Boundary Reorganization

[Sarah Beckett MCPF]

Hello PPFA members,
PPFA is undergoing Chapter boundary reorganization, in an effort to better serve ALL members of our association. Your International PPFA Board, along with your Chapter Relations Committee, has diligently looked at ways to accomplish this goal – “To redefine the Chapter territories in the continental United States by consolidating and focusing potential chapter volunteer resources in an effort to improve the members’ experience and increase the participation of membership.”

With this boundary reorganization, PPFA members will still be able to attend ANY PPFA event at ANY PPFA Chapter, regardless of “home” Chapter affiliation – but if entering the annual framing competition, will compete in their assigned Chapter.

By eliminating “Mailbox” chapters – areas not previously affiliated with a Chapter – and assigning ALL PPFA members to a Chapter – everyone will now belong to a Chapter “family” and receive correspondence from a “home chapter” about Chapter events, meetings, certification opportunities, and competitions. Within these larger geographic areas, smaller local groups may choose to meet and socialize.

Some Chapters are having difficulty with volunteer resources. PPFA is mainly under the direction of volunteers at the Chapter level, with a small paid staff in Jackson that helps coordinate and provide much needed organizational skills. But we are the ones who organize events on the local level.

We appreciate that each volunteer is a framer whose first priorities are framing and customers. It takes several volunteers to successfully run a chapter, with time needed to properly plan events. We have some areas with several volunteers, while other Chapters struggle. Combining a few chapters into larger areas will increase our pool of volunteers. If you would like to volunteer at the local level, please let me know! It’s a fun way to get to know fellow framers, and also increase your leadership skills.

We would like all our PPFA members to look over the map, and give your feedback. Visit the PPFA Framers Corner at www.ppfacorner.com where you’ll find the thread “Boundary Reorganization” in the Corner Café forum. But hurry – this thread will be active until Sunday April 20 for your feedback.

We look forward to seeing you on the Framers Corner and at Chapter events!

Thank you,
Robin Gentry, MCPF
PPFA President
robin@bandjgallery.com

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

Thanks Sarah,
Can you explain how a member outside a geographical chapter, say Quebec, and is now in the mailbox chapter becomes a member of a certain chapter. Can this individual choose which chapter?
When a member lives in a chapter, that does not take part in competitions, can this member still partake in a framing competition, even though the mailbox chapter to which this individual was assigned before no longer exists?

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

Canada has it own chapter and organization, similar to Australia and New Zealand.

The one thing this map does not address is Alaska there are several members there, where do they go?

I still think it make sense to enlarge the territory and membership of Texas Gulf Coast Chapter to include Louisiana.....2cents

 

[Robin Gentry MCPF]

Alaska will be affiliated with the Cascade Chapter. It is a distance but at this time that would be the best fit.

All Canada members are part of the Canada West Chapter. The name is going to be changed at a later date to just be Canada.

Any members outside of Canada or the US will compete in the International Mailbox Competition.

 

[John Keglovich]

I would rather see all of Nothern Ohio under the Great Lakes banner, but that has more to do with the Michigan boys being the best organization of the bunch. Not sure where the leadership will come from in the tri-state section, was kind of hoping being in with Michigan would kind of resurrect us.

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

Right, so the mailbox competition will remain, but the mailbox chapter will not.
Can the members in Alaska become part of the Canadian Chapter? Are there any members in Hawaii and where do they belong?

 

[Robin Gentry MCPF]

The map is here for the members input. If the members in Alaska feel the best alignment would be with Canada then they need to speak up.

To my knowledge, Currently there are no members in Hawaii, I have not checked the member list. I would foresee them being involved with one of the California Chapters but if enough are interested they could look at a chapter in Hawaii which would make things much more accessible to them.

It is the DOMESTIC MAILBOX CHAPTER being dissolved. The INTERNATIONAL MAILBOX CHAPTER still exists.

 

[Gregory K. Norris CPF]

Somehow Tri-State has been muddling along, and drawing a contingent from northern OH to our events.:smile-new:

 

[Kai Vanuffelen]

With Canada already the largest or second largest country in the world, the Canadian chapter will be a very large geographical area. Undoubtedly most of the members in the Canadian chapter will be located along the border with the US and concentrated near the towns of Vancouver and Calgary.

Can the Canadian chapter be split into two, namely Canada East and Canada West or some parts of the Canadian chapter become part of a chapter in the US? Members in Ottawa for example can become part of the Michigan chapter.

If Alaska becomes part of the Cascade chapter, then Vancouver can be included in that chapter too.
Simply throwing some ideas on the table for contemplation.

 

[George Strange]

Canada being one chapter may tend to decrease participation,i am much closer to Miniapolis/St Paul than I am to Toronto or Vancouver,seldom get east of Toronto,in a seperate trade group we have small chapters and regional associations. one of the associations is upper midwest regional association,comprising I believe; Manitoba,Northwestern Ontario,Saskatchewan,North and South Dakota Minnesota. Iowa,Nebraska,and a bit of Wisconsin putting on one major event over a weekend hosted by rotating local chapters.Most of us have many social and business ties across the Canada/US border
just my thoughts,usually visitors are welcomed on both sides of the border for social and trade gatherings,and in the less densly polulated areas of both our nations we are short of people that are willing and able to carry the load.

george strange

 

[Cliff Wilson MCPF]

Canada being one chapter may tend to decrease participation,i am much closer to Miniapolis/St Paul than I am to Toronto or Vancouver,seldom get east of Toronto,in a seperate trade group we have small chapters and regional associations. one of the associations is upper midwest regional association,comprising I believe; Manitoba,Northwestern Ontario,Saskatchewan,North and South Dakota Minnesota. Iowa,Nebraska,and a bit of Wisconsin putting on one major event over a weekend hosted by rotating local chapters.Most of us have many social and business ties across the Canada/US border
just my thoughts,usually visitors are welcomed on both sides of the border for social and trade gatherings,and in the less densly polulated areas of both our nations we are short of people that are willing and able to carry the load.

george strange

There are also Canadians that are closer to the New England Chapter.
Yet another example of why we should allow framers to make a one time choice of what chapter they want to be affiliated with.

 

[John Heltman]

Yet another example of why we should allow framers to make a one time choice of what chapter they want to be affiliated with.

Cliff, In the state of Ohio, we have what is called "open enrolment" for students wanting to change school districts but still live in the district they reside in. The big restriction is that the district in which they wish to attend school must be contiguous (border) their residential district. This gives them "choice" but limits the headache of tracking them all over the state. A type of open enrollment would be a great idea during the reorganization. Attending other chapters meetings are a great way to both learn skills and meet others in our field. That being said, I would keep the rule that you compete only in the chapter you have on record as your home chapter at the National PPFA office by a set deadline.

 

[Glenn Renick]

Can someone tell me where to find the map. I've been told it's here but I just can't find it.

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

Can someone tell me where to find the map. I've been told it's here but I just can't find it.

It's post #1

 

[Gregory K. Norris CPF]

An email went out this week from Robin to the entire membership that included the most recent map as an attachment.

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

If you did not get an email, it is possible you may have accidentally unsubscribed from PMA/PPFA email and you should double check with Nick Shaver nshaver@pmai.org

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

I would rather see all of Nothern Ohio under the Great Lakes banner, but that has more to do with the Michigan boys being the best organization of the bunch. Not sure where the leadership will come from in the tri-state section, was kind of hoping being in with Michigan would kind of resurrect us.

John there is also nothing stopping a couple of framers in the Cleveland area (or any other area) from still organizing meetups, meetings or events under the umbrella of the chapter. Having a meeting does not mean everyone must come from the chapter, but they are certainly welcome too. There is nothing stopping a smaller group from putting together a meeting, proposing a budget and getting funds to hold it.

We have to look at this a great opportunity to do something new and different, this is not going to limit chapters as much as it is going to let us experiment and create more localized meetings and classes. Local members can be empowered to host their own events. Smaller and cheaper and hyper local.

 

[John Heltman]

There is nothing stopping a smaller group from putting together a meeting, proposing a budget and getting funds to hold it.

Just one problem on the horizon with this type of "sub group." Who is going to be responsible for handling the money according to PPFA or standard accounting practices. I would never serve as the official chapter treasurer when the sub group can take on expenses and then just turn them over to the chapter to cover. Which you know will happen. As for fund raising, again who is the ultimate person in the chapter who has to report income to PPFA and IRS? What if it "disappears"? Who would be responsible according to your corporate by-laws? One of the complaints I've heard is that we can't get the (some) chapters to get their financial reports into the national office. Who really expects the sub groups to get their info to the chapter treasurer or does nationals want to take on more work of checking up on these new groups. I understand that sub groups might be the answer to some of the size of area problems but they can open a whole new can of worms.

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

I would imagine that a sub group would work with the chapter board, create a reasonable budget and work with them to acquire funding. Your chapter board is still responsible, as are members putting on the event would need to get quotes, pricing, keeping receipts and being responsible, like any event fiscal responsibility and having a event that is revenue neutral is key. If there is failure at some point in the chain, you can imagine that it would hamper any future events.

Currently John any money agreed to spent by the chapter is put to a vote from the chapter board.

 

[David Lantrip MCPF GCF]

Personally I think members going through an "open enrollment" process as John described would add unnecessary complications to the whole equation. Yes, there may be cases in which a member might want to be in a different chapter other than what geography would dictate. However there is no reason a member cannot participate in two (or more chapters) at once.

For example, if I lived in Atlanta I would belong to the Southeast chapter, but just barely. I'd be only a few miles from the Kentucky/Tennessee chapter and a short drive from the Carolinas. In that case I would simply contact the respective chapter presidents and asked to be added to their email list. I can't imagine any chapter would have a problem with potentially drawing more members to their chapter events.

As mentioned before though I would still contend that a member wanting to enter the framing competition would have to do so under the aegis of their home chapter.