Your input is vital

There are many attributes to a successful, well-functioning, responsive member organization. But every association needs input and participation from its members. From that standpoint, I consider GCSAA to be successful. There are many opportunities to get involved and many members have taken advantage of them. The board of directors and the staff certainly appreciates your contributions.

This time of the year is vital, as we are finalizing our business plan for 2009. While our focus is on the upcoming year, we also keep an eye toward the long-term. Crucial to that view is your input and feedback. Without your opinions and preferences, elected volunteers and staff cannot develop and implement the programs and services necessary to ensure your career and facility success.

Many of you have already volunteered for GCSAA committee service. If you haven’t, you have until Nov. 10. Visit www.gcsaa.org or call 800-472-7878 to register. Committees act at the direction of the board; therefore you provide the expertise that helps bridge the gap from strategy to execution. GCSAA committee service is a fulfilling and career-enhancing experience.

New in 2009 is a policy limiting committee service to five consecutive years. The board established this rule to spread the opportunity for service to those who have not yet served. Members are eligible to return to active committee service after sitting out a year.

This mandated hiatus doesn’t mean we don’t want your input. We’ll continue to keep you engaged with quarterly strategic updates from our board meetings and other key communications. We also encourage you to sign up for GCSAA’s Superintendent Research Panel, which includes nearly 2,000 Class A and SM members. This is a means to get your feedback on a series of surveys conducted by GCSAA and the industry.

Speaking of surveys, we’ll conduct several in these upcoming weeks that are vital in helping us assign resources. The Member Needs Assessment measures your awareness and evaluation of association programs and services and lets us know what you need that we are not providing. The Compensation and Benefits Survey tracks many career-related benchmarks. It’s important that we have solid participation in order to advocate on your behalf with employers. We conduct both of these surveys every two years to track trends and react appropriately.

Following February’s conference and show and GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic, we’ll conduct our annual surveys of those events. We regularly make changes based on your experiences.

Early spring also will mark a milestone. We will send out the fifth (and last) in a series of surveys that comprise the GCSAA Golf Course Environmental Profile Project. Focusing on environmental programs and energy use, the project already has helped us communicate golf’s relationship with the environment.

The advent of online survey technology makes GCSAA a more nimble organization, but I realize it also puts a burden on you. Not only do you receive several surveys from us each year, but you get them from others regarding your personal and professional lives. I continue to be amazed by — and extremely appreciative of — your dedication in returning them to us.

GCSAA is truly a member-based association.