NARFE News
Scholarship entry Deadline April 25
Regions realigned; reorg endorsed
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ARFE would get the most dramatic reorganization of its 92-year existence under a long-term plan endorsed by the National Executive Board at its February 24-27 meeting. National President Joseph A. Beaudoin called the meeting “the most important Board meeting NARFE has ever held.” Signaling the critical need to change the Association’s current structure and its determination to lead the transformation, the Board agreed, as a first step, to cut in half the number of regions represented on the Board from 10 regions to five (see map, above). That change is within the authority of the Board to accomplish by itself. The Board also agreed to offer bylaw amendments that, if adopted, would: • Reduce the number of National Officers from four to two, retaining only a National President and National Treasurer and abolishing the National Vice President and National Secretary positions; • Make membership in chapters optional, rather than mandatory as it has been since 1988; and • Open membership in the Association to everyone, not just those entitled to an annuity from the federal government, and provide a youth membership for individuals under the age of 26. Amending NARFE’s National Bylaws would require a two-thirds vote at the NARFE National Convention in August.
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The proposed changes are aimed at freeing up scarce resources for other uses, increasing membership and starting to align the Association’s structure more closely with its mission. The changes outlined above were among those recommended by the Future of NARFE Committee, a 12-member panel appointed by Beaudoin in 2013 to develop a vision for the Association’s future. Committee co-chair Evelyn Kirby, Region II vice president, and committee member Ted Jensen, former Maryland Federation president, presented the committee’s report. The 26-page document describes NARFE’s current situation as one of declining membership, less member participation, over-reliance on dues revenue and a lack of focus of resources on NARFE’s core legislative mission. The report makes 35 recommendations to move the Association in a new direction. (The report may be found at www.narfe. org. Log in and click on the Future of NARFE Committee banner.) In addition to the proposed immediate changes, additional farreaching changes are envisioned, following strategic planning to draft an implementation schedule and adoption of additional bylaw amendments at future conventions. Among other things, the recommendations would establish a new governance structure along congressional district lines. NARFE members in each congressional
The 2014 NARFE Scholarship competition closes April 25. The application appears on p. 53, or go to www.narfe.org and click on the image in the graphic carousel to access the application and “A Guide to NARFE’s Annual Scholarship Awards Program.” Winners will be notified in August. Questions? Email natvp@narfe.org.
district would elect a member to serve as a “Congressional District Leader,” or CDL, responsible for legislative advocacy in the district. The CDLs in a state would, in turn, elect a “State Representative,” who would have responsibility for senatorial and state government advocacy, as well as coordination of statewide coalitions. The current federation structure would be phased out. The state representatives in each region would elect a member of the board of directors. These individuals would no longer be referred to, or function as, regional vice presidents but would be national policy makers. The five elected directors could appoint two or more additional directors from outside NARFE (for example, business leaders or former elected officials). The directors would choose, from among their number, a president and treasurer. Neither of the officers would work at NARFE Headquarters. Instead, an executive director would manage operations and would be hired by, and be accountable to, the board. After lengthy discussion and some disagreement with individual proposals, the Board unanimously agreed to endorse the report with minor modifications, including exempting Panama and the Philippines, which do not have representatives in the U.S. Congress, from some of the recommendations. –By Margaret M. Carter, editor