Volunteer Organizational Structure (VOS) Task Force Report

VOS Report http://www.safnet.org/who/VOS1204.pdf

National SAF Feedback Form
www.safnet.org/members/member-pw/comments.cfm?requestedDoc=/members/member-pw/comments.cfm&.

APSAF Feedpack Form
APSAF VOS Comment Form.doc

VOS Memo vosmemo.pdf

Your Input is Needed

Judson Edeburn

By now I’m sure most of us have been able to read the report of the Volunteer Organizational Structure (VOS) Task Force which was released this past December and summarized in a number of SAF publications. If you have not had the opportunity to do so please go to the SAF web site to reasd a copy http://www.safnet.org/who/VOS1204.pdf .

APSAF’s Dave Smith chaired the committee of 10 members charged with

1) evaluating the implementation success of the 1994 VOS TF report,

2) evaluating the effectiveness of the current organizational strucure in meeting the mission and strategic direction of the SAF, and

3) recommending changes to improve the vitality and effectiveness of the organization.

Dave Smith notes that the most important focus was on the “efficient use of our most valuable resource, “Volunteer Time”, and that discussions centered on better lines of communication to the membership, about bringing students directly into the mainstream of the organization, focusing more on science, establishing very clear lines of responsibility and accountability and making sure that we are at the forefront of information technology. Perhaps most importantly the Committee members asked themselves the question: “If we were asked to create the SAF today, what would it look like”?

The Report includes recommendations regarding changes in the national structure of the Society, changes within individual units at the national level, like the Council, Forest Science and Technology Board, House of Society Delegates and various national committees and other task forces, and recommendations for enhancing the overall effectiveness of the Society. The Task Force believes that the changes in the structure are critical to the future of our Society and profession.

Several of the VOS recommendations in a nutshell are:

• Reducing the SAF districts from 11 to 7 (7 voting Regional Council Members)
• Adding a student member to the new Regional House of Society Delegates
• Adding a non voting student member to the Council and increasing overall student participation in Society affairs
• Expanding the Forest Science and Technology Board, by bringing science representation into the mainstream of the Society structure, and renaming theFS&TB the Science Committee
• Changing “working group” to “interest group” to address specific issues or topics, and changing the way they are chartered and how they function.
• Adding a national committee/task force information area to the SAF website
• Increasing the duties and responsibilities of the vice-president and immediate past president

Remember that these are recommendations from the Task Force, and your input is needed to refine the ideas and target areas that will really improve SAF for all of us.

Recommendations can be categorized in several groups. Important structural changes to SAF are included in Recommendations 1, 2, 3, and 6. These deal with improving communication channels, making students and integral part of the Society, and bringing focusing more on science. Recommendations 4 and 5 also deal with improving the functioning of the student structure within SAF. Recommendation 7 deals with improving the formation, function and outcomes of specific science “interest groups.” Recommendation 8 covers formation of a section in the SAF web site that includes committee charter information, present members, and general background information. Recommendation 9 outlines changes in responsibilities of the vice-president and immediate past-president regarding committee oversight. Recommendations 10-14 cover changes to a specific committee, the National Nominating Committee. Number 15 is non-structural and recommends looking at the feasibility of establishing an “ask the experts” program that would facilitate transfer of sound forestry information

Over the past several months, President John Helms has requested preliminary comments on the Report from SAF Council Members and has asked the various State Societies to comment and provide input on the Report as well. The APSAF Executive Committee and the State Executive Committees will be doing so over the next few months. Our Council Member, Fred Cubbage will be attending the Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina division meetings this summer to summarize the report and solicit feedback from attendees. Division Chairs have been asked to reach out to the Chapters to request that a discussion of the VOS report be incorporated into upcoming Chapter meetings. Finally, and very importantly, your personal review is needed.

In order to reach as many APSAF members as possible and to capture your comments in an efficient format, the VOS Task Force recommendations are presented in a section under “Links” with space for folks to provide comments. Note that you can comment on a form that APSAF has provided or one from the National Office that will automatically tabulate your input. Also, a VOS Discussion Topic has been added to the Discussion Forum. We encourage you to use either these formats to comment on the recommendations of the report. Please download a copy of the report and examine it thoroughly before commenting. There is excellent background and for each of the recommendations, including the Task Force’s rationale behind their recommendations. We will be passing along comments to President Helms and the Committee by the end of July.

Note: Forum Link is under construction.