The Top Five Reasons to Become a Chapter Chair
- Networking
How often are you able to meet and socialize with other professionals who specialize in the field of divorce? Given the current divorce rate, more and more sources of information and expertise are needed throughout your community.
Divorce Alliance is a monthly social and educational program. Attendees rub elbows with many types of divorce experts, including financial professionals, lawyers, mediators, paralegals, and psychologists. It is about what you know, but also about who you get to know.
- Continuing Education
All professionals are required to participate in continuing education to maintain their professional designations. Whether this is mandated by local, state, or federal law or required by certifying bodies, Divorce Alliance is an easy and convenient way to earn credits.
Even if you attend these meetings simply to gain insight and knowledge into specific areas, your clients and business will reap the benefits of having the most current and up-to-date information available.
Divorce Alliance provides a new educational topic and package of materials for each monthly meeting.
- Easily Enhance Your Business
Do other professionals know who you are and about your business, or are you relying on expensive marketing and advertising? Do you rely on word-of-mouth referrals? Do members of the general public know the benefit of using your services as a divorce professional? Divorce Alliance is a marvelous opportunity to market yourself and your organization
- It Takes Very Little of Your Time with Instant Benefits
As a Chapter Chair, all you have to do is pick the location and time for your monthly meetings. Divorce Alliance provides monthly educational materials. At the meetings, sit back and relax, meet local divorce professionals, and earn continuing education credit.
You can put as much time you want into promoting yourself and growing an increasing base of attendees. But even with a minimum amount of effort, you reap instant rewards in personal exposure, business networking, and continuing education.
- Personal and Professional Recognition
As the Chapter Chair, you are in charge. You were hand-selected and approved to represent Divorce Alliance in your community. You will help dictate and develop your chapter and receive personal and professional recognition.
DUTIES OF THE CHAPTER CHAIR
Monthly Meetings: Chapter Chairs are responsible for scheduling the monthly meeting time and location. Divorce Alliance will provide the educational materials needed for monthly meetings. When you schedule your meetings, Divorce Alliance will provide a list of potential attendees. Reach out with a simple invitation. New sources of attendees combined with your own professional network will be key to a successful chapter.
Recruitment: Divorce Alliance will provide contact information and marketing materials to help recruit and develop a network of divorce professionals in the area. How many partnerships can you build? Lawyers talk. Financial professionals talk. But when do they get to talk together in one setting? At your chapter meetings.
We encourage Chairs to invite members of the public to attend meetings and to inform them of the educational topics provided. However, we don’t expect you to do this alone. We have created and will continue to create a growing list of relevant individuals in your community.
Accountability: Just keep in touch. We want you and your chapter to be as successful as possible. Beyond the monthly meetings and recruitment efforts, Chapter Chairs will be responsible for contacting and updating the Senior Program Manager as to the progress and development of his or her membership area on a regular basis. We are here to help and are available to you at any time.
TERMS OF THE CHAPTER CHAIR
Founding Chapter Chairs: Since Divorce Alliance’s inception in 2016, the founding Chapter Chairs appointed in 2016 agreed to terms through December 31, 2017.
Founding Chapter Chairs: Since Divorce Alliance’s inception in 2016, the founding Chapter Chairs appointed in 2016 agreed to terms through December 31, 2017.
Ongoing Chapter Chairs: Beginning January 1, 2017, each Divorce Alliance Chapter Chair will be appointed by IDFA for a period of one year. At the end of one year, each Chair may continue their service for an additional year. Chairs have a two-year consecutive term maximum. At the end of any consecutive two-year period, the Chapter Chair must remove themselves from their position for at least one year. They may seek re-appointment at any time after a one-year hiatus.
In the event that a Chapter Chair is unable or unwilling to proceed within the assigned period, the Chair must immediately contact the Senior Program Manager of Divorce Alliance. IDFA will contact all current members of the chapter for volunteers to become the new Chair. All volunteers will be voted on by the current members of the chapter.
In the event that members of the chapter feel that the Chair is no longer able to fulfill his or her obligation or no longer should be able to fulfill the role, the Senior Program Manager of Divorce Alliance must be contacted immediately. At that time, the Senior Program Manager will arrange for an election between the current Chair and any volunteers willing to replace the existing Chair.
In the event that no volunteers for the position of a Chapter Chair vacancy are forthcoming, or in the event that the members do not come to a majority decision, the Senior Program Manager of Divorce Alliance will appoint a replacement Chapter Chair for the remainder of the one-year term.
Failure to comply with the duties of Chapter Chair, including, but not limited to, hosting monthly meetings, providing continuing education, updating the Senior Program Manager, and making reasonable efforts to recruit and maintain chapter membership, may result in removal as Chapter Chair, and as such, reinstatement of annual dues.
Chapter Chairs will receive one letter of warning for any conduct which may amount to a failure of the duties assigned above. If, after thirty days, the conduct has not been adequately addressed and/or rectified, the Chair may be removed from office by Divorce Alliance. Any removal may be appealed to the General Manager of IDFA, and thereafter, the Board of Advisors of IDFA.