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Old Soldiers Needn't Fade Away

by Mark  Levin    

Instead of cats, the singers were Past Presidents of associations, lamenting the end of their time in office. A recent incident reminded me of the song again, and I started to think a little more about the "plight" these veteran volunteer leaders.

While attending a convention in Tampa, I was riding in the elevator and noticed (as usual) all of the name tags on the other riders. There were several meetings and conventions in the hotel, and it was interesting to see the various styles of tags, ribbons, and badges. The most unique was a badge that said "Active Past President.

Of course, every group has some sort of recognition for its Past Presidents, usually some type of ribbon or listing of names in programs. This badge was different because it contained the word "Active". What a great idea, I thought. Let people know which Past Presidents stayed with it after their term in office (I've always wondered why we say "term" when referring to a President's stay in office. Don't we say the same thing when we sentence people to prison?).

It made me think of how we "use" our Past Presidents in our associations, societies, Chambers, and other organizations. When you stop to think about it, here are some of the most valuable, experienced, dedicated volunteers we could ever hope to find, yet we often think that once they've "gone through the chairs" that their productive volunteer days are over. I wonder if they see it that way?

If you look at most organizations, where do you find the Past Presidents? Here are some of the "traditional" ways you see them used:

Past Presidents' Councils

Nominating Committees

Awards Committees

Bylaws Committees

Long Range Planning Committees

Now, none of these is an unimportant job. But I wonder if some of these are looked upon as the "place where Past Presidents go"? In a time when everyone is complaining about the difficulty of getting volunteers to commit time, it would seem to be especially important not to let some of our best talent "fade away".

Think about the skills and characteristics of a Past President. He/she knows as many people in your organization - and your industry or profession or community - as anyone. He/she understands the organization's issues, policies, procedures, administrative structure, history, and "culture". He/she knows the volunteer organization, the financial condition, and the goals and objectives of the organization. Perhaps as importantly, he/she has had experience working with the organization's professional staff and, hopefully, has some understanding of the appropriate staff/volunteer roles and relationships.

Given all of these, it just makes good sense to give some thought to how we can use these incredibly talented and dedicated people in ways that are meaningful to them and beneficial to the organization.

So, I called some of my friends and peers in the Association Management profession and asked them to help me identify ways to best use Past Presidents. As usual, they were very willing to share (that's what I love most about my profession) and here are some of their suggestions:

- Chapter Liaisons - Organizations which have some sort of Chapter or Affiliate structure are always looking for ways to improve communications with these "subgroups". Why not assign your Past Presidents to contact them on a regular basis? In addition to getting feedback from chapters, the chapters have the "honor" of communicating with a past leader of their organization (and profession/industry).

- Speakers or Instructors - Past Presidents can add a unique perspective to speeches about the industry/profession/community. They also add a new dimension to their role as teachers, since they've seen some of the ways things have been implemented in the "field".

-Representatives to Affiliated Groups - This is a great way to get the "most" from your Past Presidents. Your organization is probably working with several other groups in your industry/profession on coalition-style programs and projects. Using Past Presidents as liaisons to these groups gives the Past President an important, prestigious job that doesn't (normally) require enough time to "burn them out". At the same time, they bring added credibility to your group's representation.

- Panel Members - A panel discussion of industry or professional issues is always a hit at meetings and Conventions. Having at least one Past President on these panels adds another experienced voice to the discussion, again with the unique perspective of a former top association leader. A "Point-Counterpoint" format also makes an interesting and lively program.

- Membership Retention - Who could possibly be better to contact members about continuing their membership than someone who has been in your top leadership position? In many organizations, being contacted by a Past President might be enough of an honor by itself to convince some members to renew.

- Testifying - Although many organizations are concerned about getting "new blood" involved in things such as representing the group before legislative or regulatory bodies, Past Presidents can play a very important role here. In addition to the credibility and experience factors, most Past Presidents have a particular area of the industry or profession in which they are especially talented, successful, and interested. When that issue or area comes up, that's the time to bring in a specific Past President.

- Writing Articles and Letters - Past Presidents probably still have a lot tosay. Why not ask them to write for your organization's publication from time-to-time? Another way to use them is to get them to write "testimonial" letters to prospective members or potential drops.

These are just a few of the suggestions made by trade association, professional society, and Chamber executives from across the country. There are certainly other ways to continue using your Past Presidents in a productive, meaningful, and not-too-time-consuming way. Whatever you do, don't lose the support and input from these valuable resources.

After all, just because they've gone "through the chairs" doesn't mean that they've gone "over the hill".


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Copyright© 2002, Mark Levin. All right reserved. For information contact Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com.