leonard, APR, FCPRS
National President
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
Message from the President
Dear colleagues,
Another wonderful national conference has come and gone and the summer months are upon us with a somewhat slower pace. Not sure that communicators and PR professionals are ever at rest during this time, but I hope that most of you are enjoying decent weather across the country, and noticing fewer meetings, phone calls or travel during this time. September will be back too soon, along with the frenzy of our daily commitments in a profession that is notorious for coping with demands and deadlines, often unreasonable ones.
This is my first President's Message in my second term. I want to thank everyone for their support of my first year as national president, a year marked by an immense (and still unconquered!) learning curve, supportive colleagues on the Board, exceptional conversations with members and volunteers, and fantastic relations with the staff at the national office without whose support I could not function nearly as effectively. So thanks to all for your investment in me and in CPRS this past year!! Year 2 shows as much promise in a number of areas that will form the basis of my future messages.
Before I go on, I do wish to congratulate the local committee in Saint John for the tremendous success of this year's annual conference. Many, many are they who have commented on the quality of the speakers and the sense of belonging created by the hospitality program at this year's conference. What a winning combination! I think in the horse racing world, we could call it a "quinella"!
For my messages this year, I thought I would dedicate a column to our major national programs in order to demonstrate value for membership. The resolution to increase annual dues effective January 2012, was approved by the membership. It was the first increase in eight years, but a sizeable one-time increase that compelled Board directors, national and local, to discuss and focus on how to demonstrate more clearly why we needed member support for the increase. I will be taking on some of that responsibility by dedicating my messages this year to better explain member benefits, and why it's important to support your professional association each year. I will be writing about Professional Development, Membership Services, Accreditation, Education, and the National Conference. Given that we each approach our membership in CPRS in a variety of ways, I will do so as well in my messages: strictly as a member - what's in it for me? as a Society volunteer - what's in it for my local Society board? and as a professional - what's in it for the advancement of the profession? I hope that my comments will resonate across a number of different perspectives and speak to your own reasons for belonging. In the end, I hope some combination of the quote made famous by Abraham Lincoln will apply, if I can paraphrase a little - " We can [convince] all the people some of the time, we can even [convince] some of the people all of the time, but we can't [convince] all of the people all the time." I hope to convince all of you that membership in CPRS is valuable. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Pierrette Leonard, APR, FCPRS
National President
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
Dear colleagues and supporters of CPRS,
Already a year has gone by! No, make that flown by! And an amazing year it's been for me as national president. The nervousness from last June has since made way for the greater confidence that comes with finding out about the ropes and what makes CPRS tick. One of the highlights of my term has, without question, been the direct contact I've had with so many members and volunteers that make up our professional association. And on that note, for my last message of the series of 5Cs this year (Conversation, Consultation, Collaboration, Commitment and Community), I would like to end with the sense of Community I've found throughout CPRS in my travels and conversations with members across the country. Whether the sense of belonging to a community unfolds primarily at the local society level, or through involvement on national committees or councils, the common denominator holds true for everyone who chooses to join and remain a member of CPRS. We are all drawn to activities that promote contact with like-minded humans. It must indeed be a strong motivator to have secured the membership of two of our most ardent supporters who will be celebrating 50 years with CPRS this year: John Bowles APR, FCPRS, L.M., in NB; and Murray Grant APR, L.M., from Regina. For John, in particular, who also maintained his membership outside Canada for several years, "membership has also meant the opportunity to connect with the growing international family of public relations practitioners for the exchange of views, knowledge and information."
Community at CPRS can be defined in so many different ways, and it doesn't really matter in the end how it plays out. Through our dues, we support each other locally and we support our association by extension. The important message here is that whether one thinks global, but acts local, or the reverse, the investment we all make to CPRS colleagues should be for the long term, not just the short term. The conversations I've had in the past year have reinforced my strong belief, that, despite some doubts about "what's in it for me", we should all share the belief that CPRS, as with all professional associations for that matter, has been and can continue to be a great community-building engine for Canadian public relations and communications management practitioners. Acting consistently and persistently with a next-generation view is probably the only way one can satisfyingly process the meaning of their membership, year after year, in his or her local Society, and ultimately the larger CPRS "family". And, as with all families, respect, trust, honesty, generosity, autonomy, even criticisms, are all attributes that are needed to create the sense of belonging we need and want to support. Just ask John and Murray what's been in it for them, and for several others who will also be celebrating their 50 years of community life with CPRS in the new few years. Value creation does not come with "short-termism," but with long-term investment and big-picture thinking.
I'll end here with some parting words from Murray Grant who, like John Bowles, will be honored for his long-term view of CPRS at this year's Gala Awards dinner. To Murray, CPRS has provided "many happy memories like the national conferences. At one of them, years ago, we won the title of largest family in attendance. Our daughters remember it, and two are active public relations professionals…I feel blessed to have been active in CPRS. I plan to stick around to see more." Thanks Murray - thanks everybody for being members of CPRS, for acting locally and thinking globally. Have a great summer!
Pierrette Leonard APR, FCPRS
National President
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
Message from the President
"As the saying goes, the more you give, the more you receive. This holds true for my commitment to CPRS. It has not only provided me with opportunities to hone my leadership skills, develop new skills and make a contribution to advancing the public relations profession in Canada, it has also enriched my life through the relationships I have developed over the years. It is for these reasons that I encourage others to volunteer because the true value for membership can only be achieved through commitment and active participation in the Society." Colleen Killingsworth, MCM, APR, ABC, FCPRS, Presiding Officer, National Council on Education.
I'm down to my last two "C" words before the end of my term as president – Commitment and Community. This time, I'd like to talk about the importance of Commitment, which is of course a great way to then approach the notion of what it means to be a part of the CPRS Community for my next message.
First, let's remind ourselves what it means to be committed to the high ideals and principles of CPRS. To be a member of CPRS already implies Commitment. When we join, and perhaps we should do this more often, we sign and commit to the Code of Professional Standards of the Society. By paying our dues, we make a commitment to financially and morally support the goals of the National Board, its councils, committees and task forces. As members, we also commit to the work of our local societies and occasionally commit to participating in events, social and otherwise, organized by our local board. I should mention that this message is not about degrees of commitment, or competition for commitment, it's about making A commitment to CPRS that suits your particular inclination as a member, so long as the Society can continue to count on you for support.
For some, the commitment needs to go beyond the payment of dues and participation at events. Some, and I'm happy to say, more than 300 members devote their volunteer time to the programs offered through national committees, councils and task forces to deliver member value because they want to give back and because they see the benefit of involvement. Danielle Côté, APR, (Ottawa/Gatineau), a long-standing volunteer with CPRS and former chapter president, says "the great thing about volunteering your time and ideas to CPRS is that you quickly see a return on your 'investment.' Whether it's the incredible network of PR professionals, new friends, endless opportunities to develop professionally and a chance to help your society grow and become even more relevant to its members. Some of the best moments and opportunities to grow in my PR career have come from volunteering with CPRS."
Of course, the happiness index with one's professional society varies a lot according to how you give and how much you receive. Yes, even volunteers are critical of CPRS, but I always assume it's because they want CPRS to improve. As my fellow Board member Sean Kelly, APR, FCPRS, from Newfoundland-Labrador puts it, "No organization or profession is perfect and sometimes it does not get the respect it deserves. Yet, my profession is important to me; the strength of the profession lies in the strength of its members. While I could never give back to CPRS what it has given to me, I will never stop trying." Sean's commitment and affiliation to CPRS made his phone calls to a Deputy Minister of Health and a CEO of a health region in his province that much easier to handle as he publicly advocated on behalf of his profession in the midst of the highly controversial Commission of Inquiry over Hormone Receptor Testing in Newfoundland-Labrador. Aside from the fact Sean won a Lamp of Service Award for his intervention, he took a risk and exhibited a different kind of commitment very few of us have the chance to show!
I also want to acknowledge a different kind of commitment to CPRS that we may take for granted too often when we plan our events and initiatives – sponsor commitment. Without those dollars, we could not afford to survive and offer value for membership in the way that we do. Our collective thanks to local and national sponsors cannot be heard loud enough. Sponsors need our support and our continued and unabated appreciation for the commitment they show to the work of CPRS. Show you care! Thank your sponsors next time you can, every chance you get.
Lastly, on behalf of your Board, I need to call on everyone's commitment as we prepare to increase our annual dues this year. The increase is very much in keeping with the priorities established in the new Strategic Plan to expand and enhance delivery of services to members to bring added value to membership in CPRS. We need your continued support to implement the Education Council's groundbreaking Pathways to the Profession, which promises to take us to a whole new level of engagement (read commitment!) with the academic community, as well as international recognition for our breakthrough thinking on student participation in CPRS (read commitment again!). Other initiatives, like our work on governance over the next two years, are going to make us stronger, more sophisticated, more resilient to change. We want to invest more in membership and professional development, as well as services to chapter boards, all with the intention of breaking the status quo in our membership ranks. Let's crash the 2,000-member ceiling once and for all!! As in all matters of this nature, the Board has developed a communications strategy to inform the members about the decision before the annual general meeting, in June, in Saint John (you should be thereJ!). We hope you will support the increase and show your commitment to the future of CPRS.
I'm always happy to hear from members who care about CPRS enough to express their opinion. You know where to find me!
Pierrette Leonard APR, FCPRS
National President 2010-2011
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
Message from the President
For my President's Message, I've chosen to write about another of my C-words - Consultation. This simple word brings with it such complex processes that it is often either overlooked or short-changed. If I had to come up with a series of words starting with "S" for my future messages, I would surely pick "second guessing" and "short changing" in the bunch. Both these words are damaging to the true spirit of consultation and the two-way communication that we are driven to practice as professionals in communications and public relations. Why is that? It's often about time or money, pressure from above to get the message out there, get the job done and push, push, push out the door! Not easy as practitioners to hold on to the importance of the R-A-C-E formula, lean and targeted messaging or consultation, before circumstances overtake the due diligence we know needs to happen. As an organization representing not only the interests, but the high standards of the public relations and communications management profession, we too, as your Board members, have to consider all of the above as we make our decisions and spend dues money to act on behalf of members. It behooves us to consult members in the planning and implementation of key organizational goals. As I write about this, I'm reminded of the recent work of the National Council on Education lead by Colleen Killingsworth, APR, FCPRS, former president of CPRS, and an outstanding volunteer for this organization. Colleen and her team of educators and communicators on the Council have crafted a ground-breaking document called the Pathways to the Profession that has already earned the envy of academics outside Canada as they witness the implementation of an initiative that will likely highlight even further the place CPRS occupies in the Global Alliance community, and beyond! It's an "out of the ball park" initiative for us. All this to say, that the Pathways document was not created overnight. It required peers to come to the table, set aside competing interests, lots of negotiations and, more importantly, lots of consultation with different stakeholders and cross-country Local Society input. The final product will truly make us proud, and we can say it was done right.
The second example emerging along similar lines is the work of the Governance Committee lead by Grace Diffey, APR, FCPRS, another long-time and dedicated volunteer who has given countless hours to further the aims of CPRS. Grace and her committee of eight volunteers, with the help of four subcommittees each populated by another bunch of CPRS volunteers are tackling some fundamental pieces about how CPRS runs that will surely require, over the next couple of years, many of the same ingredients and processes of consultation just described for the Pathways to the Profession from the Education Council. To those of you planning to come to Saint John for our annual conference, be sure to attend the Annual General Meeting to get a better understanding of the magnitude of the work undertaken by the Governance Committee.
I'll close now and leave you with a simple message: Consultation begins at home! Whether that be what we consult about, or with whom, with colleagues, stakeholders, association members, etc., consultation is a core attribute and value we bring to the decision-making table as communicators. It should define us, and we in turn need to defend its importance to others.
Next time, in my President's Message I will focus on my 4th C-word = Commitment. I will highlight some of the many CPRS members who demonstrate their commitment to CPRS and the ideals of public relations and communications management.
Thank you for being a member and supporter of CPRS!
Pierrette Leonard APR, FCPRS
National President 2010-2011
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
Message from the President
Dear colleagues and friends of CPRS,
I’m now approaching month 6 of 12 of my presidency of CPRS. What an amazing experience it has been so far for me to become so immersed in the business of CPRS, at so many levels, and in so much depth. Even as regular Board Directors, we only skim the surface of the amount and variety of work being accomplished on the Members’ behalf, every day by the staff at the National Office. That was reality check no. 1! The second reality check is about what also makes CPRS work and prosper – the amount of volunteers who donate small to large amounts of their time locally and nationally. I’m sure if we were to tally and convert the dollar amount of this amazing collaboration across the country, the dollar value of CPRS’s financial statements would increase by well over $1,000,000. All that expertise, all that goodwill offered to CPRS annually is the subject of my third message, the third C-word of my 5Cs – Collaboration.
What is the meaning of Collaboration? We often don’t have the opportunity to look it up, but I have, and it’s good to reflect on the definition for a moment: “something that people produce by working together.” Sounds like a simple idea, but the devil can be in the details as everyone who reads this knows, whether that be for personal or professional reasons! Collaboration is the heart and soul of this organization, and as a professional association, we are lost without it. However, the trick is to work on the 5Rs of Collaboration to make it a satisfying and validating experience – right reason/right time/right partner/right process/right outcome. Put all those together and you can make magic happen. I see it time and again in the corps of volunteers and staff at CPRS.
A wonderful example of a collaborative effort currently underway that will need all of the goodwill and magic of the 5Rs is the process the Board has embarked on for 2010-2012 through its Governance Committee chaired by Grace Diffey, APR, FCPRS, from Hamilton. Grace has graciously (and incredibly!) agreed to steer a most important process that CPRS must comply with as a nationally incorporated not-for-profit organization. CPRS, and all other similarly incorporated organizations, will need to comply with new legislation, The Not for Profit Corporations Act (Bill C-4) that will come into effect within the next couple of years. Instead of viewing this as a challenge, your Board of Directors views this as an opportunity to bring CPRS to the next level and turn it into a first-rate volunteer organization across the board. We have the force of legislation to bring much needed changes in a number of sectors listed below. The work will be achieved by a National Steering Committee with small group work that will be tasked with presenting a first set of recommendations to the membership at the 2011 annual general meeting touching upon the following areas:
- Compliance with C-4 legislation
- Succession planning for the national Board
- Chapter structure and regulatory obligations (also to include a review of the process for creation and dissolution of local Societies, roles and responsibilities of local Boards, succession planning, etc.)
- Streamlining of By-laws vis-à-vis Regulations (what is policy, what is operational)
- Updating of Councils, Board committees and Task Forces to streamline the work of the organization so that it is less resource intensive
Whereas I initially thought the work could be done in one year, I have since come to my senses and realized clearly (remember the 5Rs?) that this worthwhile job, to be done well, should take two years split into two phases: building the case in Year 1, and engaging with the membership in a national consultation in Year 2. This will allow enough time for careful reflection and engagement with local Societies and their Members so that changes to the By-laws and Regulations can be successfully approved at the 2012 annual general meeting. This would place CPRS in a good position to comply by the deadline required of the new legislation in 2012. CPRS will be ready! To date, the work of the Governance Committee has been explained individually to local Society Presidents and introduced at the bi-monthly calls of the Presidents’ Council. It’s ambitious, but it’s needed! I hope the Board and volunteers mobilized to work on this effort can count on your support. Thank you for being a Member of CPRS and thank you to all the volunteers for the time you devote to CPRS.
Pierrette Leonard, APR, FCPRS
National President
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca
President's Message
Dear colleagues and friends of CPRS,
In my last message, I mentioned I would be dedicating my messages to the following 5Cs: Conversation, Consultation, Collaboration, Commitment and Community. I'd like to start with the theme of Conversation, and explain how I used this theme to introduce and get support for our Strategic Plan 2020 - Advancing our Society - to frame our work together for CPRS, nationally and locally. The process is not rocket science - it's what we have to do or support in our regular day jobs!
Development of the 2010 Strategic Plan, available here, was the Board's primary focus last year. Anita Wasiuta, APR, vice-president (Treasurer) at the time, stepped up to the plate in a big way and almost single-handedly led Board members through the process. After presenting the draft plan at this year's annual business meeting in Regina and following final adjustments to some of its measures, I'm pleased to announce that our Strategic Plan (SP) is now "up and running" as a new way of doing business for CPRS. I vowed to myself and, more importantly to my fellow Board members that their contributions, and Anita's efforts, to the design of the plan would not sit idle. Thus began a national Conversation about our new SP with fellow members, especially chapter presidents. Over the summer months, I got on the phone with Karen Dalton, executive director, to speak or meet with chapter presidents to introduce two pieces of work the national board will be undertaking this year: the implementation of the new SP and revisions to our bylaws and regulations (see next time for my message on Collaboration). In all cases, we heard what a tough job it is to be chapter president or executive, to engage with members, to recruit volunteers for succession, and to compete for scarce PD dollars. We also listened to what chapter presidents had to say about their upcoming plans to add value for membership for their colleagues in public relations and communications. It was an amazing experience to engage with the chapters individually and to hear about their interest in using the SP to frame their own upcoming initiatives in 2010-2011. This interest was heard again during the recent meeting of the Presidents' Council at which Anita presented the SP. She explained its purpose and process, and offered advice on implementation. Several of the chapter presidents volunteered on the spot to map their Board's work plans to one or three of the goals of the SP framework:
- Build a strong and vibrant membership
- Ensure sustainable financial and association/chapter management
- Engage in Advocacy
Anita will also be presenting the SP in a similar manner to the October meeting of the Operations Committee where the heads of the CPRS Councils, task forces and national committees meet bi-monthly to engage in the national implementation of the SP. At the October Board meeting, directors are also committed to going through the same exercise in order to carve out their own role in bringing the SP to life in our organization. I look forward to reading about the outcome of this national Conversation at each meeting of the Presidents' Council, at the annual meetings of local Societies, and in CPRS' Annual Review. It's about connecting those dots!
Next time, I'd like to write about the work of the Governance Committee, what is envisioned, and the importance of Collaboration at all levels the committee will require to achieve its goals.
In closing, please feel free to contact me directly on any matter pertaining to your membership. Thank you for being a member and supporter of CPRS, and please consider getting involved with your Society!
Pierrette Leonard APR, FCPRS
National President 2010-2011
pleonard@cpsi-icsp.ca